Two-time US Open champ Curtis Strange has tipped "dark horse" Ludvig Aberg to clinch the Masters and end the long-standing drought for a debutant winner.
Fuzzy Zoeller was the last golfer to bag a win at Augusta National on their tournament debut in 1979, two decades before Aberg's birth.
Dan Pohl lost out to Craig Stadler in a play-off in 1982, while Jordan Spieth, Jonas Blixt and Sungjae Im have all finished as runners-up, but Aberg faces a steep challenge to make history despite his impressive career start.
Aberg turned pro in June and won the final Ryder Cup qualifying event in Switzerland, earning a wild card from captain Luke Donald. He helped Europe reclaim the trophy in Rome, with one of his two victories being a 9&7 thrashing (alongside Viktor Hovland) of Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka.
The 24-year-old also claimed victory at the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour and is heading to Augusta for his first major appearance, currently ranked ninth in the world. "He's my dark horse," said ESPN analyst and former Ryder Cup captain Strange.
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"In the last week some of my researchers at ESPN asked how he can be a dark horse? I said, 'Well, he's never played in a major before'. He's only 24. He's burst onto the scene so quickly.
"He dominated the college scene. He's dominated whenever he's played throughout his whole life, which is very short. He has a swing to envy. He has the size. Looks like the perfect physique to play this game.
"It looks like he has a way about him that can last years and years. He's not going to wear himself out with living and dying with every move that he makes, rightly or wrongly.
"I think the world of his game, and we have a couple of guys like that now on tour. He's a rookie, but he certainly could play well and, if he won there (Augusta) it wouldn't surprise anybody, I don't think."
Scottie Scheffler is favourite after his excellent run of form (Getty Images)The bookies are backing young Swedish sensation Aberg with odds of 25/1, suggesting he's in with a real shot, but all eyes are on last year's winner and current world number one Scottie Scheffler as the man to beat.
After his triumph at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and making history by defending his title at the Players Championship, Scheffler narrowly missed a birdie putt on the final hole at the Houston Open which would have put him in contention for a third consecutive victory.
"He is dominating physically from tee to green," Strange said, praising Scheffler's stats. "His stats are wonderful. I think some of that is because he has such great hands for such a big man.
"A part of the game that doesn't get, to me, recognised enough is his pitching and chipping around the greens. It's phenomenal.
"He works at it. He doesn't look like he's getting too big for his britches. He's had a good run. He's doing everything he needs to do leading up to a major championship. It's all working for Scottie right now."
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