We have looked at who may well win The Masters and come up with our five outright plays and now the time is to delve into the side markets to see if there are any players who we want on side in their respective markets that maybe won’t go close to winning the tournament.
With this being a major championship we get a huge number of side markets to go through, from various different nationalities to finishing positions and even skill markets such as whether there will be a hole in one. We’ve found three bets that we like.
Top Continental European
Nine men from the continent of Europe take their chances this week which is perfect from a punting point of view as it means that we get three places on the Top Continental European player market, and when you consider that despite being former winners Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal are making up the numbers at this stage of their career.
Another of the competitors in this market is Henrik Stenson and his form has gone down the toilet so I’ve no interest in even considering him either which means that all of a sudden we are left with a five man field – Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia, Viktor Hovland, Victor Perez and Bernd Wiesberger. Wiesberger has never really done much here. He’s played 20 rounds of golf on this course and never broken 70 so I can’t be having him either.
That has whittled it down to four and with major concerns over the Hovland short game and the Garcia putter having a tendency to misbehave too often we get rid of them too. In fairness, Rahm looks unopposable in this market but as an each way bet to nothing, which Perez pretty much is in my eyes, I’ll take him at a double figure price. Perez had a taste of this place in November and since then he has pushed for contention in places like Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and the WGC Matchplay. His weakness used to be his short game but that is improving all the time and I expect him to do enough to keep himself in the top three of this field and be the one to take advantage should Rahm flounder.
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Top Great Britain & Irish Player
There is a decent selection of players from Great Britain and Ireland teeing it up this week. The first choice to make is if you are backing an Englishman like I am whether to include the Scots, Welsh and Irish or not.
That brings the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Martin Laird, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Rory McIlroy and Shame Lowry into play. I’m not worried about Lyle or Woosnam and in truth only McIlroy from that lot would concern me but by bringing them all into play we get an extra place to go with and a bigger price for who I am backing. Mentions should go to the likes of Paul Casey, who has a good record here, and Matt Wallace who ran hot at TPC San Antonio last week but I’m with the European number one here.
That is of course Lee Westwood whose form in the Florida Swing was immaculate for the first couple of weeks and after a natural missed cut at The Honda Classic after a couple of weeks in contention he rebounded to play well at the Matchplay where only a Sergio Garcia ace could dump him out. Westwood has done everything here but win the tournament and knows the place like the back of his hand. While others are beating themselves up tackling the test Westy will be enjoying himself and at 15/2 he’s another who looks a great each way bet.
Top South African
There are just the four South African players in the field this year and there wouldn’t be that many if Charl Schwartzel wasn’t a former winner here. The other three players who have qualified by virtue of their recent efforts are Louis Oosthuizen, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Dylan Frittelli.
Schwartzel still has the game to compete around here unlike some of the past champions teeing it up this week but I still don’t want to be on him in this market. Bezuidenhout is much improved and his short game is tip top so he is respected, as is Oosthuizen who always seems to raise his game for the big events and also has a short game that can get the job done but it is Frittelli for me from this quartet this week.
He was fifth here in November and I think the firmer conditions will bring more out of his game this week. I say that because he has the firepower off the tee to clear all the danger and the roll he’ll get from the rock hard fairways will have him able to attack the right portions of these greens with the irons. His tee to green game has been good for a while and clearly he can read these greens having finished fifth here last year. At 10/3 I think the value is with Frittelli here.
Tips
Back V.Perez Top Continental European (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 with Sky Bet (1/5 1-3)
Back L.Westwood Top GB & Irish Player (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 8.50 with Betfair (1/5 1-4)
Back him here:
Back D.Frittelli Top South African for a 2/10 stake at 4.33 with Boylesports
Back him here:
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