Tuesday 4 April 2017 17:05, UK
Unsure who to back for the opening men's major of the year at Augusta National? Ben Coley looks at some of the contenders to be challenging for victory at the Masters.
While Dustin Johnson has earned his place at the top of the market ahead of the Masters, 2017 could be the year that Rory McIlroy completes the career grand slam.
Since winning the Open Championship in the summer of 2014, McIlroy has been one Green Jacket shy of golf's full house and having worked his way back into contention in this event following his famous 2011 meltdown, the pieces are at last falling into place.
Although it's been a stop-start season, in which a rib injury and then an early exit in unfortunate circumstances at the Match Play were certainly not part of the plan, McIlroy arrives at Augusta fresh and in-form and the former could be a significant advantage.
He's playing as well as ever, really, and having dominated the par-fives all year looks set to take advantage of a potentially soft Augusta National to land his fifth major championship and the one that matters most.
Heading the list of dangers beyond the top of the market is Rickie Fowler, who warmed up for this with third place in the Shell Houston Open.
A winner at the Honda Classic earlier this season, Fowler therefore brings some of the strongest recent form to Augusta, where prior to last year he'd never failed to make the weekend.
Granted, opening with a disastrous 80 in 2016 leaves him with questions to answer, but 12 months on Fowler has never been playing better, his game is ideal for the course and, at 28, he's ready to win his first major championship.
Marc Leishman is another who lifted silverware during the PGA Tour's Florida swing and he could carry that confidence to another big effort here.
Leish was placed behind compatriot Adam Scott in 2013, and he's also twice been in the frame at the Open Championship to prove that his game is strong enough to compete with the best.
He's never been putting better, continues to hit the ball well and played nicely at the Match Play before a sensible week off, so it makes sense to back the Australian to go well at a big price.
Other each-way contenders include Bill Haas, whose great-uncle Bob Goalby won a Green Jacket some 49 years ago.
Haas, son of legendary Jay, hasn't quite matched the performances of his elders but he's getting there, as shown by a first major championship top-10 at the Open last summer.
More recently, he looked in great shape at the Match Play and the stats say nobody is scrambling better, which is always a bonus given how many greens will be missed by the entire field this week.
Finally, Louis Oosthuizen is already a major champion and he so very nearly made it two when losing a play-off here five years ago.
In fact, Oosthuizen has been runner-up in three majors since winning the Open at St Andrews, so he's a big-time golfer and one whose game sets up well for Augusta.
Having enjoyed a solid preparation, including a near-miss at TPC Scottsdale, Oosthuizen completes the staking plan.
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