Golf Events / Editor / 26 March 2007 /

With the clocks going forward last weekend, all thoughts will now start to
turn to the first Major of the year, the US Masters at Augusta next week.

The arrival of British summertime means only one thing for keen followers of
the game, and officials and staff at the most exclusive venue in golf will
be working overtime during the next week to ensure it is looking its finest
for when the world's best arrive.

Put simply, there are few things better than watching Tiger Woods and co do
battle on the most beautiful golf course in the world, with the coveted
Green Jacket lying in wait for the champion.

The final nine holes at Augusta have provided some extraordinary drama over
the years and there are sure to be more bizarre twists and turns down the
home stretch before the year's first Grand Slam winner can be crowned next
Sunday afternoon.

Phil Mickelson will be back to defend his title after beating South African
Tim Clark by two strokes in 2006, but most attention will be focused on
Woods and whether he can record his third Major win in a row.

The world number one lies just six Grand Slam victories behind Jack Nicklaus
in the all-time standings and victory at the Masters would move him to
within touching distance of Nicklaus' tally of 18.

Victory would also leave him just one win behind Nicklaus' record total of
six US Masters titles, but Woods knows he will have to improve on last
year's performance if he is to do that.

The American, who is trading at around 2.6 to win this year in the early
markets, still finished tied for third place in 2006 but poor putting on
Augusta's lightning-fast greens cost him dear and he will know he can't
afford a repeat.

His victory at the WGC-CA Championship last weekend though, is ample proof
that Woods is not far from peaking ahead of the opening major and much of the
Betfair market next week is likely to centre around his performance.

Mickelson will be attempting to win his third Masters title in four years,
after victories in 2004 and last year and is sure to have plenty of supporters.

The left-hander impressed many observers with the way he took control of
events on the final day in 2006, that allowed him to cruise to victory over the final few holes.

But Mickelson, is not nearly as confident or comfortable with his game at
the moment, and a change to the PGA Tour schedule, that means he is not
playing this week, has not done him any favours either.

He is still second favourite to Woods to win at 10.5, while he heads the
Betfair market to name the winner without the world number one in the field
and is trading at 7.4 ahead of Ernie Els (11) and Vijay Singh (12.5).

Clark was the surprise package of last year's event, holing out from a
bunker at the 18th to clinch second place on his own, and his performance
was even more of a shock bearing in mind he is not one of the game's longer
hitters

Length off the tee is very much an advantage with the course measuring 7,442
yards, although Mike Weir did defy this theory with an immaculate short game
display on his way to winning in 2003.
Chad Campbell, Retief Goosen and Jose Maria Olazabal filled the minor places
with Woods last year and it would be no surprise to see them figuring
prominently again.

Campbell, who has already showed good form this season, led the tournament
early in the third round in 2006 until a rain-delay upset his rhythm while
Goosen has finished third the last two years and is already a winner on the
European Tour in 2007.

Olazabal just loves the course, and there will be few with a better short
game in the 90-man field than the Spaniard. He has won the US Masters twice
already in 1994 and 1999 and he produced an inspirational round of 66 on the
final day last year and just failed to catch Mickelson.

The European looks a good each-way bet to finish in the top five and top
ten, as do Australians Geoff Ogilvy and Aaron Baddeley who have started the
2007 season in impressive fashion.

Indeed, it could pay to follow the Australians next week with Adam Scott,
Robert Allenby, Nick O'Hern, Rod Pampling and Stuart Appleby all in the
field.

FedExCup leader Singh will be keen to avoid a repeat of 2006, when he led
after the first day only to lose his way in the middle part of the
tournament which cost him a chance of victory.

His nearest rival, local favourite Charles Howell III, will go into the
event in considerably better form than last year when he finished last while
England's Paul Casey will have been boosted by his showing at last week's WGC event.

Backers should be wary though, that the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Henrik
Stenson and Trevor Immelman all missed the cut at four-over-par last year.

Those wishing to back the final winning margin should also note that, in the
last four years, there have been two play-offs and, aside from Woods'
momentous 12-stroke victory in 1997, there has never been anything more than
a three-shot winning margin in the last ten years.

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