The US Masters is regarded by many as the biggest and most prestigious tournament in world golf and Phil Mickelson can boast three victories already, but he is making plans to add another green jacket to his closet.

The 2004, 2006 and 2010 US Masters champion has enjoyed a return to form in recent weeks and only just missing out on a second successive PGA Tour victory when Bill Haas won a sudden-death play-off at the Northern Trust Open. Anyone looking at the Betfair betting news should bear this in mind.

Mickelson rose to ninth in the world rankings thanks to the recent performances but the talented left-hander is similar to Tiger Woods, where they really try to peak four times a year to coincide with the Major tournaments.

First up for the 41-year-old will be the US Masters at the beginning of April and Mickelson already has his run-up to Augusta all planned out to ensure he enters the tournament fresh and confident. Anyone following the US Master Golf Betting Odds should remember this.

After two weeks of consecutive tournaments, the veteran is taking two weeks off to work on getting himself “game sharp” and then he will return to play at Doral.

“I’ll play Doral, and the week after I’ll take off, but I’ll still be practicing getting ready for the run up to Augusta,” said Mickelson.

“I’ll get back at Doral and I’ll take the week off and then play a couple heading up to Augusta, and that’s when I’ll start back up is at Doral working with Butch (Harmon) getting ready for Augusta.”

The US Masters is always the first Major of the season and the 2012 running is scheduled for April 4th-8th at Augusta National Golf Club.

Nick Williams’ smart sort For Non Stop finally managed to get his head in front this term when coming with a perfectly timed to challenge to beat Micheal Flips to win the rescheduled Grade 1 Betfair Novices Chase, (the contest better known as the Scilly Isles Novices Chase), at Newbury on February 17 and is now bang on course to bid for the Jewson Novices Chase at next month’s Cheltenham Festival, writes Elliot Slater.

A faller at the final flight when still in contention in last season’s Coral Cup at Cheltenham, For Non Stop booked his return ticket to the festival meeting with an authoritative two-lengths success over the front-running Micheal Flips, having been patiently ridden by Noel Fehily who held his mount up at the rear of the field until asking him to improve approaching the third last. Picking up in fine style, the gelded son of Alderbrook was really flying approaching the last and the long-time leader was unable to respond to the surge produced by Williams charge who certainly saw out the two-and-a-half-mile trip in style. Those looking at the Cheltenham Festival betting will have been impressed.

Runner-up in each of his three previous starts, For Non Stop had been a distant second to Overturn in Ascot’s Grade 2 Coral Hurdle in November, then failed by only a neck to catch the classy Al Ferof in the Grade 1 Henry VIII Novices Chase at Sandown the following month, before chasing home the very useful Cue Card over the Newbury course and distance on New Year’s Eve, so was certainly not winning out of turn, something people looking for horse racing tips need to remember.

Williams has every intention of running his winner in the ‘Jewson’ with the proviso that the horse has recovered from his Newbury effort in time, and bookmakers certainly take his chance seriously in offering 8/1 (from 10/1) making For Non Stop third-favourite in the ante-post market for the race behind 6/1 shot Sir Des Champs.

Phil Mickelson recorded the 40th win at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am recently and is going for a fifth Major title at the 2012 US Masters, and the veteran has stated he is not going to change his approach despite a lean period on the golf course.

The 41-year-old had won one PGA Tour event since his victory at the US Masters in 2010 before Pebble Beach, but could be coming to the fore at just the right time as he goes for a third Green Jacket in April. Those following the golf betting tips will keep a close eye on him.

Mickelson will face all of the big names over the coming weeks as the leading players in international golf all get in some match-practise and look to give their confidence a well-needed boost ahead of the first Major of the season.

But the man affectionately known as ‘Lefty’ has claimed he has a burning desire to “win more tournaments and more major championships over the coming years and intends to approach the 2012 ones in the same way as all his four previous major wins. www.betfair.com

“I play to win; I’m going to go for it,” he said. “I’m going to try to make birdies.

