WHO TO WATCH AT THE 2017 MASTERS
JASON DAY (Aus)
Age: 29
World Ranking: 3
US PGA Tour wins: 10
Best in a Major: Win (2015 PGA Championship)
Masters Played: 6 (5 cuts made)
Best Masters: T2 (2011)
Odds: $21
Why he can win: He has two top-three finishes and another top-10 at Augusta. While the driver hasn't been so accurate this season, the wide fairways give leeway. He's No.3 on the US tour for strokes gained around the green.
Why he might not: 2017 form: Day admits emotional stress from his mother's lung cancer diagnosis has affected his on-course performance and his expectations aren't as high as usual.
ADAM SCOTT (Aus)
Age: 36
World Ranking: 7
US PGA Tour wins: 13
Best in a Major: Win (2013 Masters)
Masters Played: 15 (13 cuts made)
Best Masters: Win (2013)
Odds: $26
Why he can win: Long one of golf's premier ball strikers, Scott's rank of 38th for the strokes gained in putting (from 12 rounds in 2017) is his best since 2004.
Why he might not: The driver. Scott has been uncharacteristically errant off the tee this season and ranks 123rd on the US tour for driving accuracy, hitting just 59.74 per cent of fairways.
Name: MARC LEISHMAN (Aus)
Age: 33
World Ranking: 27
US PGA Tour wins: 2
Best in a Major: T2 (2015 British Open)
Masters Played: 4 (1 cut made).
Best Masters: T4 (2013)
Odds: $46
Why he can win: Form. He won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March and made the final 16 at the WGC-Match Play two weeks ago. Has three top-10s and seven top-25s from nine events this season. Ranks third for strokes gained in putting on the US tour this season.
Why he might not: Has only made the cut once in four Masters appearances - though he did tie fourth when Scott won.
ROD PAMPLING (Aus)
Age: 47
World Ranking: 142
US PGA Tour wins: 3
Best in a Major: T5 (2005 Masters)
Masters Played: 3
Best Masters: T5 (2005)
Odds: $601
Why he can win: He broke a decade-long US tour win drought in Las Vegas in November. Has a solid record at the Masters, having tied fifth on debut before a top-20 and a top-40 the next two years.
Why he might not: He hasn't played the Masters in 10 years and the course and field have changed significantly. Only made five cuts from 10 events this season.
CURTIS LUCK (Aus)
Age: 20
World Ranking: 440
US PGA Tour wins: 0
Best in a Major: On debut
Odds: $251
Why he can win: He's the world No.1 amateur who has proved his worth among professionals, winning the 2016 West Australian Open. Also won the 2016 US Amateur and Asia-Pacific Amateur.
Why he might not: No amateur has ever won the Masters.
DUSTIN JOHNSON (USA)
Age: 32
World Ranking: 1
US PGA Tour wins: 15
Best in a Major: Won 2016 US Open
Masters Played: 7 (6 cuts made)
Best Masters: T4 (2016)
Odds: $7 (favourite)
Why he can win - The long-hitting world No.1 has massive momentum after winning all three of his 2017 starts including back-to-back WGC titles in Mexico and at the Match Play in Texas.
Why he might not - There aren't many reasons why not, but he hasn't shot a final round better than 69 in seven Masters starts.
JORDAN SPIETH (USA)
Age: 23
World Ranking: 6
US PGA Tour wins: 9
Best in a Major: 2 WINS (2015 Masters, 2015 US Open)
Masters Played: 3 (3 cuts made)
Best Masters: WIN (2015)
Odds: $9
Why he can win: He's at short odds for good reason: in three appearances, Spieth has one win and two runner-up finishes.
Why he might not: Mental demons from last year's back nine collapse. He held a five-shot lead at the turn before a quadruple-bogey at the par-3 12th allowed Danny Willett to snatch the win.
RORY McILROY (NIR)
Age: 27
World Ranking: 2
US PGA Tour wins: 13
Best in a Major: 4 WINS (2011 US Open, 2012, 2014 PGA Championship; 2014 British Open)
Masters Played: 8 (7 cuts made)
Best Masters: 4th (2015)
Odds: $9
Why he can win: Proven major winner. Returning from a rib injury, he has climbed to world No.2 with a tied seventh at the WGC-Mexico, a top-five at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a decent showing at the WGC-Match Play.
Why he might not: The pressure of trying to complete a career grand slam of the four major titles and memory of his 2011 collapse when his four-shot lead was blown with a final round 80.
PHIL MICKELSON (USA)
Age: 46
World Ranking: 18
US PGA Tour wins: 42
Best in a Major: 5 WINS (Masters 2004, 2006, 2010; PGA Championship 2005; British Open 2013)
Masters Played: 24 (21 cuts made)
Best Masters: Win (2004, 2006, 2010)
Odds: $26
Why he can win: Mickelson is right at home at Augusta National, Playing his 25th Masters he has won three times and has a further 12 top-10 finishes. In decent form this season with three top-10s and six top-25s without missing a cut in nine events.
Why he might not: He's enduring the longest win drought of his career having not saluted since the 2013 British Open, and he missed the cut at Augusta last year.
HIDEKI MATSUYAMA (JPN)
Age: 25
World Ranking: 4
US PGA Tour wins: 4
Best in a Major: T4 (2016 US PGA Championship)
Masters Played: 5 (4 cuts made)
Best Masters: T5 (2015)
Odds: $19
Why he can win - He's been in great form since winning the Phoenix Open in February, recording three US tour wins and two Japan tour titles since. In 10 events this season, Matsuyama has only finished outside the top-25 once. Has top-10s in the past two years at the Masters.
Why he can't win - Pressure of striving to be the first from his country to win the Masters. Australians know how hard that was.
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