With Woods rediscovering his winning touch at Bay Hill a couple of weeks back and McIlroy also having chalked up a PGA Tour win in Florida recently, many observers are predicting that the first major of the season could develop into a private shoot-out.

But English duo Westwood and Donald, who sit either side of McIlroy in the world rankings, are adamant there are plenty of players capable of walking away with the Green Jacket this weekend.

Westwood said: "Rory's never won here, Tiger's not won here since 2005 so I think everybody in this room would have to be naïve to think it was a two-horse race wouldn't they.

Lots of contenders

"There's more, Phil might have a little bit of something to say about that and Luke might, I might."

Donald was equally forthright in his views and claimed the quality of the field would make it tough to predict a winner with any certainty.

"Everyone wants to make that kind of rivalry, and obviously those two guys garner the most attention right now," said Donald, who became the first player to win the money list titles on both sides of the Atlantic last year.

"It's a little naive to say that they are the only two that have a chance to win around here. Just in the last, what, three or four years of majors, I don't think there's been a multiple winner.

"So obviously without one or two people dominating, I think there's a chance for a lot of people to win this week."