US Masters 2023: McIlroy favourite to end Major title wait at Augusta

• Northern Irishman leads Betfair's US Masters market

• Rahm and Scheffler also fancied

• First Major of 2023 at Augusta 6-9 April

Betfair Exchange punters have backed world number one Rory McIlroy to end his Major title drought at the US Masters in April.

The world's greatest golfers will converge on Augusta for the first Major of 2023 and McIlroy, who finished second to Scottie Scheffler last year, will be determined to go one better at current odds of 9.89/1.

Jon Rahm, who enjoyed a strong end to 2022, comes next in the betting at 11.521/2 and then there's the defending champion at 15.529/2.

A big year for golf, with the Ryder Cup taking place in Italy this September, gets underway at the Sentry Tournament of Champions tomorrow and you can get our experts' tips and insight.

Last month, Augusta National announced that players who joined the LIV Golf breakaway tour would not be barred from competing at the Masters, so the field will be as strong as ever.

McIlroy out to go one better in 2023

In 2022, Scheffler won the Masters by three shots from McIlroy who also came within two of winniner the Open at St Andrews in July.

The Masters is the only Major title to elude McIlroy but it has been nine years since he last held aloft one of golf's big four trophies.

His runner-up finish in 2022 was his best ever at Augusta and he subsequently won three PGA Tour titles, fuelling confidence that this could be his year.

LIV's headline act, Cam Smith, won the Open, the final Major of 2022, and is 15.529/2 to follow up by claiming the Green Jacket at Augusta, while US Open champion Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick is 34.033/1.

Of players who have previously won the Masters, Jordan Spieth is 25.024/1, while Dustin Johnson is 30.029/1

As ever, there will be plenty of speculation about whether five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods will play at Augusta.

The 2019 champion said last month that he intends to compete in all four Majors in 2023.

You can get 90.089/1 on the 46-year-old, who only completed nine rounds of competitive golf in 2022 due to injury, pulling off a fairytale victory.