Keep an eye on J.B.

It's never a good sign when a player in his 20s switches to a long putter, but J.B. Holmes is still the most intriguing Masters first-timer in this year's field. It's not completely unreasonable to predict a top-15 finish when the Kentucky crusher tees it up at Augusta National next week. He's crazy long and fearless when he gets it going, and he can even make his share of putts with the long wand.

He took out Phil Mickelson in sudden-death at the FBR; nearly eliminated Tiger Woods in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play; and he won the Tavistock Cup last week with a 4-under 68. He also won the long drive at the Tavistock with a poke of 327 yards (not surprising), and closest to the pin (surprising), hitting a 223-yard shot to 1.5 feet and earning himself a Cadillac Escalade Hybrid. Not bad for a day's work.

(Photo: J.B. Holmes at the FBR Open in February, by Fred Vuich/SI)