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Pick of the opening Three-Balls

The groupings for the opening two rounds of the first major of the year are always eagerly awaited and the 2007 US Masters has not disappointed, with plenty of intriguing clashes for the viewing public to savour.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson has been paired with last week's Shell Houston Open winner Adam Scott and rising Scottish amateur Richie Ramsay - the US Amateur title holder.

Ernie Els will face 2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogily and last year's runner-up and crowd favourite Fred Couples, playing in his 23rd US Masters, while leading European hopes Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald and Justin Rose and Jose Maria Olazabal have been paired together.

But much of the focus will again be centred on world number one Tiger Woods, and his three-ball stands out as the pick of the groupings for the opening two rounds.

Playing with Woods is, of course, no easy task and brings its own pressures, but if ever there were two golfers capable of standing up to the greatest golfer of the modern era and taking him on at the world's most beautiful golf course, it is Englishman Paul Casey and Australian Aaron Baddeley.

The pair have long been mentioned as players capable of challenging Woods' supremacy in the game and the duo have really started to fulfil their immense promise over the last 12 months.

Casey, a key member of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team that humiliated the Americans in Ireland last September, was a winner three times on the European Tour in 2006 on his way to being named European Player of the Year.

And Baddeley's career has also blossomed in the last year, while he stands seventh in the 2007 FedExCup standings after winning the FBR Open in February and finishing in the top ten at both World Golf Championship events this year.

All three players are already winners in 2007, with Woods having won two of the four PGA tournaments he has contested and Casey having triumphed in Abu Dhabi, and there could be plenty of fireworks from the group on the first two days as the trio are all capable of reeling off a string of birdies.

Woods will start the tournament as the red-hot favourite at 2.7 to claim his fifth Green Jacket, and is, deservedly, the 1.76 favourite to emerge victorious over his group rivals, with Casey trading at 3.35 and Baddeley the outsider at 4.1.

Woods, who finished third behind Mickelson last year, has an incredible stroke average of 70.85 for every round he has played at Augusta and it would seem unthinkable that he will not be among the contenders come Sunday.

In the last eight majors, the American, who can be backed at 7.2 to be the first-round leader, has four wins, a second, third and fourth place with the only blemish coming when he missed the cut at last year's 2006 US Open - his first event after the death of his father.

Woods comes into the tournament in fine form, having comfortably won the WGC-CA Championship a fortnight ago and leads the field in 'greens in regulation hit' on the PGA Tour with 73.61%.

But Woods suffered on the greens at the Masters last year, and it has been the same story in 2007. He is languishing down in 103rd place in the standings for putts per round (29.5) and it may be his undoing again.

The same cannot be said for Casey and Baddeley, with the former first in the putting standing, averaging 27.5 putts per round, and the latter not far behind him in ninth place with 28.04 putts per round.

Casey and Baddeley both have points to prove, having disappointed on their last appearances at the Masters, and the words of Woods this week, when he said you need previous experience if you are to challenge at Augusta, are also likely to fire them up.

After coming sixth on his debut in 2004, Casey, trading at 9.8 to finish as the top European this week, badly missed the cut the following year and was forced to sit and watch the tournament on television by his coach in 2006.

It is not an experience he wants to repeat. Winning the HSBC World Match Play Championship and Ryder Cup last year has given the Englishman the confidence to believe he can beat anyone in the world and end European golf's wretched run in the majors.

Casey, who is available at 50 to be the first-round leader has all the skills needed to score well around Augusta as he hits the ball long but also with a high flight which ensures a soft landing. He is also an excellent putter and could be Europe's best hope of victory this week where he can be backed at 55.

Baddeley will also be appearing at the Masters for the third time and is yet to break par, making his debut in 2000 as an amateur before appearing again the following year.

But he is a very different player now, and his golf this season has shown a growing maturity.

The 26-year-old, who has risen to 26 in the world rankings with a series of impressive displays, chose to take last week off in readiness for his Augusta outing and will have plenty of followers.

While he is trading at 140 to win the event and 85 to be first round leader, he looks attractively priced at 10.5 to finish as the best Australian this week and, like Casey, far from being overawed by playing with Woods, is likely to be inspired by his presence.