Can anyone stop Tiger at The Masters?

This year's Masters looks set to be a different affair to recent years, and not just because of the extended course. The last three Masters have all been played in wet conditions, whereas things look dryer this time around.

This will give the long hitters even more of an advantage on the firmer ground, as their up-and-down high flighted shots will have less run on the green. This could be key at Augusta, where any errant approach shot will be punished.

Looking at the Big Guns, Retief Goosen is probably looking the sharpest right now. He's been practising hard since coming second in the Players Championship a couple of weeks ago, and is likely to be a popular choice with the punters.

Ernie Els is looking a little shakier though; although he's been playing okay since his knee surgery, he still doesn't look 100%.

Tiger Woods is of course the favourite, and hopefully his well-documented domestic troubles will not interfere with his performance. Vijay Singh is the best tee-to-green golfer in the field, but as ever his suspect putting could see him found out at Augusta.

Phil Mickelson on the other hand is looking strong. He finished 28 under to win the BellSouth last week - 13 ahead of the field. A past Masters winner, he's finished in the top ten for the last seven years and it's hard to see him breaking that trend this time around.

Another previous winner showing form is Olazabal, second in the BellSouth and seventh in the Players the week before. The only question mark is whether he will be able to cope with the length. The same goes for Luke Donald. He's great with the irons on to the green, but will have to be at 110% to triumph here.

Sporting Index predict that the winning score will be between 282 and 283 (par = 288). This indicates they expect a tougher contest than at any time in recent years - Woods finished on 12 under to win last year. Interestingly, they also expect just 8 to 9 players to make the cut and finish under par, much less than you'd see elsewhere. When Faldo finished 5 under back in 89, 7 others came in under 288 as well...

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