This Tiger saga and all of its Friday afternoon news dumping has me prepared for just about anything, but I don't see anything untoward with the 2010 Masters field...other than the timing of the announcement.

2010 Masters Tournament Invitees

Robert Allenby (Australia)(18) #* Byeong-Hun An (Korea)(6-A)   Ricky Barnes (12)  #* Brad Benjamin (9) Angel Cabrera (Argentina)(1,2,15,17,18)  Chad Campbell (11)   Michael Campbell (New Zealand)(2)  Paul Casey (England)(15,18)  Stewart Cink (3,15,17,18)  Tim Clark (South Africa)(11,15,18)  Fred Couples (1) Ben Crenshaw (1)  Ben Curtis (18)  Luke Donald (England)(17,18)  # Jason Dufner (17)  David Duval (12) # Simon Dyson (England)(18)  Ernie Els (South Africa)(17,18)  Ross Fisher (England)(12,18)  Steve Flesch (11) Raymond Floyd (1)  Jim Furyk (11,15,17,18)  Sergio Garcia (Spain)(5,18)  # Brian Gay (15,16,17,18)  Lucas Glover (2,15,17,18)  Retief Goosen (South Africa)(15,17,18)  # Nathan Green (Australia)(16)  Todd Hamilton (11)  #* Han Chang-won (Korea)(8)  Anders Hansen (18)  Soren Hansen (Denmark)(12,18)  Padraig Harrington (Ireland)(3,4,15,17,18)  # Yuta Ikeda (Japan)(18)  Trevor Immelman (South Africa)(1)   Ryo Ishikawa (Japan)(18)  Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)(18)   Dustin Johnson (15,17)   Zach Johnson (1,15,16,17,18)  Robert Karlsson (Sweden)(18)  Shingo Katayama (Japan)(11)  Martin Kaymer (Germany)(18)  Jerry Kelly (15,16,17)  Anthony Kim (18)  Soren Kjeldsen (Denmark)(18)   Matt Kuchar (15) Bernhard Langer (Germany)(1)  Marc Leishman (Australia)(17) Justin Leonard (15,18)  Sandy Lyle (Scotland)(1)  Hunter Mahan (11,12,15,17,18)   #* Matteo Manassero (Italy)(7)  # Steve Marino (17)
#* Ben Martin (6-B)  Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland)(18)  Rory McIlroy (N.Ireland)(14,18)  John Merrick (11) Phil Mickelson (1,4,5,11,12,15,16,17,18)  Larry Mize (1)  Edoardo Molinari (Italy)(18)  # Francesco Molinari (Italy)(18) Ryan Moore (16) # Kevin Na (15,17)  Geoff Ogilvy (Australia)(2,11,15,16,17,18) Sean O'Hair (11,15,16,17,18)  Jose Maria Olazabal (Spain)(1)  Mark O'Meara (1)  Kenny Perry (11,15,16,17,18)  Ian Poulter (England)(15,18) John Rollins (15) Rory Sabbatini (South Africa)(15,16) Adam Scott (Australia)(18) John Senden (Australia)(15,17) # Michael Sim (Australia)(18) Vijay Singh (Fiji)(1,18) Heath Slocum (16,17) * Nathan Smith (10) Craig Stadler (1) Henrik Stenson (Sweden)(5,18) Steve Stricker (11,15,16,17,18) David Toms (15,17,18)  Scott Verplank (17)  Camilo Villegas (Colombia)(11,18)  Nick Watney (15,17,18)  Tom Watson (1,13)  Mike Weir (Canada)(1,15,17,18)  Lee Westwood (England)(13, 14,18)  Oliver Wilson (England)(18) # Chris Wood (England)(13)  Tiger Woods (1,2,3,4,11,12,14,15,16,17,18)  Ian Woosnam (Wales)(1)  Y.E. Yang (Korea)(4,15,17,18)

* Denotes Amateur

Past champions not playing: Tommy Aaron, Severiano Ballesteros, Jack Burke Jr., Billy Casper, Charles Coody, Nick Faldo, Doug Ford, Bob Goalby, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Fuzzy Zoeller

Number after each name indicates the basis of qualification. The Masters Committee, at its discretion, also invites International players not otherwise qualified.

 

Listed below are the 16 first-time Masters invitees to date:

Byeong-Hun An (Korea) (6-A) Winner of the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship...at 17 years old, he became the event’s youngest champion with a 7-and-5 win over Ben Martin in the 36- hole final...quarterfinalist at the 2009 Western Amateur...currently a senior at Bradenton (Fla.) Preparatory Academy...committed to playing college golf at the University of California...parents both won medals in table tennis at the 1988 Olympics...born 09/17/1991 in Seoul, Korea.

Brad Benjamin (9) Qualified as a result of winning the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship...defeated Nick Taylor, the low amateur at the 2009 U.S. Open, 7 and 6 in the 36- hole final...only the second left-hander to win the event...a 2009 graduate of the University of Memphis...a two-time Conference USA Scholar Athlete of the Year...hometown in Rockford, Ill.

