It has been less than five months since the world’s top golfers ascended on Augusta National, but they’re already back for the 85th edition of The Masters.
The 84th Masters was unique on several fronts. It was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic so it took place in November instead of April. The surrounding aesthetics looked slightly different due to the time of year and the course itself was far more forgiving than usual.
Dustin Johnson shot a 20-under to win the 2020 tournament with a course record score of 268, five strokes ahead of his next closest competition. The over/under for the winning 72-hole score is set at 277.5 this time around – a clear indication experts believe the course will be far more gruelling in the spring.
Regardless of what the final scores end up being over the weekend, we’re bound to see some outstanding shots on an iconic course.
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Below are five golfers who could win it all or at least be in contention at a favourable price, plus a few other prop bets to consider.
Dustin Johnson +900
There’s a number of intriguing options near the top of the board. You could go with Bryson DeChambeau’s distinctive skill set or Jordan Spieth’s history of success at the tournament, but if you’re going to bet chalk you may as well go with the world’s No. 1 golfer and reigning Masters champion.
DJ can become the first since Tiger Woods in 2001/2002 to win The Masters in consecutive years. Since 2015, Johnson has competed at Augusta National five times (he didn’t in 2017 due to a back injury) finishing T6, T4, T10, T2 before finally earning the green jacket last year. He opened the 2020 tournament at +1000 and it worked out for his backers. The value isn’t as good this time around but his chances to win the tourney remain high.
Johnson can stripe it off the tee and launch it from the fairway to separate himself from the pack on longer holes – he went 11-under on Augusta’s four par-5s in November with two eagles, eight birdies, five pars and one bogey. The course won’t be as forgiving in April, but Johnson skipped the Valero Texas Open to prepare for this week and he should be dialled in.
Collin Morikawa +2800
The young American is a phenomenal irons player. You don’t win at Augusta with poor approach shots and Morikawa leads everyone on tour in strokes gained on the approach. The 2020 PGA Championship winner failed to shoot a round under 70 at Augusta in November – his first Masters appearance – and finished T44. He followed that up with back-to-back top-10 finishes. Morikawa’s short game has held him back at times but he recently tweaked his putting grip and it helped him win the WGC Workday Championship in late February. Consistency on the greens could be what vaults Morikawa into contention.
Sungjae Im +4000
Im surprised the field in November by finishing as co-runner-up to Johnson. It was his first Masters appearance and the South Korean shot a 15-under 273, a record low score for a first-time Masters competitor. Finishing top 30 in all but two tournaments this calendar year, Im had a T5 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and a T8 at The Honda Classic a couple weeks ago. Will playing Augusta in April be a harsh reality check, or will November’s T2 finish allow him to relax and just play his game?
“I started the week just wanting to make the cut,” Im told Steve DiMeglio of The Augusta Chronicle when looking back at the unique 84th Masters. “Then I had a chance to win. But Dustin Johnson is a great player. I learned a lot in the final round. That round, the whole week, too, it was self-confidence for me. It was a learning experience for me and I learned I could perform at a major level. … I have the course visually in my mind. My impression of Augusta National was that the fairways and greens were much softer than what I saw watching TV when I was a kid. And I’ve never played the Masters in April so it will be a different challenge. I will have to learn how to play the course again if it’s fast and firm. But it will be a good challenge.”
This is really nice value on one of the top young golfers on tour.
Patrick Reed +3300
He might not be the most popular golfer on tour – in fact, he’s likely the least popular golfer on tour – but he’s ranked No. 7 in the world with seven top-22 finishes in his past 10 outings. Reed has shot under par in each of his past three Masters appearances, winning in 2018 and finishing T10 this past November. Success at Augusta shouldn’t come as a surprise either since he hits a huge draw, which is a plus for righties on this course, and he remains excellent on the greens.
If you don’t want to bet on the PGA’s top heel, you could instead consider fellow top-10 ranked golfers Xander Schauffele or Patrick Cantlay (both listed at +2200) but Reed is a nice value play here.
Tony Finau +3300
This is the sort of opposite of betting on Reed because if and when Finau wins a notable tournament, let alone if he captures a major, it’ll be a collective celebration among tour members and fans alike. Finau has been one of the most consistent performers with seven top-10 finishes at majors in the past three years yet he just can’t seem to get over the hump. It didn’t go well for him at the Valero Texas Open last weekend but that can be overlooked. Finau’s style suits Augusta well and he has six top-eight finishes since December, including two second-place results.
BONUS BETS…
• Cameron Smith to finish as top Australian (+200). Two top-five finishes at the Masters in the past three years including tying with Im as runner-up in November.
• Brooks Koepka to miss the cut (+250). The four-time major winner had recent knee surgery and doesn’t appear to be at full strength.
All odds courtesy of Odds Shark/Bodog
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