The Masters Preview & Picks - Best Picks For Augusta National

The world's elite golfers assemble on the legendary greens of Augusta National for the first Major tournament of the year this week. Who will be crowned The Masters champion? 

A host of players are in great touch making for a compelling competition to claim the title. Who will be wearing the famous Green Jacket come Sunday?

Hideki Matsuyama returns to Augusta National to defend his title after victory in 2021, and there are 18 past winners of the US Masters in the line-up.

These include Fred Couples, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Jose Maria Olazabal, Patrick Reed, Charl Schwartzel, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Mike Weir, Danny Willett and Tiger Woods if he decides to play.

These are our four selections that could win this weekend. 

Cameron Smith has played great golf this year, winning two trophies.

Smith won the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Players Championship last month. He also placed T4 at the Saudi International.

The world number six golfer has played at The Masters on five occasions, with finishes of T55, T5, T51, T2 and T10. Additionally, he is the only golfer to shoot all four rounds in the 60s at a single Masters event.

Smith has won twice this year and was runner-up at Augusta National in 2020. Can he become only the second Australian to win the Masters?

Scottie Scheffler has had a remarkable 2022 considering he started the year winless on the PGA Tour.

He won his first title at the Phoenix Open, claimed his second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and followed up with his third at the WGC Dell Technologies World Match Play.

After his last victory, the 25-year-old American became the new number one ranked golfer, dislodging Jon Rahm from top spot.

He has played twice at this event, placing T19 in 2020 and T18 last year.

Scheffler will have the added pressure of being the best golfer in the world coming into the Masters, but from his recent performances, he seems to be taking all of it in his stride. 

Viktor Hovland won the World Wide Technology Championship, the Hero World Challenge and the Dubai Desert Classic between November and January 2022.

After missing the cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Hovland bounced back to form, placing T4 Genesis Invitational, T2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T9 at the Players Championship, T33 at the Valspar Championship and T18 at the WGC Dell Technologies World Match Play.

The 24-year-old golfer has played at the Masters twice, finishing T32 in 2019 and T21 last year.

The world number four has a chance to become the first Norwegian to win the Masters at Augusta National this weekend. Can he do it?

Sam Burns started his year well, finishing T19 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He then missed the cut at three consecutive tournament starts.

The 11th ranked golfer returned to form, placing T9 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and finishing T26 at the Players Championship.

The American bounced back to winnings ways when he claimed his second consecutive Valspar Championship title in March.

He is making his debut around the greens of the iconic Augusta National golf course and will be bidding to become the first first-time winner of this event since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Burns has won three PGA Tour titles in 11 months and can feature prominently in Georgia this weekend.

Cameron Smith has won twice in his last five starts and is a strong contender to win The Masters.

Scottie Scheffler has risen to the top of the golfing world and can win his first Major at Augusta National come Sunday.

Viktor Hovland has three top 10 places in his last five starts and offers an excellent each-way bet.

Sam Burns has done nothing wrong in his last year on the PGA Tour and is the long-shot value bet for the weekend.