The Masters Predictions & Tips
It's almost time for the opening Major of the season, the Masters at Augusta National, and it promises to be another enthralling battle for the Green Jacket in Georgia.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, yet to win this year, is the 9/2 favourite to join Jack Nicklaus as the only players to have won this tournament three times in a four-year span.
Trying to stop the world number one will be the likes of Rory McIlroy, who aims to complete the Grand Slam, 2023 Masters winner Jon Rahm and two-time Major winner Collin Morikawa.
A field of 95 will tee it up, with 21 of those being debutants, but which players look to have a shot of coming out on top?
Tip 1 - Sergio Garcia to win and each-way (10 Places) @ 45/1
Sergio Garcia has been vocal on his desire to represent Europe in September's Ryder Cup and the best way he can achieve this is by winning the Masters for the second time, having won his one and only Major at Augusta in 2017.
The 45-year-old's record in Georgia since that triumph has been poor, with five missed cuts from his next six appearances. However, he did manage a T23 in 2022, and his form has really picked up over the last year or so.
Plying his trade on the LIV circuit, Garcia won in Andalucia in July 2024 for his first title on the Saudi-backed circuit and then landed his second trophy in Hong Kong last month.
The Spaniard warmed up for the Masters with a third-placed effort in Miami on Sunday and his tee-to-green play has been excellent, as he ranks second in driving accuracy and fourth in greens in regulation.
Add in a tied-first ranking for scrambling and a putting average of 24th, and Garcia looks to be in the best shape he has been for several years.
Tip 2 - Patrick Reed to win and each-way (10 Places) @ 50/1
Another LIV player to consider this week is 2018 champion Patrick Reed, who has two top 10s, a top five and a T12 from his last five Masters efforts.
The American recorded his best finish of the season in Miami on Sunday, grabbing a share of seventh place, and he can take that confidence-boosting result to a course he thrives on.
Tip 3 - Sepp Straka to win and each-way (10 Places) @ 33/1
Austria has never produced a Major winner, but that could all change this week with Sepp Straka, who clinched his third PGA Tour title in January when winning the American Express.
The 31-year-old, who is another player eyeing up a spot on Europe's Ryder Cup team, has been in solid form since that victory with his seven starts since reading T7-15-MC-T11-T5-T14-T28.
On the US circuit this season, Straka is ninth in driving accuracy, second in greens in regulation and in the top 10 for strokes gained approach, tee-to-green and total.
The world number 14 registered his best Masters effort last year on his third attempt when tied-16th and he looks capable of improving on that result this week.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to fluctuation