Mickelson is the pundits' choice (Getty Images).

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Phil Mickelson is the most popular choice to win this week's Masters, according to a poll of golf writers conducted by the Press Association.

Mickelson has finished third at Augusta National the last three years and has the tag of best current player not to win a major. Many think he will lose that tag on Sunday.

Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are the other two most popular choices, with support too for world number Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Americans Chad Campbell and Scott Verplank.

As for the winning score, predictions range from 275, 13 under par, to level par on a course playing fast and firm.

Lewine Mair (Daily Telegraph): 1 Els, 2 Weir, 3 Woods. Winning score: 285 (-3). Margin: 2

David Davies (The Guardian): 1 Singh, 2 Els, 3 Casey. Score: 278 (-10). Margin: 1

Derek Lawrenson (Daily Mail): 1 Singh, 2 Mickelson, 3 Olazabal. Score: 284 (-4). Margin: 2

Tim Glover (Independent on Sunday): 1 Mickelson, 2 Woods, 3 Els. Score: 275 (-13). Margin: 1

David Walsh (Sunday Times): 1 Mickelson, 2 Singh, 3 Olazabal. Score: 282 (-6). Margin: 2

James Mossop (Sunday Telegraph): 1 Mickelson, 2 Els, 3 Chad Campbell. Score: 281 (-7). Margin: 1

Mark Fleming (Daily Express): 1 Mickelson, 2 Els, 3 Harrington. Score: 283 (-5). Margin: 2

David Facey (The Sun): 1 Els, 2 Perry, 3 O'Meara. Score: 284 (-4). Margin: 2

Geoff Sweet (News of the World): 1 Els, 2 Mickelson, 3 Harrington. Score: 279 (-9). Margin: 2

David Smith (Evening Standard, London): 1 Mickelson, 2 Harrington, 3 Singh. Score: 278 (-10). Margin: 2

Michael Aitken (The Scotsman): 1 Verplank, 2 Kelly, 3 Mickelson. Score: 288 (level). Margin: 1

David McCarthy (Daily Record): 1 Harrington, 2 Mickelson, 3 Singh. Score: 286 (-2). Margin: 1

Philip Reid (Irish Times): 1 Mickelson, 2 Harrington, 3 Verplank. Score: 283 (-5). Margin: 1

Karl McGinty (Irish Independent): 1 Mickelson, 2 Woods, 3 Clarke. Score: 280 (-8). Margin: 1

Charlie Mulqueen (Irish Examiner): 1 Mickelson, 2 Woods, 3 Harrington. Score: 281 (-7). Margin: 2

Martin Blake (Melbourne Age): 1 Els, 2 Mickelson, 3 Woods. Score: 280 (-8). Margin: 1

Bernie Pramberg (News Ltd, Australia): 1 Mickelson, 2 Scott, 3 Faxon. Score: 280 (-8). Margin: 1

Erskine McCullough: 1 Els, 2 Chad Campbell, 3 Love. Score: 280 (-8). Margin: 1

Clifton Brown (New York Times): 1 Verplank, 2 Clarke, 3 Mickelson. Score: 282 (-6). Margin: 1

Joe Logan (Philadelphia Inquirer): 1 Singh, 2 Mickelson, 3 Woods. Score: 278 (-10). Margin: 1

Joe Gordon (Boston Herald): 1 Mickelson, 2 Woods, 3 Scott. Score: 285 (-3). Margin: 2

Shaun Powell (Newsday, New York): 1 Chad Campbell, 2 Mickelson, 3 Howell. Score: 278 (-10). Margin: 3

Vartan Kupelian (Detroit News): 1 Clarke, 2 Woods, 3 Harrington. Score: 283 (-5). Margin: 1

Jim McCabe (Boston Globe): 1 Woods, 2 Mickelson, 3 Verplank. Score: 284 (-4). Margin: 2

Doug Ferguson (Associated Press): 1 Els, 2 Faxon, 3 Immelman. Score: 283 (-5). Margin: 1

Reinhold Schnupp (Welt am Sonntag, Germany): 1 Harrington, 2 Singh, 3 Scott. Score: 276 (-12). Margin: 2

Phillippe Hermann (Golfers and Co, Switzerland): 1 Mickelson, 2 Harrington, 3 Woods. Score: 278 (-10). Margin: 2

Mark Garrod: 1 Singh, 2 Mickelson, 3 Micheel. Score: 280 (-8). Margin: play-off.

Len Shapiro (Washington Post): 1 Woods, 2 Mickelson, 3 Scott. Score: 282 (-6). Margin: 2

John Hopkins (The Times): 1 Mickelson, 2 Singh, 3 Daly. Score: 282 (-6). Margin: 1

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