TIGER WOODS will start the defence of his Masters title in five weeks’ time at Augusta National.
But the 15-time Major champion will NOT be a factor this year, according to a statistical model that predicted Major winners last year.
Woods, 44, completed one of sport’s greatest comebacks 12 months ago, battling back from surgery and addiction to slip into a fifth Green Jacket.
But Sportsline have predicted that Woods will not even crack the top 10 this year.
That is based on them simulating the outcome of this year’s tournament 10,000 times.
Woods – who has this week withdrawn from the Bay Hill Invitational citing a sore back – can currently be found at 12/1.
Going against this notion, however, is the fact that Woods rarely disappoints at Augusta.
In 20 appearances there as a pro he has 14 top-10 finishes and has never missed the cut.
Questions mark remain over his fitness but agent Mark Steinberg confirmed he is doing all he can to be ready for the first tee shot on April 9.
The warmer weather should suit his surgically repaired back, yet a last-place finish at the Genesis Invitational – his most recent tournament – suggests the game that saw him win his record-tying 82nd PGA Tour event last October is not there yet.
Justin Rose is predicted to make a strong run at the title.
The man who finished runner-up after losing a sudden-death play-off to Sergio Garcia in 2017 can be backed at 33-1 currently.
His form of late leaves a little to be desired but he has 16 career top-10 finishes in the majors and bagged the 2013 US Open three years before winning Olympic gold in Rio.
If you’re looking for a big money outsider then Erik Van Rooyen could be the man.
Three South Africans have won The Masters in the past – Gary Player, Trevor Immelman and Charl Schwartzel – and Louis Oosthuizen finished runner-up in 2012.
No country apart from America have won it more times, and Van Rooyen is dangerous when he gets hot.
He finished tied third in last month’s WCG-Mexico Championship and in a tie for 12th in Abu Dhabi back in January.
Granted, three missed cuts came either side of that share of third.
But Van Rooyen has never missed the cut in a Major, has two top 10s and finished outside the top 40 only once.
He can backed at 125/1 and would represent great each way value, especially with Paddy Power paying six places.
