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 Their confidence buoyed by consecutive wins, Ernie Els and Fred Couples have to like their chances at The Masters less than a fortnight from now. But first the red hot tandem will tackle the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club - site of this week's Shell Houston Open.
Els, who picked up wins at the CA Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational in consecutive weeks, is playing his best golf since 2003-2004. During that stretch, Els won five times on the PGA Tour, including back-to-back wins in Hawaii to begin the 2003 campaign.
"I was really playing great golf," said Els of that time period. "I was hitting the ball miles. I remember in Hawaii, I was just bombing the ball and I think I went 31-under-par there, and then winning next week. I went around the world, won some more; it was almost a free-for-all, you know, it was great."
In 2003, the first year the Shell Houston Open was played at Redstone, Couples won the event with a final tally of 267 or 21-under-par. The 50-year-old Champions Tour rookie, who played his college golf at the University of Houston, is enjoying unprecedented success on the senior circuit. Last week he recorded another 21-under-par total, this time at Punta Espada Golf Club in the Dominican Republic, to win the Cap Cana Championship by two shots. It was Couples' third Champions Tour win in as many starts.
Couples also has a runner-up finish in his first Champions Tour event, a 14th place finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and a T37 at the Northern Trust Open to his credit this season.
"I had a great stretch of golf in 1992," said Couples, who won three tournaments including the Masters that season, "But I must say that these four weeks on the Champions Tour I'm not missing many shots."
Already installed by many as favorites next week at Augusta National, Els and Couples will look to continue their strong play on a golf course that has been set up as a practice exam for Augusta National.
Last year Els finished T14 in Houston. Couples betterd the Big Easy, shooting a cumulative 9-under-par which was good enough for T3.
While Couples has a Green Jacket and Els has been unlucky at Augusta, they do share a common link. In 2006, when Phil Mickelson won his second Masters, the pair tied for third place. Last year both men missed the cut.
Paul Casey is the defending champion this week in Houston; last year's win was his first on the PGA Tour. Other notables include Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Anthony Kim, Padraig Harrington, Geoff Ogilvy, Justin Leonard, Rickie Fowler and Davis Love III.
For those players in the field not already qualified for The Masters, a list that includes Fowler and Love III, a win is the only way to get in. Johnson Wagner played his way into The Masters with a victory in 2008.
Golf Channel and NBC Sports will have coverage of the event.
Current Shell Houston Open Field
Blake Adams
Michael Allen
Stuart Appleby
Woody Austin
Aaron Baddeley
Briny Baird
Rich Barcelo
Ricky Barnes
Chris Baryla
Cameron Beckman
Rich Beem
Matt Bettencourt
Henrik Bjornstad
Kris Blanks
Jason Bohn
Justin Bolli
Craig Bowden
Michael Bradley
Jonathan Byrd
Angel Cabrera
Mark Calcavecchia
Chad Campbell
Paul Casey
Alex Cejka
Greg Chalmers
Daniel Chopra
Michael Connell
Fred Couples
Ben Crane
Ben Curtis
Brian Davis
Jason Day
Brendon de Jonge
Graham DeLaet
Luke Donald
James Driscoll
Simon Dyson
Steve Elkington
Ernie Els
Bob Estes
Matt Every
Brad Faxon
Martin Flores
Rickie Fowler
Harrison Frazar
Lucas Glover
Mathew Goggin
Jason Gore
Paul Goydos
Padraig Harrington
J.P. Hayes
J.J. Henry
Charles Howell III
Fredrik Jacobson
Kevin Johnson
Matt Jones
Martin Kaymer
Anthony Kim
Soren Kjeldsen
Jeff Klauk
Greg Kraft
Matt Kuchar
Martin Laird
Derek Lamely
Justin Leonard
Michael Letzig
Spencer Levin
Davis Love III
Bill Lunde
David Lutterus
Will MacKenzie
Jeff Maggert
Hunter Mahan
John Mallinger
Steve Marino
Billy Mayfair
Scott McCarron
Rory McIlroy
Parker McLachlin
John Merrick
Troy Merritt
Shaun Micheel
Phil Mickelson
Bryce Molder
James Nitties
Nick O'Hern
Joe Ogilvie
Geoff Ogilvy
Jeff Overton
Greg Owen
Ryan Palmer
Rod Pampling
Brenden Pappas
Cameron Percy
Pat Perez
Tim Petrovic
Carl Pettersson
Scott Piercy
D.A. Points
Alex Prugh
Ted Purdy
Fran Quinn
Jeff Quinney
Chez Reavie
Chris Riley
John Rollins
Andres Romero
Justin Rose
Charl Schwartzel
Adam Scott
Webb Simpson
Vijay Singh
Brandt Snedeker
Kevin Stadler
Kevin Streelman
Chris Stroud
Brian Stuard
Kevin Sutherland
Roger Tambellini
Vaughn Taylor
Josh Teater
Roland Thatcher
Tim Thelen
Nicholas Thompson
Chris Tidland
D.J. Trahan
Jerod Turner
Omar Uresti
Bo Van Pelt
Vance Veazey
Johnson Wagner
Jimmy Walker
Bubba Watson
Lee Westwood
Brett Wetterich
Jay Williamson
Garrett Willis
Chris Wilson
Chris Wood
Y.E. Yang
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