The Masters is here and what a tournament it promises to be. With the inclusion of golfers from the LIV field, this weekend has the potential to be one for the ages. The odds are juicy with the world’s elite looking to duke it out around the most prestigious course in the country. But which players have an edge going in as far as winning a Green Jacket is concerned?
John Rahm
To win: +850
Top-5: +200
Top-10: -110
John Rahm entered this year with a sour taste in his mouth. Despite his consistent heroics, it was Rory McIlroy getting his flowers as World #1 shortly after Scottie Scheffler burst onto the scene and stole the spotlight.
The Spaniard has been great this year, although there is still some Meat on the Bone. He’s been wobbly at times and while he did win at the Genesis Invitational, he hasn’t finished inside the top-20 since.
However, his form at the Masters has been excellent, with four top-10’s preluding his 27th place finish in 2022. He’s still gaining a ton of shots off the tee and has a 71.5% GIR percentage.
I also like Rahm’s mentality. He’s fiery and isn’t going to be suffocated in the moment. He’s a high-pressure player who can deliver when it’s all-or-nothing and that’s the kind of guy I want to back with an extra chip on his shoulder at The Masters.
Patrick Cantlay
To win: +2000
Top-5: +360
Top-10: +165
Patrick Cantlay always gets overlooked and for some reason is yet to solve the puzzle that is Augusta National. He’s had a pretty strong record here but never quite been able to string four consecutive rounds together…but that may change this week.
Cantlay has 3 top-10’s in his last 4 PGA Tour events and may well be the most well-rounded player in the elite tier of Golfer that will take the course this week. He’s not as charismatic as some which leads to him sometimes being buried beneath some of the other names in this list, but he has every chance of throwing his hat into the ring this weekend.
Tony Finau
To win: +1800
Top-5: +400
Top-10: +180
Top-10 Tony is always a fun player to watch, but when he’s winning, his form becomes impenetrable. He’s had 4 very solid PGA Tour events in a row and has a great course history here, including 3 top-10’s in his last 5 attempts at Augusta.
Finau has found some form with the flat stick and is a fantastic approach player. Few are better at hitting greens and he should be right at home here.
Rory McIlroy
To win: +750
Top-5: +165
Top-10: -125
The narrative is always the same. ‘Is this the year that Rory McIlroy can finally complete the career Grand-Slam?’ Every year also yields the same level of optimism, but is this going to be the year that bucks the trend?
Rory has been electric to start the year. His Driver appears to finally be working after a bumpy start and only a select few are going to be able to compete with Rory’s length off the tee. He’s averaging 328 yards per drive and will be a huge advantage around Augusta, where rollout is at a minimum. It should give Rory a huge advantage going into the greens and I think he’ll very much be in the conversation on Sunday to finish the story.
Justin Thomas
To win: +2200
Top-5: +450
Top-10: +200
Justin Thomas is another name that is flying under the radar here due to the star-power in this field. He came 10th at the Valspar and has been slowly building towards the Masters. If he can peak here, look out.
He’s had five consecutive finishes inside the top-25 at The Masters and nobody on tour is gaining more strokes around the green than JT. That is huge around Augusta, where that magical touch is often the difference.
His putting appears to be the weak spot, but a closer look shows it’s being dragged back by a horrific -4.59 strokes gained putting at The Players. If he can just get back to neutral with the putter, he’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
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