Sky Sports' Rob Lee on this year's Masters

Sky Sports presenter, Rob Lee, talks to Golf Monthly about all things Masters ahead of this year's Augusta showdown

Rob Lee

Rob Lee will host the 'Masters Breakfast' show during Masters week alongside studio guests David Howell and Simon Holmes. You can tune into Sky Sports next on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am.

Golf Monthly: The coverage on Sky this year is looking like it'll be even better, it must be a great buzz for the team?

Rob Lee: It's year two for us but it's a way of freshening up what will be highlights. Masters Breakfast will be shots of highlights, plus we've got all that wizardry in the shot centre so we'll look at some of the shots that were played and how they managed to achieve it.

GM: How difficult has the coverage got to present considering all the various aspects involved?

RL: The studio dynamic has changed a bit because we've got the shot centre. It livens the whole thing up I think. It brings a healthy dynamic to what we do. It doesn't complicate my job any more, it just makes it more varied and interesting.

GM: Is this the Major you look forward to the most?

RL: It's my favourite event of all the events. I was praying for years that eventually Sky would manage to get the gig. All my memories as a kid were of the Masters, when I was starting to think about 'I want to play golf'.

GM: What makes it so special?

RL: The Masters was the start of the season in many ways. It's different in respect that it's the only Major played at the same venue. It has got the advantage that you're accustomed to it, you're coming back to something you know. It breeds familiarity, which is nice, people like that.

GM: How close did you come to playing the Masters?

RL: I'd have to say not very. I never got to the stage where I thought 'I could get into the Masters here' because it was just so closed. It used to be so closed even the top guy in the Order

of Merit wasn't certain. Despite

that, we had that magical period where Olazabal and Woosnam, Lyle and

Langer ran the rule over the Masters, and yet relatively there were so

few of us in it.

GM: Who do you think will win this year?

RL: I think Tiger's [Woods] going to win. I've thought that for a long time. I could see signs of him getting much better last autumn. In general terms I could see that he was getting more control back in his game. Is he peaking at the right time? I think you'd have to say he probably is. When he gets to Augusta there's some sort of magic that happens. His record there is incredible.

GM: How about the rest of the field? 

RL: I think you can probably break it down to half a dozen players who have a real, proper chance of winning. Rory McIlroy's going to have a big Masters as well. I see a Sunday shootout on Sunday evening between Tiger and Rory. Maybe that's obvious. I think when you look at Rory he'll feel that last year owes him something.

The Americans have got a clutch of players that are kind of suited to Augusta like Keegan Bradley, Bill Haas, Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney. The course gives you a little bit of latitude and if you get the putter going then you've got a big chance.

The Masters is the first of three Majors to be shown live on Sky Sports HD this year. Sky Sports will be the only place to watch all four days of The Masters plus the Par 3 tournament live, in HD and in 3D.

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