Jason Day and Adam Scott will both be heading to the US Masters with confidence next week after recent wins on the US PGA tour.
Getting up in the early hours to watch the action at Augusta each year is a ritual for Australian golf fans.
It was a painful one for many years with Greg Norman’s heartbreaking near misses (runner-up in 1986, 1987 and 1996), until Adam Scott finally broke the drought and won Australia’s first ever green jacket in 2013.
Defending champion Jordan Spieth from the US will be a big threat. Who could forget his sublime 18-under tournament score to win his first green jacket in 2015?
But Jason Day this week regained the number one world ranking with his win in the World Golf Championships Match Play final. He also broke through for his first ‘major’ at the US PGA in 2015. His best US Masters performance is a tie for second in 2011 with Adam Scott.
Scott is currently ranked sixth in the world behind Day, Speith, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.
American Watson is a two-time US Masters champion, with victories in 2012 and 2014. Ireland’s McIlroy’s best ever finish in the tournament is his fourth placing in 2015, while American Fowler’s best result was a tie for fifth in 2014.
Who will in the coveted green jacket in 2016? Before the tournament tees off, you’ll get close to the following odds with bookmakers for the world’s current top six players:
Jason Day 6-1
Jordan Spieth 7-1
Rory McIlroy 7-1
Bubba Watson 12-1
Adam Scott 12-1
Rickie Fowler 16-1
Everyone else in the 90-man field is currently at 20-1 or more, including the other Australians competing:
Marc Leishman 66-1
Cameron Smith 250-1
Steven Bowditch 300-1
Other former US Masters champions in the field are currently quoted at the following odds:
Phil Mickelson (US) 20-1
Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 33-1
Zach Johnson (US) 50-1
Tiger Woods (US) 100-1
Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 150-1
Fred Couples (US) 300-1
Bernhard Langer (Germany) 300-1
Vijay Singh (Fiji) 300-1
Trevor Immelman (South Africa) 1000-1
Sandy Lyle (Scotland) 2500-1
Mark O’Meara (US) 2500-1
Mike Weir (Canada) 2500-1
Ian Woosnam (Wales) 2500-1
Larry Mize (US) 5000-1
Who do you think will win the green jacket this year?
Levo
Guest
Bring it on. Seems like a long time since we had two players ranked in the top 10 so this could be the year for an Aussie quinella?
Keats
Guest
I would like to see Bubba get up but you can never count out a Tiger lurking in the woods.
Paul
Guest
A great chance this year with 2 Aussies playing outstanding golf at the right time. Confidence must be sky high for both. Some fair odds on past winners though - who would have thought 100-1 for Tiger Woods in a major a few years back. Think the "old" Tiger needs to get back to his previous routine (though a bit unconventional) before the wheels fell off (and his marriage)!!