Geoff Ogilvy trying his best to break Aussie curse
Geoff Ogilvy has most likely heard the old stat before about Australian golfers playing in the Masters. As most know, no Australian has ever donned a green jacket at Augusta National, which seems hard to believe until you scan down the champions list.
Given the history Aussie players have at the tournament -- who can forget Greg Norman's collapse in '96 -- it's no wonder Ogilvy is trying his best to fly under the radar this week and avoid the question altogether.
He's done a good job avoiding it to this point. While everyone was watching Fred Couples, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods on Friday, Ogilvy quietly put together a second 3-under 69 to get to 6-under for the week and move into contention at the Masters.
[Related: Tiger roars into contention]
But now that he's firmly in contention, Ogilvy knows the question is coming: Does he have what it take to break through at Augusta? The answer to that question, of course, is yes. His high ball flight is perfect for the greens, and as we saw on Friday, when he double-bogeyed the par-5 second hole, he can scramble and grind with the best of them.
A lot of great Aussie players have played in the Masters over the years, but none of them have been able to break the curse. But that could change this year. There's something different about Ogilvy that makes you stand up and take notice. He may only have one major championship to his name, but his swing and demeanor definitely point to him having a couple more in his trophy case before he ends his golf career.
One of these years an Aussie is going to step forward and breakthrough at the Masters, and based on the way Ogilvy is playing at the moment, he very well could be that guy.
More Masters coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• For Couples, Augusta is the fountain of youth
• Kuchar's mystery mishit
• Amateurs struggle to keep up
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