The Masters | Augusta 2007 | Betting Guide

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There's something about Augusta that just makes the Masters an awesome tournament - and it's always an interesting one from a betting point of view. Unlike normal tour events, you can pretty much rule out half of the field right from the off. Players without much distance off the tee are at a huge disadvantage for starters. Good putting/ scrambling stats are pretty important too, given that these greens are accepted to be some of the hardest to read in the world. Generally speaking, it helps to go for players that have competed at the Masters on previous occasions, as the stage really can be daunting for the debutant. As I'm sure everyone who reads my previews will have predicted by now, I will not be backing Tiger. His price is very, very short, and although he loves Augusta, he has exposed a few flaws of late, and at that sort of price he would need to be either defending champion or playing flawless golf for me to back him. That said, I will be personally investing some of my cash in the without Woods market, just to keep it interesting should he shoot out of the blocks. Here is my 7-man shortlist for the first major of the year:

1. Mickelson - A mixed bag from Phil this year. Clearly he started off the season very poorly, and then seemingly out of nowhere he won convincingly at Pebble Beach. I was pleased to see that he kept plugging away at Doral recently after a very poor first round, when I think the Lefty of old would have given up trying after that sort of start. However, whatever you can say about his recent form, this guy absolutely loves Augusta, and it does suit his game very well too. He is a long ball striker, is superb around the greens, and reads these greens better than anyone in my opinion. A great chance this week, and a resonable price for someone with such a great record around here.

2. Ogilvy - I will confess to being a perennial Ogilvy backer, but I have no guilt about it. This guy has gone from average Aussie tour pro to major tournament winner and number 8 in the world in 3 short years. 16th in his Masters debut last year is not to be sniffed at, and given that he has won his first major since then - 40/1 has to represent value. He has come 2nd and 3rd in two of his 3 most recent tournaments, and I see no reason why he can't be right up there on Sunday.

3. Casey - I fortunately managed to get 66/1 on Casey a few weeks ago, but even at current prices he could give punters a run for their money. Casey came 6th here in 2004, which really was fantastic for an Augusta debut. He missed the cut convincingly at his last start here in 2005, but that was amongst all sorts of problems with his game amidst the slight P.R. problem he had with the Americans back then. The Casey of late though is a very solid player. He marginally missed out on picking up the European Tour order of merit last year; he currently ranks the number 1 putter on the PGA tour; and he has great distance off the tee.

4. Choi - K.J. for me is one of those gritty players who plays solidly and grinds out pars when others may be making mistakes on tough courses. On the face of it, course form of 33rd in 2005 and CUT last year doesn't look too clever. However, both 2005 and 2006 Choi was outside of the top 100 in the putting stats, which may well have had something to do with these mediocre performances. Back in 2004 however, when Choi came 3rd at Augusta, his putting stats were noticeably better, just as they are in 2007, where he ranks 66th. Additionally, his scrambling stats have improved for 2007 and he has notched 3 top-10 finishes this year to give him some confidence going into this event.

5. DiMarco - I'm sure DiMarco will be a popular pick this week, and for good reason. He has a great record here at Augusta - coming 6th in 2004 and runner-up in 2005. Last year he did miss the cut, but that can be completely ignored as he was playing in all sorts of pain having recently had a skiing accident. Although he is a player who won't have appreciated the lengthening of the course in 2006, he will be keeping the ball in the middle of the fairways, and has a superb short game. At 66/1, he represents a good each-way bet.

6. Wetterich - As I have recently mentioned, a decent performance on your Masters debut is a tall order. However, Wetterich proved himself to be a strong player last year, winning his first tour event as well as bagging a whole host of good finishes. It would be easy to be put off by Wetterich's poor putting stats this year. However, he has the distance off the tee to give him a real advantage here, and I'm very encouraged by the way he stayed in touch with Tiger at Doral recently, in a set-up which was designed to be similar to Augusta. Add to this his great scrambling stats from outside of 30 yards and a good birdie average, and he could have the makings of a strong Masters debutant.

7. Calcavecchia - This old boy struggled in last years Masters, missing the cut by a country mile, but that was true to form for most of his 2006 campaign. Calc only just retained his tour card, finishing 120th on the money list. It may be 6 years ago now, but Calcavecchia came 4th here in 2001, a season where he had also won in the weeks preceding the Masters. It's simply hard to avoid the fact he ticks all the boxes here - excellent birdie average, superb par 5 player, good driving distance, good putting and scrambling stats and good recent form. If you take all of these factors into account, he is well worth a punt at a huge price