The Masters: Steve Palmer's third-round tips, best odds and leaderboard

Sky Sports Golf Red Button, 3.15pm Saturday

Story so far
There is a five-way tie for the lead going into the weekend of the Masters, but it is a player sharing sixth place who has set fire to Augusta National and created an immense buzz at the Cathedral of Pines.

Tiger Woods, bidding for his first Major victory since 2008, is only one shot off the pace and hopes are high that the 14-times Major champion can contend for a fifth Masters triumph. The atmosphere at the famous Georgia venue was electric as Woods swaggered to a second-round 68 and he was all smiles as he made his way back to the clubhouse.

Woods, a stand-out 20-1 for Masters glory with Betfred and Hills on tournament-eve, has become 7-1 co-favourite of four at the halfway stage. He was 1,000-1 for a 2019 Grand Slam at the start of the year, but is in position to threaten leg one of four.

The remarkable Masters outright book highlights the wide-open nature of the event with 36 holes to play. Nearly all the layers have found it impossible to identify a clear favourite, with Woods, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Francesco Molinari sharing top billing.
Koepka and Molinari are tied for the lead at seven under par with Jason Day, Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen, while Woods and Johnson are part of a quartet sharing sixth.

The Green Jacket will definitely not, though, be going to Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia or Paul Casey. The world number one, the 2017 champion, and the well-fancied Casey all missed the cut, which fell at three over par.

Pre-tournament 8-1 favourite Rory McIlroy is level par, seven behind, and is easy to back at 66-1 for victory.

The Masters second-round leaderboard
-7 Francesco Molinari, Jason Day, Brooks Koepka, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
-6 Dustin Johnson, Justin Harding, Xander Schauffele, Tiger Woods
-5 Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm

Selected others
-4 Phil Mickelson
-3 Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler
-2 Tommy Fleetwood
-1 Jordan Spieth
Par Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy
+1 Hideki Matsuyama
+2 Henrik Stenson

Best odds
7 B Koepka, T Woods, D Johnson, F Molinari, 10 J Day, 11 A Scott, 12 L Oosthuizen, 14 X Schauffele, 16 J Rahm, 33 J Thomas, 35 I Poulter, R Fowler, 40 bar

Third-round tips
There is a level of hysteria building at Augusta which must be factored into any assessment of the Masters betting at the halfway stage.

The galleries are massively behind Tiger Woods and the volume at the course at least trebled when the greatest player of his generation worked his way on to the leaderboard with three back-nine birdies. Pandemonium will ensue if Woods stays in contention through the next two rounds.

The Augusta regulars are hungry for the Tiger drought to end – it is 14 years since they last watched him slip on a Green Jacket – and there is a sense that the crowd favourite could be carried to this title on a wave of fervent support.

Make no mistake – everyone else in contention is going to have to play the role of party pooper if they are up against Tiger in round four, and it would be an added psychological hurdle for the rest.

Imagine Woods and Brooks Koepka dueling for the Jacket on Sunday – a Koepka albatross could be met with complete silence – and the impact of Tiger's fan club should not be underestimated at the most intimidating venue in the sport.

In the same state in September, Rory McIlroy wilted alongside Woods in the final group of the Tour Championship as the East Lake hordes went crazy for their hero, and bookmakers are right to make Tiger one of the co-favourites after two rounds of the Masters. Nobody knows how to convert W chances at Augusta better than TW.

Woods has never lost a Masters after opening with a 70, winning three times from that foundation, and the same story could be about to unfold.

That said, his putting at the 17th and 18th in round two – just at the point when he had a chance to reach the leaderboard summit – will be a cause for concern for his supporters. The two main negatives when assessing Tiger pre-tournament were that his putting had been poor this season and that the pressure of Major win No. 15 would prove too much. There is hardly any margin for error at the age of 43 if Woods is going to catch Jack Nicklaus (18 Major wins). Two pushed birdie putts at 17 and 18 suggested the putting stroke and the enormity of the situation could still yet scupper the ultimate result.

Pre-tournament Racing Post Sport picks Adam Scott (45-1) and Jon Rahm (18-1) are in contention, but it is impossible to be bullish about Sunday success given the quality around this dynamic duo on the leaderboard.

Fingers remain firmly crossed for Scott and Rahm, who are definitely on the list of potential winners, but it is a long list which also features Woods, Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen and Xander Schauffele. They are the seven names for punters to concentrate on, with a stormy weekend in the offing. The course is set to soften further, with a Monday finish a possibility if lightning causes prolonged issues.

Third-round twoball punters are pointed towards amateur sensation Viktor Hovland, who is loving his first visit to Augusta. The power-packed Norwegian made an eagle at the 13th hole in round two, then parred his way to the clubhouse on a course which is made for his talents. The US Amateur champ, growing in experience and confidence with every passing day, can upset Jimmy Walker in their 4.45pm UK and Ireland time Saturday meeting.

Charley Hoffman, who suffered a confidence-shredding shank at the 12th hole in round two, can be opposed with Tommy Fleetwood in the 5.25pm contest. Hoffman has been prone to fast starts and weak finishes at Augusta in recent years, and this edition could prove similar. Fleetwood settled down nicely coming home in round two, making a birdie at the 18th.

Punters happy to play at short prices should consider Woods and Schauffele, who look solid options against Ian Poulter and Justin Harding respectively. The Woods (7.05pm) and Schauffele (7.15pm) twoball double may appeal to many.

Twoball recommendations
V Hovland
2pts 15-8 Betfair

T Fleetwood
2pts 8-11 general

T Woods
2pts 4-6 general

X Schauffele
2pts 4-7 general

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