Jason Dufner (17) Tallied six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2009, his most successful season to date...recorded his best career finish with a T2 at the Deutsche Bank Championship, shooting a final-round 65...finished the year 11th in the FedEx Cup Standings and earned his first trip to the season-ending Tour Championship.

Simon Dyson (England) (18) Won the KLM Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the PGA European Tour in 2009...six additional top-10s on this Tour earned him an eighth- place finish on its Order of Merit by season’s end...was the 2000 Asian Tour Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and Order of Merit winner...member of the victorious 1999 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team.

Brian Gay (15, 16, 17, 18) Won twice on the PGA Tour in 2009...first victory of the year came by a record 10 strokes at the Verizon Heritage in April...the win became just the ninth in PGA Tour history to come with a double-digit winning margin...Won for the second time in five events and for the third time in his career with a five-stroke win at the St. Jude Classic.

Nathan Green (Australia) (16) Made the cut in 22 PGA Tour events last year, finishing in the top 25 three times... won the first PGA Tour title of his career at the 2009 RBC Canadian Open...Defeated Retief Goosen on the second playoff hole for the victory...prior to this win, he counted a playoff loss to Tiger Woods at the 2006 Buick Invitational as his best PGA Tour finish.

Han Chang-won (Korea) (8) Winner of the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship...posted a 12-under-par 276 during the four-round event to win by five over 115 golfers from 30 countries...earned medalist honors at the Nomura Cup, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship, while representing Korea, also helping his team to win the overall championship.

Yuta Ikeda (Japan) (18) A four-time winner on the Japan Golf Tour in 2009 with five additional top-10s...his victory at the Japan PGA Championship earned him a berth in the 2009 Open Championship...finished second on the Japan Golf Tour’s money list...ended the year ranked No. 33 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Marc Leishman (Australia) (17) Named the PGA Tour’s Rookie of the Year after a season that included three top-10s... Finished T5 at the Valero Texas Open and T8 at the HP Byron Nelson Championship...Four rounds in the 60s helped him finish a career-best T2 at the BMW Championship...this moved him from No. 67 to No. 16 in the FedExCup standings and earned him his first trip to the Tour Championship.

Matteo Manassero (Italy) (7) Was crowned the youngest winner of the British Amateur Championship in its 124-year history at 16 years old...Defeated Sam Hutsby 4 and 3 in the 36- hole final...became the first Italian to win the title...the win qualified him for the 2009 Open Championship where he would finish T12 and claim low amateur honors...having been born 4/19/1993, he will become the youngest player to ever compete in the Masters, eclipsing the 1952 record of Tommy Jacobs of 17 years, 2 months.

Steve Marino (17) His 2009 season was highlighted by a near win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational...recorded just two bogeys on his way to an eventual playoff with Tim Clark and Steve Stricker, which Stricker would win with a birdie on the second extra hole...was co-leader with Tom Watson after 36 holes of the Open Championship, shooting 67-68 in his first start at the event...finished T7 at the Tour Championship...finished the year 15th in the FedExCup standings, a career high, on the strength of 13 top-25 finishes.

Ben Martin (6-B) Runner-up at the 2009 U.S. Amateur Championship after falling to Byeong- Hun An 7 and 5 in the 36-hole final...Senior at Clemson University majoring in Accounting...Qualified for the 2009 U.S. Open... earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2007 and 2009...2009 Academic All-American...won the 2006 Palmetto Amateur...hometown is Greenwood, S.C.

Francesco Molinari (18) Made the cut in the three majors he played in 2009 – the U.S. Open, the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, where he finished 10th...teamed with his brother Edoardo to win the 2009 Omega Mission Hills World Cup...finished in the 38th position on the Official World Golf Ranking at year’s end to qualify for his first Masters... he and his brother will be the first siblings to compete in the Masters since Jumbo and Joe Ozaki in 2000.

Kevin Na (15, 17) Made 19 of 26 cuts on the PGA Tour in 2009...finished in the top 10 a career record nine times...Posted a T3 finish at The Players Championship highlighted by a second- round 66...Placed solo third at the FBR Open and, for the fourth consecutive year, did not post an above-par round...clinched a spot in his first Tour Championship after a T8 finish at the BMW Championship.

Michael Sim (Australia) (18) Named the Nationwide Tour Player of the Year after winning three times and breaking the Tour’s single-season money record...made three appearances on the PGA Tour with his best finish coming at the U.S. Open where he tied for 18th...Ended the year 45th on the Official World Golf Ranking.

Chris Wood (England) (13) Was the low amateur at the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and turned professional shortly thereafter...named the 2009 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year on the PGA European Tour in 2009...finished in the top 10 in three events: the South African Open, the Celtic Manor Wales Open and the European Open...season was highlighted by a T3 finish at the Open Championship.