Fancy an Augusta punt?

The next couple days promise to be some of the most challenging on the 2008 golfing calendar. We're not taking here about swiring winds, chilly breezes or lightning greens rather a needless necessity to go berserk with the bookmakers.

Every year, as Augusta rolls round, I kid myself that there is no need to add to my enjoyment of the Georgia spectacle with a string of outsiders. Best to just sit back, put my feet up and spend four nights in front of the box cheering on a European win. For the 19th successive year I have come up short.

Rather than getting behind our heroes from the K Club I will be charting, in the minutest of details, the progress of Argentinian Andres Romero, Korean KJ Choi, American duo Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly (runner-up in Puerto Rico in recent weeks) while also keeping a keen eye on how Sean O'Hair is faring in the Best US finish market without Tiger Woods.

Just for good measure I have also backed any Australasian winner at 8-1. Curiously any Australian champion was quoted as 9-1 which says little for the chances of New Zealand's Michael Campbell.

There are a few which will always cause concern, those that we may have had in mind for the last few months but then just fall out of favour at the last minute. In this category we have Geoff Ogilvy, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Aaron Baddeley.

Still time though and the above is just for starters. Last year, having only had nine single bets, I lumped on Robert Allenby, without a win in the States since 2001, after a par-birdie start and may well be sniffing out a price on dear old Arnie should he rifle one down the 1st. My goal this year is to steer clear of any more visits to my online turf accountant...at least until Saturday morning.

Good luck to all those punting this week

Mark Townsend