UA senior ready for his date with the PGA Tour's big boys at the Masters

The weather is beautiful ÷ if you like a consistent downpour.

Current weather aside, it is still spring in Georgia, with leaves beginning to blanket the trees and the blooming Azalea bushes taking your breath away. All this only means one thing: Masters Week is here, the happiest time of year for a golfer.

Masters on TV: · Thursday: 1:00 ÷ 3:30 on USA · Friday: 1:00 ÷ 3:30 on USA · Saturday: 12:30 ÷ 3:30 on CBS · Sunday: 12:00 ÷ 3:30 on CBS

The first major of the year will be a little more special for Tucson natives, as UA's own Ricky Barnes cashes in the invitation he received after winning the 2002 U.S. Amateur Championship.

With the tournament getting underway today, the senior Wildcat looks to be using this year's Masters as a test to see if he's ready for professional golf.

So where does Barnes match up against the pros?

Ricky Barnes (a) ÷ OK, so bad news first. It's his first Masters, he's still a college kid and he will be paired with not only the best golfer in the world, but also the most intimidating golfer to play with: Tiger Woods. That aside, Barnes should be fine. With Augusta becoming a long bombers paradise and Barnes proving to be one of the longest hitters in the country, he has a big advantage over most of the field. He could be the most likely amateur in the field to make the cut, and a top-30 finish might not be out of the question.

Jim Furyk ÷ The All-American from Arizona, and member of the 1992 UA National Championship golf team, plays the Masters well. Who wouldn't, when you hit your driver down the middle on a string every time. In the past 5 years, Furyk has racked up four top-20 finishes at Augusta, including a sixth place finish in 2001. If the man with the weirdest swing in golf can get the putter rolling, which he usually does, he can definitely be a factor on Sunday.

Tiger Woods ÷ The obvious favorite in anyone's book, no? In the past six years at Augusta, Woods has finished out of the top 10 once, and won three times. The pressure of going for three-straight green jackets would faze anybody in the world, but Tiger has ichor flowing in his veins and loves playing Augusta. Tiger should win if his play is worth only a little more than a C grade.

Ernie Els ÷ If the Masters were in January, Els might have won by 30 strokes. But the hottest golfer at the first of the year has cooled off, and at the worst time. With his equipment change over the winter, he is hitting fairways like Celine Dion hits her high notes. His worst finish in the last three years was in sixth place. Els should be in the thick of things as play winds down, as he has been in just about every tournament he's played in this year.

Davis Love III ÷ The man with the best swing in the world has had the best season of his career, and doesn't look to be letting down. He is long and putts as good as anybody. After a win at the Players Championship, he said he's ready for Augusta ÷ and when Davis talks, he means it.

Charles Howell III ÷ The Augusta native is 13th on the money list and grew up on this golf course. Not only does he get to sleep in his childhood bed, but he gets to tee it up at the National for the second time as a professional (29th in 2002), and the first time as a PGA tour winner. Howell will win a green jacket of his own, it's just a matter of time.

So who's going to conquer the back nine on Sunday? Watch and see.