(Getty Images)
For golf fans, this week is March Madness, a really good shoe sale, the NFL playoffs, your birthday, Christmas morning and the day "Star Wars" comes out on DVD, all wrapped into one. It's Masters week, and with it comes tradition, beauty and the first major championship of the year. As a preview of this year's Masters, FanHouse will be giving you three groups of golfers to watch at Augusta; we covered the Heavy Hitters Monday and the Regular Joes Tuesday. Here are the Sleepers.
Ernie Els -- Best Finish: 2 -- Sure, calling him a Sleeper might be cheap, but the guy has only won one PGA Tour event in five years. He isn't exactly smoldering the PGA Tour like he used to. The thing is, Ernie hasn't missed a cut this year on tour and has two top-10s in '09. He is ninth on tour in greens in regulation and has had some serious success at Augusta National, finishing sixth or better for five straight years from '00-04. He has three majors, he is playing well coming into the tournament and if he is ever going to win another major, he better get it in soon because the 39-year-old isn't getting any younger.
Rory McIlroy -- DNP -- Ahh, the sexy pick for '09. McIlroy is 19 but has the game of a 30-year-old veteran and it has shown so far. In four tournaments as a professional on the PGA Tour, McIlroy has yet to finish out of the top 20 in an event, something Tiger Woods didn't even do when he jumped to professional. He has played in one major, as an amateur, and made the cut in that 2007 British Open, so the guy won't be intimidated.
Bubba Watson -- t-20 -- Surprised? Well, like I've said, Augusta National is a course set for left-handers and Watson not only fits that mold, but he can hit it a mile. His only Masters was last year where he finished in a tie for 20th, so he has that under his belt. He has shot over par in just one final round this year, so his nerves seem to be settled, and what better course than Augusta National to get your first PGA Tour victory? It also doesn't hurt to be good buddies with Tiger, who probably isn't fond of sharing secrets, but might to one of his best buddies if he is going to reveal any Augusta secrets ("Don't be short on 12 ... it is not a good spot).
Justin Leonard -- t-7 -- Phil Mickelson said on his Tuesday press conference that if the weather stays like it should, he will play the same clubs into greens as he did in the '90s. That is music to a guy like Justin Leonard's ears. In the late '90s, Leonard had two top-10 finishes and has always fared well at Augusta, missing only one cut since 1993. He has played some superb golf as of late, finishing in the top 20 in his last two events and is currently ranked 16th on tour in putting average, a stat that always shines well at Augusta.
Fred Couples -- Won -- If there is a place that Fred Couples can play, it is Augusta National. The guy has missed one cut (incidentally '08) in 24 trips to the Masters, and is playing some swell golf this year with his t-3 at the Northern Trust and t-3 at the Shell Houston last week. He loves Augusta and mentioned after his disappointing final round last Sunday that it is his all-time favorite place, so playing some good golf has to get Freddy excited about it. If his back can hold up, Couples can be a factor, even at 49.
