THE MASTERS: It’s that time of the year again, friends: springtime is upon us and Augusta National is in full bloom as the sporting world shifts its collective focus to a tiny town in north Georgia for another rendition of The Masters. This is my favorite tournament to watch, wager on, talk about, and agonize over, but then again that’s entirely unremarkable, as this is just about everyone’s favorite tournament, player and fan alike. The event has an undeniable mystique that sets it apart even in the tradition-laden sport of golf, and the venue– the majestic Augusta National– is simply incomparable. Merely setting foot on the premises is a “bucket list” item for most golfers, and watching the world’s best players attempt to conquer it every year only deepens your respect and affection for the place. Regardless of who wins this week, the star of the show will be the golf course.
If that all sounds a little too sappy for your liking, well… sorry. This ain’t the John Deere Classic, bud, it’s The Masters, so sappy and sentimental is what you get (*cue New Age guitar strumming and the soothing vocals of Jim Nantz*). Don’t worry, though– I know there’s business to attend to. Ol’ Jim Nantz will go down a lot easier if the guy he’s waxing poetic about has just won you some serious cash, am I right? The usual suspects are clustered atop BETDAQ’s Win Market, with world No. 1 Jason Day (7.8) leading the way and Rory McIlroy (9.6), Jordan Spieth (11.0), Bubba Watson (13.0), and Adam Scott (14.0) all clustered right behind him. There’s some nice-looking value down the board, too, as you would expect with any major, and you can rest assured that I’ll take my chances with a couple of longshots this week (bonus pick: Smylie Kaufman at 440.0. Snap it up!). Here’s what I’m thinking:
WIN MARKET
Recommendations to BACK (odds in parenthesis)
Rickie Fowler (19.0)- If you’ve been paying attention as Rickie Fowler has continued to improve over the past couple of years and stake his claim among the world’s best, you know that a victory in a Major Championship isn’t far off. He now contends just about every time he tees it up, logging top-10 finishes in six of his last seven starts (excluding the WGC Match Play), and his wins at The Players Championship and the Deutche Bank “playoff” event last year removed any doubt about whether he can close the deal on the biggest of stages. Critically, he seems to love it at Augusta National, making the cut in all five of his Masters appearances and following his 5th-place finish in 2014 with a 12th-place showing last year. Fowler is a blue-chip option this week, and unlike the Days and McIlroys of the world he’s not saddled with depressingly short odds. Back with enthusiasm.
Phil Mickelson (21.0)- I can almost hear the groans from some of the readers: “awww, Phil?!?! That’s the best you can do?!?! Yesterday’s news, fading fast…”. Is that you? If so, I urge you to take an unbiased look at the current state of Mickelson’s game. He has finished 18th or better in six of his eight starts this season, a stretch that includes three top-5s and a runner-up at Pebble Beach, and he was fully in control in Houston last week, breaking par in all four rounds and finishing 13th. Need we even mention his Masters record? Three victories and eight additional top-5 finishes (!), second to Spieth last year, twenty-nine sub-70 rounds… must I go on? You may be ready to turn the page to golf’s next generation, but I’m here to tell you that one relic from the last generation is still very much alive and kicking, and this week he’s coming home to his personal playground. Don’t sleep on a confident, in-form Mickelson, especially at a price like 20/1.
Danny Willett (86.0)- Willett made his mark on the international golf scene last year with his second-place finish on the European Tour’s Order of Merit and his strong performances in the Open Championship and the WGC Match Play, and based on his play so far this season it sure looks like the best is yet to come for the young Englishman. After winning February’s Dubai Desert Classic, he nearly topped one of the strongest field in golf at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, finishing just two strokes behind winner Adam Scott. Possessed with an infectious sort of confidence and a fearless, “I can do this” attitude, Willett has shown a flair for the bigger events in his brief career, and he was impressive in his debut Masters performance last year, breaking par in three of four rounds. Among all the guys lurking at 80/1 or longer, I believe Willett has the best chance to don the green jacket on Sunday.
TOURNAMENT MATCH BETS
Brooks Koepka (1.91) vs. Jimmy Walker (1.91)
Koepka is an impressive player whose length off the tee will certainly come in handy this week, but his intermittent struggles with short-iron distance control and his reputation for the occasional big number will always make Augusta National a minefield for him. Last year, for instance, he made seventeen birdies and an eagle, yet did not break 71 in any of his four rounds. I just don’t yet trust him in this tournament, at least not against a guy like Jimmy Walker, a putting machine with a nice Masters record (2/2 cuts, 8th in 2014) and a top-10 finish two starts ago (6th, WGC-Cadillac). Recommendation: Walker at 1.91
Louis Oosthuizen (1.69) vs. Charl Schwartzel (2.0)
I realize Oosthuizen has been on a tear lately, racking up five top-15 finishes in his last six worldwide starts, but his record at The Masters is decidedly mixed, as he’s missed the cut four times in seven career appearances. Schwartzel, on the other hand, has only missed the weekend once in six tries here and was crowned champion back in 2011 (who could forget the four closing birdies?). And Schwartzel is on a bit of a roll himself these days, stringing together four consecutive top-20 finishes and winning the Valspar Championship last month. Recommendation: Schwartzel at 2.0
£25 IN FREE BETS
