Garcia - backing compatriot to shine (Getty Images)

Sergio Garcia believes fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal is playing his best golf in years as he bids for a third Masters title.

Schoolboy Garcia stayed up late to watch from his bed when Olazabal won at Augusta for the first time in 1994.

And while the pair are now competing for the game's biggest prizes, there would be no-one more happy than Garcia if his 39-year-old compatriot was to claim his third green jersey this weekend.

Olazabal went close in Atlanta in the weather-hit Bellsouth Classic, twice missing putts which would have secured him the title.

"Well, unfortunately those things happen," said Garcia.

"He had a couple of good chances of winning the tournament and it didn't happen for him. He hit a couple of bad putts."

However Garcia feels Olazabal is hitting peak form, and playing well enough to be a real title threat, despite all the talk being of a shoot-out between golf's big four - Tiger Woods, defending champion Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh.

"I think he's very happy about his game," said Garcia.

"He's playing very nicely, I think probably the best he has played in the last three, four years.

"I'm sure he is looking forward to this week. He loves this place. He has done very well here.

"After having a good week last week, he probably got his card already and everything, so he's probably a bit more calmed down, and he can just go out there and keep playing well."

Garcia, 25, recalled how he was starved of Masters footage as a youngster.

"Probably one of the first ones I can remember is Olazabal [in 1994]," he said.

"But, you know, when you're 10 or 12 years old, you're usually in bed by 9pm and they started showing it around 10pm.

"I remember watching a little bit towards the '90s, and, you know, it's a shame that we didn't get to see a bit more of it."

Garcia - still without a Major to his name - begins his challenge at 4pm BST on Thursday, playing alongside German Bernhard Langer, his Ryder Cup captain, and American Kenny Perry.

Olazabal sets off at 3:27pm, in a group with American Justin Leonard and Dane Thomas Bjorn.

A poll of reporters this week made Ernie Els the experts' tip for the title.

He was runner-up to Mickelson last year after a terrific cat-and-mouse chase down the back nine.

With two US Opens and one Open nobody has to feel too sorry for Els, but it is impossible to overstate how much he wants to win a first green jacket and how agonisingly close he has come to it. His last five finishes were second, sixth, fifth, sixth and second.

"If you give yourself just one opportunity to win here I think you've done very well," he said.

"Obviously I've given myself numerous opportunities. It hasn't happened yet for me, but obviously winning is the ultimate.

"All I can do is try to prepare myself to the best of my ability and have another go. Hopefully it's this year."

Garcia's money would be on Singh, though.

"I definitely think Vijay is the one that is playing the best at the moment," he said.

"He's just had a couple of unfortunate breaks the last couple of weeks he played. But, you know, they are all four playing a good level. Things are going nicely for them.

"I can try to get better myself and keep improving, but I can't do anything about them. So my goal is just to keep getting better, keep getting more and more consistency in my game and keep improving my short game.

"I know if I do those things, my long game is good enough, so I'm not too worried about it."