Fab four can break jinx

Look a little harder and there's even more cause for optimism.

Sergio Garcia, fourth in the Masters last year, has three top-10 finishes in six starts on the US Tour since January while Darren Clarke has taken three from five. Add to the mix Miguel Angel Jimenez's victory in Hong Kong and his strong second place to Ernie Els in Dubai and you have the makings of a potent European force.

But it is Donald, Harrington, Westwood and Casey who must be the fab four to follow.

Donald has yet to play a competitive round at Augusta National but he's recently practised over the rolling acres and believes his game, short on length but strong on accuracy, is wellmatched to the historic venue.

The 27-year-old, who has already triumphed on the American circuit in the 2002 Southern Farm Bureau Classic and now has two second places to his name this season, said: "It was nice to go there and experience the course.

"It played similar to what I imagined, almost tighter off the tee than I thought. And the greens are a little tricky.

"But it's good for my game. You have to position your iron shots into the green in specific places. You have to control the distance and where you hit it. And that's what I'm pretty good at.

"I'm hoping it won't be quite as windy at Augusta as it was at Sawgrass for the Players Championships, and as long as I get a little bit of run out there it's going to suit me."

Donald's friend Charles Howell III confirmed that assessment. The American said: "We call him 'plod'. It's fairways and greens with Luke, he kind of plods his way around the golf course. He's a very boring player, which is a compliment in golf."

Harrington's participation next week will depend upon the condition of his 72-year-old father, Paddy, who is seriously ill in Ireland. Assuming he does play, the Dubliner will be the highest world-ranked player in sixth place not to have won a major.

HOWEVER, having broken one duck with a dramatic play-off victory in the Honda Classic this month he's up for breaking another. Harrington beat world No1 Vijay Singh to take the Honda title in Palm Beach Gardens and he said: "Somewhere deep down that does give you confidence and hopefully I will gain from it. Winning is always good. It's never a bad habit."

Westwood would second that. He took a record-equalling six titles on the way to the European Order of Merit in 2000. Since then he's won only two tour events, both in 2003, but work with swing guru David Leadbetter is producing the consistency Augusta demands.

"It's made my swing a lot more economical and powerful," said Westwood. "And I've been doing a lot more core stability training that has made a massive difference to the distance I hit a ball.

"I'm certainly not playing as many bad shots as I was, and I trust my swing all the time. If my swing ever gets away from me I can get it back straight away."

As for Casey, he hit the headlines last year when he caused a furore in the States with his anti-American comments.

The way in which he coped with the resulting heckling on American courses, and proved he retains the temperament of a winner with a play-off victory over Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley at the TCL Classic in China, means Casey must be regarded as a contender next week.

Especially so since the patrons at Augusta - it is one of the quaint traditions of the Masters tournament that members of the gallery are not referred to as spectators, fans or, heaven forbid, punters - will be on best behaviour and thus unlikely to distract the young Englishman.

To be on the safe side, Casey is likely to let his driving do the talking. "That was one of the keys to my success in China," he said. "The boys at Nike built me a new driver and had been hitting the ball silly distances, but thankfully straight as well."