ALL eyes will be on Augusta tomorrow (Thursday) as the battle for golf's first major of 2014 begins.
The fight for the coveted green jacket starts tomorrow, with almost 100 of the world's top golfers battling it out at Augusta for the first major of the year, the US Masters.
But we know you want some tips on who is going to win the tournament, with the field looking wide open, particularly with the absence of 14-time major winner Tiger Woods.
There are, however, plenty of major winners competing in the 78th Masters, including Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, reigning British Open champion and three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson.
They, of course, all feature highly in the bookmakers' list of contenders, along with the likes of Australian Jason Day, 2013's top European golfer Henrik Stenson and reigning Masters champion Adam Scott.
The Aussie goes off in the same group as another favourite for this year's tournament, Jason Dufner, in the first two rounds, with Britain's Matthew Fitzpatrick completing a superb group for the first two rounds.
McIlroy is in the group directly behind them, and he will be joined by first-time Masters entrants Jordan Speith and Patrick Reed.
But one of the most intriguing groups features Spain's Sergio Garcia, Britain's Luke Donald and the 2012 Masters winner Bubba Watson, with Mickelson, South African Ernie Els and England's Justin Rose providing another of the top groups for the first two rounds.
But will the winner come from one of these groups? Maybe.
As always, there is likely to be a surprise or two and I wouldn't bet against an unknown quantity leading the way after the early rounds.
There are plenty of them in the field this time around, with a large contingent of Americans, Australians and a smattering of up and coming European talents such as Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, Dane Thorbjorn Olesen and Dutchman Joost Luiten.
Of course, someone like that could win the green jacket – we have seen it happen before at the majors with the likes of Ben Curtis, Todd Hamilton, Mike Weir and Michael Campbell. Who remembers them?
But I feel it will be one of the more established names that will come to the fore, with the possibility that someone could win their first major title.
Recent history suggests that it will not be a European, with Jose Maria Olazabal the last winner from this continent, back in 1999.
In fact, the last few winners have come from either the United States (Watson, Mickelson and Zach Johnson), South Africa (Charl Schwartzel and Trevor Immelman), Australia (Scott) or Argentina (Angel Cabrera).
And it would take a brave man to bet against the winner coming from the United States or Australia again this time around.
Indeed, Jason Day, Scott and Mickelson are among the favourites, behind frontrunner McIlroy and ahead of a host of Americans like Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Watson, Zach Johnson, Brandt Snedeker and Keegan Bradley.
But I am going to be a brave man and I am going for a European to break his major duck.
Sergio Garcia, like Lee Westwood, has long been tipped as a hope for a first major title, but so far, both have flattered to deceive.
However, I feel that Garcia is coming into this tournament in good form and perhaps peaking at the right time. And with Woods not involved this time around, the 34-year-old has the chance to fulfil the potential he has shown for a long time.
He burst onto the scene as a precocious young talent after turning professional in 2009 and he has 26 professional wins to his name, but none so far at a major tournament.
But winning the recent Houston Open has put him towards the top of the billing this time around and at 20/1 he represents good value in the stakes.
And I feel that maybe, just maybe, this is the time for El Nino to reach that promise on the big stage, emulating his compatriot Olazabal 15 years on at Augusta.
