The list of favourites for this year’s Masters is long and strong. A good case could be made for any of the players in the top-10 on the Official World Golf Ranking and for several star names currently outside that top-10. But my money – just like the GM tipster – has gone on Australia’s Cameron Smith and this is why.
He’s on tremendous form
The Australian has climbed to a career high of sixth on the Official World Golf Ranking following his impressive win in The Players Championship. In the final round at TPC Sawgrass, Smith fired in an incredible 10 birdies, including four to start both the front and back nines, en-route to a closing 66.
And he’s been playing well in the relatively few other events he’s teed it up in through the first months of 2022. He won the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii (setting a new PGA scoring record in the process,) and finished tied fourth in Saudi Arabia.
He’s well rested
The fact he’s only played five tournaments so far this year, and none since his win at TPC Sawgrass, means he’s arrived in Augusta well rested: A fact he has already noted speaking to the press. At 28, he’s young enough to have plenty of energy but, having taken three weeks off, he’ll be raring to go.
Related: Cameron Smith what’s in the bag
He has a great record at Augusta
It’s his fifth start in The Masters and he has three top-10 finishes to his name. He was tied for second back in 2020 when he became the first player in Masters history to fire four rounds in the 60s.
Related: Who Is Cameron Smith’s Caddie?
With four Masters behind him now, he has the experience (and results) to know how to play the course and he knows he has the game to win.
Boy, can he putt!
And a key to that game is his exceptional putting. In his victory at The Players, Smith’s silky putting touch was to the fore and, at times, it looked like he simply couldn’t miss.
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