By Chris Havlicek
Updated 4/10/24 4:03am ET
The unofficial beginning of spring has arrived this week with the college basketball national championship games and the golf season’s first major. The Masters is consistently the most heavily bet golf tournament and the 88th edition offers plenty of intrigue on Magnolia Lane.
Oddsmakers agree that Scottie Scheffler stands in a league of his own. The World No. 1 and 2022 Masters champ is getting Tiger Woods-level respect from sportsbooks and is the prohibitive betting favorite at consensus +450 odds.
Jon Rahm (+1100), playing in his first major as a member of LIV Golf, is the defending champion and coming off a T-4 finish at LIV Miami. He’s joined in the field by five-time major champion Brooks Koepka (+2000) – runner-up to Rahm last year.
Rory McIlroy (+1100) is the world’s second-ranked golfer and has four majors on his resume but has not won one in a decade. The green jacket is what remains between him and the career grand slam. He’s fresh off a solo third at the Valero Texas Open.
Speaking of big names, Tiger Woods arrived on property Sunday preparing for his run at major championship No. 16.
Dates/Location:
What: The Masters
Where: Augusta, Georgia
When: Thursday-Sunday, April 11th – April 14th
Purse: $18 Million ($3.24 MM to winner)
Defending Champion: Tony Finau (2022)
The Course:
Augusta National Golf Club is a par 72, measuring 7,555 yards. The course has been lengthened again, making it the third-longest course we have seen on the PGA Tour schedule this year. It will provide a true test of a player’s complete skill set and knowledge of both the holes and the greens.
There are moments and holes sprinkled throughout the course that require aggressiveness and guts. There are also numerous times that a player’s patience and ability to handle the “big” moments will be called into question. The greens are simply the best in the world and will demand particular shot shapes based on pin locations.
McIlroy, in his pre-tournament press conference at last week’s Valero Texas Open, also mentioned there were changes to the greens on holes 2, 4 and 6 as well.
The Field:
As of this writing, 88 players make up the field. As is tradition at The Masters, any previous winner holds a lifetime spot. Top amateur players also gain entry.
Between all the Tours, here is a breakout of where the field of 88 is sourced from:
- PGA TOUR: 66
- LIV: 12
- Amateurs: 5
- Senior past champions: 4
- DP World Tour: 1
If we remove the ceremonial group of nine seniors and amateurs, we are essentially working with a field of 79 contenders.
Odds/Top 10 (Courtesy of Fanduel):
Scottie Scheffler (+450)
Rory McIlroy (+1100)
Jon Rahm (+1100)
Xander Schauffele (+1400)
Hideki Matsuyama (+2000)
Brooks Koepka (+2200)
Jordan Spieth (+2200)
Joaquin Nieman (+2800)
Ludvig Aberg (+3300)
Bryson DeChambeau (+3500)
Keys to Victory:
The simple summation would be elite, in-form players with the ability to work the ball in both directions on drives and approach shots, and who possess crafty touch around the greens will find themselves in contention on Sunday. The course favors lefties with a right-to-left ball flight, anchored by wins from Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson and Mike Weir, as well as a top-10 finish from Robert MacIntyre in his 2021 debut. Modifications to the tee box on the 13th emphasize right-to-left tee shots more than ever before. Also, players with Masters experience have traditionally performed better than newcomers.
Photo Courtesy: Shutterstock
