The first Major of the golfing season has been kind to Phil Mickelson down the years but potential backers of the world No.4 will be asking themselves: when will the real Lefty turn up for the party?
Normally a fast-starter after his winter break - in only two years this century (2003 & 2006) has he failed to win in his first four outings - he's been very un-Lefty-like in his two outings so far. And, while we can almost excuse his woeful missed cut in the FBR Open first time out, his 42nd place finish at Torrey Pines, one of his happiest hunting grounds (three times a winner) would have left many backers scratching their heads.
As a result, some bookmakers have eased him out for the Masters - Ladbrokes and Skybet both go 12/1 from 10/1, with 13.5 available on Betfair to small money. Yet, they were taking no chances going into this week's Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, for which he was sharing favouritism with Vijay Singh. Considering that one of his three wins in this event came after a similarly poor start, they might be right and it is way too early to write him off yet.
There were more positive vibes this week concerning the world No.1 Tiger Woods, whose return to action seems imminent, especially now that wife Elin has given birth to a boy, Charlie Axel - who incidentally is 66/1 to win a Major before his 25th birthday! It could be as early the Accenture Match Play on February 25th or more likely in the CA Championship at Doral on March 12th, but that hasn't stopped Skybet pushing him out to 3/1 for the Masters, his longest price yet.
According to his website, Tiger is "full bore" into practice sessions with his coach Hal Haney and looking forward to a hectic spring with sleepless nights with the new baby before his return to the fray and a game with new US President Barack Obama. If he does return in the same form that we're accustomed to, the 3/1 would look extremely generous indeed and it could well be the bookmakers who are having sleepless nights during the second week in April!
Staying with the Masters, Skybet also report plenty of money for Rory McIlroy (50/1 into 35/1), who will be making his Augusta debut after securing his maiden professional win in last month's Dubai Desert Classic. While I have no doubt that the brilliant Northern Irishman will be donning the green jacket one day, Augusta is not a place for debutants and I'd much rather have a few quid on Luke Donald, who has proved, after Sunday's seventh-place finish in the Buick Invitational, that he is a serious force again after wrist surgery last summer.
Unlike McIlroy, the Chicago-based Englishman has 'previous' at Augusta having finished third in 2005 and another good week or two in the run-up to this year's event would see his current odds of 50/1 (Ladbrokes, Coral) tumble.
