We\u2019ve heard people dub the Masters \u201cThe Super Bowl of golf\u201d before. Never does that expression ring truer than this year. With Tiger Woods picking Augusta as the site of his return, this year\u2019s tournament may be the most watched in golf history. <\/p>\n
Bettors have two huge questions to answer. Can Tiger win it? And, if he can\u2019t, who will? <\/p>\n
Date<\/strong>: Thursday April 08 – Sunday April 11th Let\u2019s break down the most intriguing picks of the week.<\/p>\n THE TIGER CATEGORY<\/strong><\/p>\n Tiger Woods<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +465<\/p>\n He\u2019s unique in that we can\u2019t evaluate him based on this season\u2019s performance, but it\u2019s not like we ever treated him like the other golfers anyway. I don\u2019t expect a flop; Tiger is simply too competitive and you could even argue that, since he\u2019s \u201cexpected\u201d to be nervous, he\u2019ll actually feel\u00a0less<\/em>pressure to perform in a strict golf sense. I thus see a top-25 finish but I\u2019m not sure his driving accuracy will be up to snuff.<\/p>\n Ernie Els<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +1085<\/p>\n Ask any moderately serious bettor on the street and he\u2019ll probably tell you Ernie Els is his or her Masters pick. The Big Easy is tough to stop when he\u2019s in a groove and he has two wins on Tour this season. But why oh why did he have to play so many tournaments in a row leading up to Augusta? Ernie is no spring chicken and I think fatigue could stop him from winning this week.<\/p>\n Phil Mickelson<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +1215<\/p>\n He\u2019s only here because some readers would ask questions if he wasn\u2019t. But make no mistake: Mickelson is \u201celite\u201d only in his listed odds right now. Books continuously place him near the top of the favorites as a sucker\u2019s bet, knowing he\u2019ll draw action on name recognition. But he\u2019s simply not playing well right now. I\u2019d avoid him.<\/p>\n Padraig Harrington<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +2050<\/p>\n Aside from an ugly 77 at the Shell Houston Open last Sunday, Paddy was building momentum, posting two straight top-10s entering last weekend. He ended 2009 on somewhat of a tear and could be starting a similar hot streak. His game isn\u2019t peaking in time for Augusta, however, so he may be a better pick for the Players Championship. Lee Westwood<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +2050<\/p>\n Is the glass half empty or half full? Westwood has just one top-10 in 10 Masters starts. However, he\u2019s contended in recent majors and his game is in right place; he led the field in birdies at the Shell Houston Open.<\/p>\n Retief Goosen<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +2550<\/p>\n Hmmm. Here\u2019s a tempting pick. Goosen has been a straight line this season, posting five top-six finishes in seven starts. We know he has the ice in his veins to win a major championship and he\u2019s driving the ball very well this season. You could do much worse than the cool, collected South African.<\/p>\n Steve Stricker<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +2550<\/p>\n He flashed a silky smooth touch at Augusta last season, going over par on just four holes and finishing sixth. Is it finally time for the No. 2 player in the world to get the monkey off his back? Some bettors may think so but I\u2019m still not convinced he\u2019s a \u201cbig tournament\u201d golfer.<\/p>\n Anthony Kim<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +3250<\/p>\n I know he\u2019s coming off a victory but I see Kim as a trap this week. First off, he was arguably lucky in winning the Shell Houston Open. He was\u00a0last <\/em>in fairways hit and 50th<\/sup> in greens in regulation despite taking the title. Those tendencies will punish him dearly at Augusta. Secondly, he\u2019s playing with a torn thumb ligament and will have surgery next week. Sooner or later it will start to hinder him.<\/p>\n Charl Schwartzel<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +4050<\/p>\n Who? Don\u2019t feel bad if you haven\u2019t heard of Charl Schwartzel, as he\u2019s making his Masters debut this week. But the youngster has two top-three finishes in three stroke-play events this season and did his good work on some pretty tough courses. Maybe the South African\u2019s anonymity will keep the pressure off and he\u2019ll surprise us.<\/p>\n Angel Cabrera<\/strong><\/p>\n Masters odds: +6050<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be honest; the peripheral numbers aren\u2019t kind to Cabrera. You have to hit fairways to win the Masters most of the time. But one stat does stand out; he ranks first on Tour in driving distance. He also won the tournament out of nowhere last year. Given his propensity to shock us with sudden sound performances, bettors could roll the dice on him and hope they catch lightning in a bottle.<\/p>\n Sorting through all the different candidates to win, I see plenty of talented golfers, plenty of former major champions, but I also see a roller coaster of inconsistencies, injuries and intangibles. That\u2019s why I like the one constant on my list, Retief Goosen, to calmly slide past the competition and take the 2010 Masters. He\u2019s flirted with victory all season; it\u2019s time to take the next step.<\/p>\n
\nEvent<\/strong>: 2010 Masters Tournament
\nCourse<\/strong>: Augusta National GC, Augusta, Georgia
\nPurse<\/strong>: $7,000,000
\nDefending Champ<\/strong>: Angel Cabrera
\nFedEX Cup Points Up For Grabs<\/strong>: 600<\/p>\nTHE ELITE<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE CONTENDERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nSOLID PICKS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE SLEEPERS<\/strong><\/h3>\n
THE PICK<\/strong><\/h3>\n