US Masters / Paul Krishnamurty / 06 April 2010 /

When looking at the Masters odds it's the household names that stand out but we shouldn't be swayed by all of them. Paul Krishnamurty identifies a pair to keep onside and a pair to get against

Tiger Woods

It appears that many of the golf punting community have taken leave of their senses, doubtless swept along by the endless torrent of media hype about Tiger Woods' 'problems' and comical speculation about whether retains his golfing ability. That can be the only explanation for why the great man is available to win a fifth Masters title at [5.8], twice what he would usually be.

Make no mistake, Tiger will be prepared, certainly in golfing terms. We are talking about arguably the greatest sportsmen of all-time, and normal rules do not apply. I've already advised bets on Tiger to win exactly two and three majors this season, and also strongly recommend an in-running trade at Augusta. All it needs is for Woods to get within a couple of the lead on the opening day, and his odds will shorten to their normal prohibitive level.

Best bet: Back outright at [6.0]


Camilo Villegas

With the sole exception of Stricker, Villegas holds the best form claims of anyone in this field for my money. Before failing at Bay Hill last time out (a course at which he's never really thrived), the Colombian had looked much improved during a month where he was barely out of contention. The highlight was a runaway victory at the Honda Classic, and I suspect there is much more to come in the not too distant future.

Augusta normally takes a few years to learn, so on his fourth visit, Villegas could be ready to conquer a layout that really should suit his big-hitting game. Last year's 13th place finish was promising, and he's clearly made good all-round progress since.

Best bet: Back outright @ [44.0]


Ernie Els

I predicted last week that Ernie's vastly improved putting might slip back once the tour moved on from Florida, so it was no surprise to see him struggle on the faster surfaces of Redstone. Nobody sensible would write off such a great player, but Els' struggles on recent visits to Augusta, where he's finished no better than 27th in the last five years, are not encouraging.

The best means of opposing Els could lie in a matchbet against his friend and compatriot Retief Goosen. Over the past eight Masters, (since when both have been top-class), Retief would have won this matchbet five times to Ernie's two, with one tie. Moreover, Goosen has become very reliable for this sort of bet, making the top-10 on eight of his last 11 starts.

Best bet: Lay in tournament matchbet against Retief Goosen @ [1.8]


Sergio Garcia

If Garcia doesn't find a spark from somewhere, we won't be able to enjoy the luxury of being able to take him on for much longer. At [80.0], he is a bigger price for this year's Masters than ever before, and still looks the most obvious player below triple-figures to oppose.

Given his now infamous putting problems, Augusta could be a nightmare. Indeed, even in happier times this never looked his ideal course. In 11 visits, he's made only two top-20s, never getting into serious contention. I reckon its worth taking him on across a range of markets, with the pick being a lay to make the cut at around [1.5]. After all, this is a bet that would have won in three of the last five years, all during times when he was in better form than today.

Best bet: Lay to make the cut @ [1.5]

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