Everyone loves the Masters golf tournament. I think most people have an affinity to it due to it being played on the same course every year. Punters and spectators alike love the beauty of the course, Amen corner, the glass like greens, and the fact that you can back a multiple major winner at odds of 100,000/1. Now I don't think Gary Player will be winning this year, but I have never seen odds this high on any sporting event, and there will always be 1 or 2 traditionalists who will have 50p each way on him, and why not.

Just like the Grand National, I am tipping 5 players here for either 1 point each way or 2 points to win. In a field of this size I think it's fair play, and I am pretty confident of bagging a decent prize, and quite possibly the winner.

Tiger Woods is of course the likeliest winner of this tournament as he is the best golfer ever to play the game, and it's only a matter of time before he beats Jack's record of 18 majors. He could well go out and win this thing by 5 shots or more, but at a best price of 11/8 he will not carry any of my money this week, as I have unearthed a few good players who seem to do very well round here all the time, and look to have come good at the right time of year.

My 5 against the field are:

Stuart Appleby 1 point EACH WAY @ 81 with Ladbrokes

Stewart Cink 1 point EACH WAY @ 71 with Sporting

Nick O'Hern 1 point EACH WAY @ 201 with Coral

Vijay Singh 2 points win @ 21 with Ladbrokes

Padraig Harrington 2 points win @ with Pinnacle

All each way bets are 1/4 odds a place 1,2,3,4,5

Stuart Appleby is having one of his best ever years on the current tour and is leading the way in many many stats.

He is the best "finisher" on tour with an amazing 5 top 10's from just 8 tournaments played, he has been putting superbly ( which is a MUST on these treacherous greens ) and is 17th in the putts per rouns stats, and 14th in the putts per round on Greens in regulation (GIR) stats. Add to this the fact that he is 18th in scrambling ( ie getting up and down when you don't find GIR ) and you see that there is little wonder he is doing so well on tour this year. His Masters record isn't too shabby either. Tied 7th last year in horrendous conditions when Zach Johnson won it with a +1 score, he was T19th in 2006, T43 in 2005 and T22 in 2004. He loves it round here, and has never been in better form in his career. 80/1 is a massive price, and if Tiger does romp it, the 20/1 for a place is also a massive price for me.

Stewart Cink is also a player on top of his game this year. He has posted two 2nds and a 3rd already this year and is 8th in the Fedex cup points table. his GIR stats are awesome as he is 10th in that table out of nearly 200 other guys. His form round augusta is nothing short of mechanical either. T17th last year, 10th in 2006, T20th in 2005 and T17th in 2004, like Appleby he has great course form, but comes into it this year with even better current form, another I expect to go very close, but if Tiger does win a near 20/1 shot for the place would be great.

Nick O'Hern was tipped up on here a few times last year as an outsider to follow and do well with. He never did too much after beating Tiger in one of the Matchplay tournaments in the desert and has had a tough time of it this year. He started off struggling with a few missed cuts and few wondered if the likeable "lefty" from Australia would ever scale the heights again.

However he has started to make a bit of a comeback in recent months and has posted a T6th in the World golf championships, and top 20's in 2 other tournaments. He has had a couple of good years here, notably when T19th in 2006 and T45 in 2005. His driving accuracy has improved markedly this year too as he has moved from 41st to 25th in this statistic which is so important around the tight fairways of Augusta where the rough can be very difficult to get out of. At such a massive price I simply couldn't let him go unbacked, and this gritty competitor should be thereabouts on Sunday when others have cired enough.

Vijay Singh doesn't need too much introduction. His record here is pretty impeccable. T13th last year, T8th in 2006, T5th in 2005, and T6 in 2004. Vijay has been as consistent as the likes of Els and Goosen, is roughly the same price as the 2 Sout Africans, but has been in much better form than them this year. He has had two 2nds a 3rd and 3 other top tens in only 9 tournaments. It is the 2nd best record this year behind Appleby. He is also 5th in GIR and comes here with a fantastic chance of upsetting Tiger. Els has been ill of late and his challenge must have been interupted by the illness, and Goosen has been in the wilderness for sometime with something wrong with his focus due to laser eye surgery. For a 20/1 shot Vijay has an awful lot going for him.

Pod Harrington is my final selection because the europeans must finally look to wrestle this trophy back after a long spell in the wilderness since the Faldo, Lyle, Woosie, Langer, Olly years and pod could well be the man to do it. His confidence will still be sky high after winning the open last year, and I can see him "doing a Faldo" and winning another Open and possibly a Masters or 2 now he has broken his majors duck. Hos form round here is pretty good, he was T7th last year, and T13th on 2004. His form on the PGA tour is also reasonable with 5 from 5 cuts made, and no finishing position worse than a T25th. He is a 3 time winner on the PGA tour, and has some awesome stats to back him up. He is top 10 in scrambling, and, get this, Number 1 in putts per round, AND putts per GIR. That is pretty impressive on any stat at any course, but when you consider the form of your flat stick is vital round here, that stat is worth a bet alone, but with all the other factors mentioned, the irishman could well be wearing the green jacket come Sunday night.

Others I like the look of this week are Aaron Baddeley, KJ Choi, and Geoff Ogilvy, but I am more than happy with the 5 guys i have just mentioned to do rather well.

Pick : A golfer to win the Masters
Odds : 3.32
Stake : 8 / 10
Bookmaker : Ladbrokes
Date : 2008-04-10
Match Result :
Tipster Personal Link/Sponsor:

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