Masters: Norman backing Day & Scott:
Former major winner Greg Norman says he will be shocked if fellow Australians Jason Day or Adam Scott don't pull on the champion's green jacket at the US Masters this week, with both players having the "mojo" to win.
The retired star, who reigned as world number one for 331 weeks in the 1980s and 1990s, said it was hard to split his countrymen, who are both in a rich vein of form.
"I'd be shocked if I didn't see Jason or Adam wearing the green jacket at the end of the week," Norman told News Corp Australia newspapers in comments published Tuesday.
"They clearly have that energy and mojo from being recent winners in their favour.
"Mentally, they've seen the shots, hit the shots, made the putts and felt the feeling. It's so fresh in the head they don't have to summon enormous concentration to bring positives forward."
Day enters the tournament at Augusta as world number one after back-to-back wins in the lead-up while Scott is seventh in the global standings, fresh off tournament triumphs at the Honda Classic and WGC Cadillac Championship.
While Norman sees them as likely winners, he said the field was one of the best he has seen in years.
"The depth of great players is as deep as I've seen on a global front at the Masters and I first played there in 1981," he said.
"With no Tiger Woods there, 10-12 players at this Masters all have a shot at winning but the Aussie guys have put themselves in prime position."
As well as Day and Scott, he cited Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson as in with a realistic shot.
If he had to pick one player to win the 80th Masters, he nominated Day.
"Jason is probably the odds-on favourite. I think he's a better green reader than Adam and one of the very best out there," Norman said.