The Master's Jacket hasn't adorned the shoulders of a European since J-M "Olly" Olazabal beat the field in 1999 and believe it or not Lee Westwood finished 6th that year. With a couple of high finishes over the last few years at Augusta and a run of solid finishes lately, if Westy's putter behaves, his iron play has to give him a shout.
Rory McIlroy hasn't finished outside the top 11 in his last dozen starts and ripped Augusta National to bits for three rounds last year, until his infamous meltdown amongst the flowering crab apples. Hollywood's finest has a point to prove - so watch out!
Closer to home Scotland's most recent major winner (for which he never really received the cedit, blah, blah, blah - get over it) Paul Lawrie has to fancy himself, however, O Macaco - he no think so!
However, one outsider that O Macaco thinks has snuck under the radar is perennial all round nice guy Paul "Leather Football" Casey. The Case-meister came close in 2008, but a last round shocker let Ickle Twevor Immammelleman in the back door. After a long injury lay off Casey has just begun to find his sunshine band with glimpses of a return to form, making him O Macaco's outside eachway tip.
Across the proverbial pond, its v difficult to see past Eldrich "tiiiiiiiiger" Woods for a U S of A-ian victoire. Psyched up after a return to the winners circle last week and eventually finding a fairway or two, the Woods-pecker looks a nailed on cert to add to his collection of green jackets.
But if we were to look over the chip on Woods' shoulder, who would we see waiting to come out of his shadow. Phil Michelflob's warming up nicely as is his protege Keegan Bradley. Sporting a semi-perm that any seventies soccer star would be specially proud of, reigning USPGA champ, Keegan has to be in with a shout of getting his chipmonk paws on a green jacket.
Running Bradley close at the USPGA was club waggling chunky monkey, Jason Duffner. And that's were O Macaco's yankee each way money is going.
And so to the rest of the Woooooooorld. Two South African and one South American win in the last four years....is it time for a South Korean? Maybe YE Yang and KJ Choi have had their chance, but what about the fearless up and coming Bae Sang Moon - its a full moon this weekend - could be a sign????
But if its a winner from the rest of the world you're looking for, look no further than Jason Day to break Australia's duck in the Masters. Runner up last year here and at the US Open, its high time our antipodian cousins got their hands on the green jacket.
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