British Masters Preview, Picks & Analysis

ALL British golf fans want to see more tournaments on these shores. But hands up whoever had the bright idea of staging the British Masters at Woburn in the second week of October?

We have just enjoyed a wonderful few days of glorious early-autumn weather but does anybody really think that it will last? Yes, we want to watch the best players in Europe battling it out for prestigious titles, but do we really want to see them wrapped up against the elements to such an extent that we struggle to recognise who on earth it is we are watching?  Nobody plays their best in cold, wet and windy weather, and no spectator enjoys trapising round any golf course watching their favourite players in cold, wet and windy weather.

So let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope for four relatively calm days, although the forecast is not great.

The British Masters is being hosted by Ian Poulter, who will be desperate to put up a good show. He has had a real up and down season but remains one of the best in the business when he is on song, and retains an uncanny ability to hole the putts that really matter – it is, after all, what makes him such a ferocious competitor in the Ryder Cup.

A star-studded field also includes Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Danny Willett and Graeme McDowell.  And so it goes on – Jamie Donaldson, Marc Warren, Alexander Levy, Victor Dubuisson, Chris Wood, Tommy Fleetwod.

Woburn is a beautiful golf course, whose main feature is trees – lots of them. It means that the winner is most likely to be some who hits the ball straight. Westwood has had a fairly indifferent season, but Woburn could be made to measure for him. He remains one of the best drivers of a golf ball in the world and has recently started to turn things around on the greens. The same applies to Donald. He has tumbled down the world rankings during the past couple of years but has worked hard on his game and towards the end of the PGA Tour season there were signs that the efforts he has been putting in have started to pay off.

The tournament also presents Willett with a great chance to overtake Rory McIlroy at the head of the Race to Dubai. There  is no tougher competitor on tour than the Englishman and he really wants to finish the season as Europe's No1.

Paul Dunne, the brilliant young Irishman who led The Open after three rounds while still an amateur, has now turned professional and made a promising start to his career at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. He has received an invitation  to play at Woburn and it will be fascinating to see how he fares alongside the likes of Matthew Fitzpatrick, who has taken to professional golf like a duck to water. Like Dunne, Fitzpatrick was a highly successful amateur and there is every likelihood that they will have a long rivalry in the professional game. Dunne's immediate target is to win sufficient prize money to ensure that he doesn't have to go to tour school.

British Masters Betting Picks

Each way: Jamie Donaldson 22-1 coming back to his best

Each way: Ian Poulter 18-1 His pride will ensure he is there or thereabouts

Each way: Matthew Fitzpatrick 35-1 The best young player on tour

British Masters Fantasy Picks

Jamie Donaldson. Welshman looking to put the cream on his season

Ian Poulter. Will be inspired by his role as host

Matthew Fitzpatrick. Ready for a BIG week

Paul Dunne. Was born to be a tour pro

Danny Willett. Fierce competitor, with McIlroy in hissights

Soren Kjeldsen. The comeback player of the year

Marc Warren. Poor summer, but ready for a return to form

Chris Wood. Played superbly at St Andrews

Tommy Fleetwood. Come on Tommy, pull your finger out

Lee Westwood. Would be a very popular winner, but will probably come up short