Are you a superstitious golf fan who likes the occasional sensible punt on The Masters? If so, you had better look closely at The Masters odds for the three Irish entrants: Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and, of course, Rory McIlroy.

Why do we suggest this? Because with Tiger Woods not playing, there is an incredible omen that has played out the last four times he hasn’t participated. This will be the fifth major that Woods has had to skip while an active tour golfer. Now hold on to your 5 irons here, but the fact is, the other four majors sans Woods were all won by participants from a certain island.

You can probably guess where we’re going with this.

The four majors that Woods did not take part in were the Open Championship and US PGA Championship in 2008, both won by Padraig Harrington, the 2011 US Open, won by McIlroy and the 2011 Open Championship, won by Darren Clarke.

You can be the most pragmatic individual on the planet earth but you would still have to take a second and agree, that’s a pretty astonishing coincidence. The more superstitious among you will be noting this down as a straight up omen, and marching into your local bookmaker with five euros in your sweaty palms to back any or all of the Irish trio.

Should you go ahead and place a wager on one of the Irish trio of Masters participants based on this omen, you will be doing so on only the second silliest of reasons.

A Mr Robert Price of Hampshire in the UK is being reported by a number of the dailies as having placed £989 (what an odd figure!?) on Rory McIlroy to win The Masters because he, and we wish we were kidding here, saw McIlroy's face in his morning Danish pastry.

Isn’t it nice to know there are crazier people out there than you?

Be it pastries or Tiger Woods absence, it would appear all omens are pointing to an Irish victory in The Masters. Will it be Clarke, McDowell or McIlroy. Well hang on a second, we’re just going to check our tea leaves and get right back to you.