Nearly men Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson eye Masters glory

The golfing world always has a soft spot for the nearly men of the game -- the great talents that somehow conspire never to scale the pinnacles of their sport.

These days, Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson are the two players, many would agree, who best fit that unwanted billing.

Between them, 31-year-old Johnson and 39-year-old Stenson have won 26 times worldwide, so there is no doubting their talents and both are among the biggest hitters in the game.

But in majors, it is another thing. Stenson has seven top-five finishes in the majors, while Johnson has 10 top-10 finishes.

Together they have no wins.

Coming into this week's Masters, Johnson is 13 months away from his last tournament win and Stenson is 16 months removed from his, including a raft of second-place finishes which at times have left him doubting himself.

He still believes that he has time on his side, though.

"I know I've got a game that fits well for major championship golf, and you know, I've just got to keep on putting myself in the final groups or in the last couple of groups," he said.

"The more times I do that, the better the chances are for the outcome that I want to have.

"If you are there and thereabouts, of course you want to get there again and you want to go all the way. So I'm certainly motivated to make it happen."

Johnson, born and raised just a 90-minute car drive away in Columbia, South Carolina has a similar reasoning to the big Swede. Patience, he believes, is the key.

"If your name is getting mentioned, best player, whatever, you know, whatever comes after that, is usually pretty good," he said.

"I've got to say it's positive. You know, I still feel like my time's coming. I've just got to keep putting myself in position to have a chance to win. One of these days I will get it done."

If either player is to end their misery in the majors this week, then both will finally have to come to terms with playing at Augusta National.

Both are long off the tee and the length of the course suits their games. But the perceived view is that both can be vulnerable with their putting, always a deadly sin on Augusta National's slippery and undulating greens.

- Answers sought tee to green -

Stenson says he can give no cogent reason for being unable to place better than a tie for 14th in 10 previous appearances.

Possibly, he says, he needs to be more aggressive off the tee, taking the driver out of the bag instead of the 3-wood he favors.

"I've always hit a number of drives around Augusta regardless," he said.

"There's a few holes that's always driver. There's a couple that might, depending on how the golf course plays and the conditions we play, but this is definitely a golf course where I will air the driver more than a regular week, I'd say."

For Johnson, it all comes down to what happens in and around the greens.

"I think the short game and putting is the key around here," he said.

"This year, I feel like I'm coming in with a pretty solid game. I feel like every part of my game is improving.

"I felt like I've got a lot of confidence in every part of my game right now, especially with my wedges. I've been working really hard on my wedges and I feel like that has improved a lot over the last six weeks.

"I can definitely see improvement in that. I think that's something that's going to help me around here."