“When I’m playing well, I make [them], and when I don’t have it, my mistakes are going to be big. If I’m on, I usually have a good chance to win.”

Mickelson played with Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach and the two US stars have dominated the US Masters in recent years.

Indeed, they are expected to have a large following and be near the top of the leader board come Augusta in April, with Mickelson stating Tiger brings out “the best golf” in him.

On the same day that his owner’s intended RSA Chase challenger Last Instalment was ruled out for the season through injury, the Gigginstown House Stud’s smart chaser Quito de La Roque was scratched from the line-up for the Betfred Cheltenham Gold Cup on March 16 having reportedly been suffering sinus problems of late that have curtailed his training scheduled, writes Elliot Slater.

Colm Murphy’s eight-year-old had been one of the leading Irish hopes in a race that is now overwhelmingly dominated by the home team, the absence of Quito de La Roque meaning that the only Irish-trained horse offered at odds of less than 50/1 is Willie Mullins’ recent Irish Hennessy Gold Cup winner Quel Esprit, at 16s. People who bet on horse racing will know English trainers seem to have this one sown up.

Murphy’s charge had looked to be a genuine contender for honours after rattling up[ a five-timer that saw him go through 2011 unbeaten until he ran below expectations when only third to Synchronised in the Grade 1 Lexus Chase at Leopardstown’s Christmas meeting. Connections immediately suggested that their horse had run some way below-par and the subsequent discovery of a bad sinus problem goes a long way to explaining that disappointing effort and those looking for Betfair Cheltenham Gold Cup tips would not have been too surprised.

Because he is being treated with antibiotics, Quito De La Roque has been forced out of the Cheltenham Gold Cup as the treatment period means he will lose a couple of weeks vital training time too close to the big race itself, but all concerned with horse hope very much he will be fully recovered in time for both the Aintree and Punchestown Festivals. Last season’s Grade 2 John Smith’s Mildmay Novice Chase winner ended the term by slamming Western Charmer by 14-lengths to win the Grade 1 Growise Champion Novice Chase at Punchestown in May, then followed up at the start of this campaign by beating champion chaser Sizing Europe in the Grade 1 JNwine.com Chase at Down Royal in November.

Phil Mickelson reached a career milestone at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and the manner of that success should give him a massive confidence boost going into the first Major of the season, the US Masters.

The 40-year-old became only the ninth player to win 40 career US PGA Tour titles when his final round charge of eight-under par 64 took him to the title at Pebble Beach.

For Mickelson, who has four Major titles to his belt, this was only his second PGA victory since his last Major title at the US Masters in 2010 and showed ‘lefty’ is getting back to form at just the right time. Fans of Betfair Golf betting need to bear this in mind.

The fans favourite played with Tiger Woods on the final round at Pebble Beach and managed to completely dominate the former world number one, possibly even sending a message to his rival as these two are not only golf’s biggest names but the US fans best hopes of a home Masters triumph.

Mickelson will be looking for his fourth green jacket at Augusta and should take real confidence from finishing 11 shots clear of Woods, with the veteran himself pinpointing his putting form at Pebble Beach as a real reason to smile. http://betting.betfair.com/golf/golf-events/us-masters/

“My putter just feels really good. As each day passes I seem to make more and more putts,” he said.

“I am really excited about this. Because I have confidence in my ability I was trying to make and believed I was going to make those 30 footers.”

Mickelson won the US Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010 and will begin his hunt for another prestigious green jacket when the tournament gets underway at Augusta National Golf Club on August 4th.

Roudoudou Ville has been priced up at the top of the market for the Festival Plate following his third place finish behind Quantitativeeasing at Cheltenham in December in the Spinal Research The Atlantic 4 Gold Cup.

The Nicky Henderson-trained seven-year old won his opening start of the season in a handicap chase at Sandown on Good To Soft ground when beating Frankie Figg in a competitive opener at the Surrey based track. Anyone with a Cheltenham free bet will have been impressed.

The Festival Plate is often one of the toughest races to predict the winner of at the Cheltenham Festival. Recent winners include Mister McGoldrick, Something Wells and last year’s victor Holmwood Legend.

