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Irish Mirror

Sport

Gary Murphy

The Masters betting tips: Gary Murphy's selections including a 110/1 shot

Gary Murphy Rory McIlroy Masters Scottie Scheffler Seamus Power Shane Lowry Jon Rahm United States

The first major of the year has finally arrived and the sense of anticipation is sky high.

All the talk will be about the Grand Slam hopes of Rory McIlroy. This island will be hoping that he can somehow embrace the pressures that make a very difficult task even more so around the hallowed Augusta fairways.

The golfing landscape has calmed in recent months. There is always fire at the beginning of change and the LIV story is set. The lines are drawn and it is now time to play on their separate tours and, as rankings allow, to play the majors.

This week will garner initial dialogue around golf's civil war but, come tomorrow, it will all be about who will put on the green jacket on Sunday.

What is important above all else is that whoever wins or performs well over the course of the week gets the credit because they are brilliant golfers - and not because of anything else.

Home hopes are settled on four players this week. The amateur Matthew McClean will be in dreamland making his debut as the US Mid Amateur Champion.

He will hopefully have the week of his life. Making the cut would be a huge achievement.

The professional hopes lie with Rory McIlroy, Seamus Power and Shane Lowry. All three will believe that if they can find their A game then a win is possible.

Obviously, Rory has the added prize if he wins of achieving golfing immortality as he will have completed golf's grand slam.

It has been a solid rather than brilliant start to the season for him. With his win in Dubai, given the backdrop of the LIV stuff and the tee-throwing showdown with Patrick Reed. it felt like he was back on top of the game.

But Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler have since been on a heater and are possibly ahead of Rory form-wise. I do think that Rory's win over Scheffler in the matchplay is important, however.

He beat him at the Fed Ex too last season, whereas Rahm and Rory don't have much previous in terms of head to heads.

The little wins or gains can be key when the margins are so small.

This trio are the standout favourites but the beauty of this sport is that up to 30 guys can win this week. The TV companies will pray that Tiger Woods will be in the mix along with some of the favourites - if it happens, it has the makings of a dream week.

But so many players are capable of upsetting the odds. Seamus and Shane definitely fit into that bracket.

Seamus did very well on his Masters debut last year and that will stand to him. Everything will be a little slower and more familiar this week. The key is that he can settle well and just let his golf shine.

There are so many distractions at majors but he will be shielded from the pitfalls as he is getting more comfortable in this arena. His form has been quiet of late but the first major of the year can bring an excitement that can negate form.

Shane, too, is coming in with big hopes and last year he had his best ever finish here, tied third.

His form has been slow this year, with his best finish that tied fifth at the Honda Classic. He has progressed well at this tournament, though, and will feel if his A game shows up then he will have a great chance.

His putting will be the key to his hopes. If he can get comfortable on the greens early on his confidence can grow from there.