The clocks have gone forward and the nights are drawing out a bit which means we are all set for the best week of the golfing year as the stars of the game head to the iconic Augusta National for the first major of the year – The Masters.
The azaleas will be in bloom and the golf course as green as ever as golfing tradition plays out over what is always four fantastic days of golf. England’s Danny Willett defends the title this year.
Recent Winners
2016 – Danny Willett
2015 – Jordan Spieth
2014 – Bubba Watson
2013 – Adam Scott
2012 – Bubba Watson
2011 – Charl Schwartzel
2010 – Phil Mickelson
2009 – Angel Cabrera
2008 – Trevor Immelman
2007 – Zach Johnson
The Course
Augusta National is once again the venue for the tournament. The course rarely alters much although it has been lengthened a fair bit over the years and now measures 7,435 yards but the characteristics haven’t changed much.
To succeed around here you have to hit plenty of greens in regulation, scramble well when you miss the greens and then go to work on the par 5s. The winner usually scores extremely heavy on the longer holes – holes 2, 8, 13 and 15.
The course was closed to patrons on Monday amid a deluge of rain. The course is going to play quite soft which is likely to play further into the hands of the bigger hitters.
The Field
Anyone who is anyone in the golfing world right now are heading to Georgia aiming to win an illustrious green jacket. World number one Dustin Johnson will be aiming for a first green jacket as will Rory McIlroy and Jason Day while Jordan Spieth will be aiming to win for a second time.
Legends of the game are all here including Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott. There will be no Tiger Woods from a competing point of view. The tournament will be started by Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus in keeping with tradition.
Market Leaders
Dustin Johnson heads the betting this week. He is 6/1 to win a fourth tournament in a row. He has been in the top 10 here for the last two weeks with a best of tied for fourth last year and it is quite possible this is his best chance of landing the title.
Jordan Spieth will be appearing here for the fourth time. In the previous three goes he has only been beaten by two men. He is 8/1 to win back the crown. You would have to point out that his form heading in this year hasn’t been as strong as the previous three.
Rory McIlroy will be hoping his quest for a first green jacket and indeed the Grand Slam will end on Sunday. He is 17/2 to win the title. He’s finished in the top 10 in the last three years but he has missed plenty of golf this year and that could go against him if this gets tight and he is in the mix.
Jason Day has drifted to a huge 22/1 in light of the problems he is going through off the course. That in itself is enough to pass him over but Hideki Matsuyama and Rickie Fowler are the same price and head up Magnolia Lane with outstanding chances.
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Main Bets
I’m going with two main bets this week. Had this tournament come along a couple of months ago I would have been all over Hideki Matsuyama but his dip in form has had me looking elsewhere.
My main bet this week is Jon Rahm. There is a school of thought that inexperience is a bad thing around here. The last two winners were playing the tournament for just the second time. The final group last year involved Smylie Kaufman who was on debut so I’m not a subscriber to inexperience being an issue.
Rahm is an exceptional talent. He has already won on one of the hardest tracks on the PGA Tour in Torrey Pines. We also saw in the Match Play a couple of weeks ago just how well he is hitting the ball. He is a huge hitter of a golf ball so he can take the par 5s to town and we saw at Torrey Pines just how well he putts. Since he won at Torrey Pines, Rahm has four successive top 10 finishes and with him ideally suited to the course he’s my first main bet.
The other one is a man who has previously lost in a playoff in this tournament and indeed in The Open. That is Louis Oosthuizen. Like most South Africans Oosthuizen is exceptional from tee to green and was third in the Phoenix Open and went well at the Honda Classic too. Oosthuizen has been in the top 20 here in the last two years both of which he was injury plagued heading in. He looks fit now though and the rain is likely to bring his tee to green prowess to the fore. He looks a huge price.
Outsiders
As with all majors there are some great prices about. I’m going to throw a few quid at some bigger prices especially with bookmakers paying an insane eight places for this tournament.
Marc Leishman did me a good turn three weeks ago when he landed the Arnold Palmer Invitational and I’m keen to have him on side here too. Leishman was fourth here in 2013 but since then he has had issues away from the golf course. He does arrive here in excellent form and I’m expecting another big run from him. Leishman is strong from tee to green and we’ve seen just how good he is on and around them the last few weeks. He should go close.
I took Daniel Berger here last year and he was right in the mix for long periods before a tough final few holes saw him drop out of contention. Since then he has won a tournament at the St Jude Classic and is undoubtedly a better player now than he was then. He has always been a wonderful driver of the ball but how short game has improved immeasurably and off the back of last week he is entitled to be a leading contender here.
They say that Riviera Country Club form is a good guide around here. Wins for Adam Scott and Bubba Watson in this tournament would certainly support that so even though he is a debutant here I can’t ignore Thomas Pieters. The more rain that falls the more Pieters’ length is going to come into play. Tee to green he is excellent but for a bomber he has a wonderful touch on and around the greens. It could just be that the course set up is going to really suit him. We know he’ll kill the par 5s and if he can control his emotions he shouldn’t be far away either.
My last bet is a dabble on a regular of mine around here and that is the 2009 champion Angel Cabrera. I don’t know what it is about this place but whenever he drives up Magnolia Lane the Argentine clicks into gear whether he arrives in good form or not. It just so happens he comes in here off the back of a solid effort last week where he finished the tournament with an ace to show he is hitting the middle of the club face. Cabrera has only missed the cut once in the last 10 years and he’s won the tournament and lost a playoff and has seven top 25 finishes in that time. He’s worth a punt.
Tips
Back J.Rahm to win The Masters (e/w) for a 1.5/10 stake at 26.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-8)
Back A.Cabrera to win The Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 201.00 with Paddy Power (1/5 1-8)
Bet here:
Back L.Oosthuizen to win The Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 51.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-8)
PLACED – Back T.Pieters to win The Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-8)
Back D.Berger to win The Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 71.00 with Skybet (1/4 1-8)
Bet here:
Back M.Leishman to win The Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with William Hill (1/5 1-8)
Bet here:
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Nice preview Kev. Looking forward to this. GL with you selections