2010 winner Great Endeavour could return again this year for another shot at the race at the age of eight.  David Pipe’s runner got his campaign off to a perfect start by picking up the Paddy Power Gold at Cheltenham in November. Timmy Murphy rode the grey home by seven lengths in an impressive run. His very next outing he ran a respectable fourth place in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury where he was staying on late in the race. Fans of Betfair horse racing will have been impressed.

One of the most consistent performers at handicap chasing this season has been Quantitativeeasing.  He finished second behind Great Endeavour at Cheltenham but went one better in his very next run at the same course. The seven-year old seems to save his best performances for Prestbury Park, at the Festival last year he ran second in the Centenary Novices’ Handicap Chase, a Listed Race over 2m4f. Champion Jockey Tony McCoy teamed up with him on that occasion where he was denied by Divers by just over two lengths.

While few would argue that rugby matches are won (and lost) by individuals, rather than entire teams, pundits have heaped much of the blame for Ireland’s recent 21-23 loss to Wales on one man; Jonathan Sexton. The Leinster fly-half has been pilloried in the press, after an awkward display in Dublin, on Sunday.

Sexton failed to score a drop goal, a conversion, and two penalties, at the weekend, leading critics to the conclusion that veteran player, Ronan O’Gara, would have been a better choice for the number ten jersey. O’Gara, of RaboDirect Pro12 side, Munster, is the highest-scoring player in Ireland’s history. Read more on six nations 2012 rugby betting tips.

Attracting particular criticism was Sexton’s decision to attempt a penalty from distance in the final few minutes of Saturday’s Six Nations match. The kick, made from inside the Irish half, a position that Sexton’s naysayers believe was well beyond his own maximum range, went awry, costing Ireland possession at the death.

However, Sexton’s coach at Leinster, Joe Schmidt, has rubbished the idea that the fly-half could not have scored the penalty. “In my view, he can probably hit them from 55 metres [on a 100m pitch]“, Schmidt said. “Before he took the kick, watching at home, I thought he was going to get it, so it was well within his range.”

Sexton can take solace from the fact that he was not the only Irishman to have his decision-making called into question after last weekend’s clash with Wales. Flanker, Stephen Ferris, was sin-binned for a tip-tackle late in the fixture, handing the Reds a penalty that ultimately won them the game. Those following the online rugby betting will have been stunned to the finish of the game.

Irish captain, Paul O’Connell, has leapt to the defence of his charges: “if you’re going to pick out one player [to blame], then you are not operating well as a team.”

Charlie Longsdon has all but ruled out a tilt at the Grade 1 Supreme Novices Hurdle on the opening day of Cheltenham races and seems to have set his mind on preparing his very promising Magnifique Etoile for a crack at the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle, on March 16, the final day of the outstanding four-day fixture, writes Elliot Slater.

The five-year-old met with his first defeat over hurdles at Sandown in January but still performed with credit in finishing third behind Colour Squadron in the Grade 1 Tolworth Hurdle, being right in the thick of the action until he weakened from the second last. Previous wins in a maiden hurdle at Stratford and a 12-length success at Bangor in December in a decent novice hurdle, suggested that Longsdon’s charge has a bright future at the game, and nothing he did at Sandown would contradict that opinion. Anyone planning to Bet on Cheltenham at Betfair will have to keep an eye on him.

The testing ground at Sandown might well have contributed to Magnifique Etoile’s defeat, but Longsdon doesn’t want to hold that up as an excuse for his horse, preferring to suggest that maybe at this stage of his career the hot Grade 1 event might have been a step too far. Still, connections now know more or less where they stand with the gelded son of Kayf Tara who could well be just the right type for the cavalry charge that is the two-mile County Hurdle, a race in which he could find himself receiving a favourable mark , one that may well tempt punters to get involved.

Still on offer at a general 50/1 for the Supreme Novices Hurdle, Magnifique Etoile is a 20/1 chance with most firms for the County Hurdle and will probably go to the race without another run.