Those with an eye for an outsider bet on the Masters will not be tempted by Nick Watney. Others, who value men in form, will rightly have other ideas. Watney is not quite a household name throughout Europe but in his homeland of the United States the 29-year-old's stock continues to rise. And quickly.
Even in betting markets in Britain, Watney has been backed down to the shortest odds for Augusta outside the predictable top three of Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson. Generally, bookmakers regard Watney as a more likely winner than the world No1, Martin Kaymer.
"I've become slightly aware of that," Watney said on Tuesday. "But, unfortunately, it makes no difference. I wish, you know, if they mention your name before the tournament you could start two under par or something like that.
"It's nice; it's an honour to be mentioned in that esteem but, at the same time, we are all tied on Thursday and I think this year the American tour, at least, has proved that a lot of different people can win tournaments. For me, I know Tiger in the past has talked about winning the grand slam, and on Tuesday he'll talk about winning the tournament. I can't do that and perform very well."
Watney's early-season touch is the main reason for his status. In five strokeplay competitions he has finished outside the top 10 only once; in that run was victory at last month's WGC Championship at Doral, earning Watney $1.4m (£860,000).
In three previous appearances at Augusta, Watney, a three-times PGA Tour winner, has finished 52nd, 20th and seventh. Such steady improvement appeals to those who have put their faith in – and money on – the Las Vegas-based golfer.
A year ago the Ryder Cup player signed off at the Masters with a stunning round of 65. His preferred shape of shot, a draw, is historically a handy tool at this venue. It is little wonder then that Watney is just about willing to admit that the Masters represents his most likely chance of glory in one of golf's big four tournaments.
"I love it around here," he said. "I love the feel of the event. And as far as the golf course [is concerned], for some reason, my eye just sees the lines. I feel like I putt decent around here."
Watney has a major itch to scratch. He led the last US PGA Championship, at Whistling Straits, by three shots before a ball was struck on Sunday; a capitulation and ruinous 81 followed. Observers noticed Watney's pre-round excited state, which every competitive golfer from amateur to professional level will relate to.
"Whistling Straits was a very bad day on the scorecard," Watney said. "But I learned a lot that day just about how I handle situations and I think that helped me in Doral. I was going very, very fast, swinging fast, walking fast, thinking way ahead.
"I woke up extra early, not on purpose, but I just did. I just kind of kept looking at the clock. I wanted to get out there and get on the golf course and I was the last guy off. I thought about winning that morning and once things started to go south, I thought I was out of the tournament. And so I think what I learned is that I'm never going to be able to block out those feelings; I just have to learn how to handle them."
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