US MASTERS PREVIEW AND TIPS
While the golf world continues to change and divide, the excitement remains the same for the most significant tournament on the planet as we get ready to go down Magnolia Lane and the famed Augusta National Golf Club for this year’s staging of The Masters Tournament. Jon Rahm won here last year as a star of the PGA Tour but he defected to LIV in 2024 and now leads a LIV contingent that includes Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann and others as he looks to defend. Scottie Scheffler is the short-priced favourite as the best ball striker on the planet looks to add a second green jacket. Rory McIlroy is chasing the career Grand Slam – and his first major crown in a decade. Tiger Woods is back. Welcome to the 2024 Masters.
AUGUSTA NATIONAL – COURSE OVERVIEW
There is no more pristine, immaculate, iconic 18 holes in golf than those at Augusta, an altar that is as revered as it is idolised. Designed by the legendary Bobby Jones, Augusta is the home to such iconic features as Amen Corner, Rae’s Creek, Butler Cabin, Ike’s Pond and The Big Oak Tree.
There has been just one small modification to the course this year with the tee box on the Par 5 2nd extended 10 metres back and to the left to bring the right fairway bunker into play.
Off the tee, distance is far more important than accuracy. It plays even longer than its yardage book by the way it is cut. The course has been lengthened and narrowed over the last two decades but wayward drives are not always punished with such an established and pristine course.
Performance off the tee though is not nearly as important as iron play. Augusta is a second-shot course where experience and precision are key.
The greens at Augusta are some of the toughest in world golf, fast and hard to read, and performance with the flat stick is important but the toughness really brings the star putters back to the field making it a less important statistical angle. A far more important guide is form around the green with an ability to scramble essential.
The most important statistics to follow on the course are:
- Scrambling
- Greens In Regulation
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Proximity
- Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
- Par 4 Birdie or Better
- Putting Average
- Strokes Gained: Putting
- Par 5 Performance
- Bogey Avoidance
STATISTICAL LEADERS (TOP 10 CATEGORIES)
Scrambling
PGA – Justin Rose (8th) | Scottie Scheffler (10th)
DP World Tour x LIV – Patrick Reed (3rd) | Sergio Garcia (6th) |Cameron Smith (9th)
GIR
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (1st) | Corey Conners (2nd) | Tony Finau (10th)
DP World Tour – Adrian Meronk (1st)
LIV – Dustin Johnson (2nd) | Bubba Watson (5th) | Sergio Garcia (8th) | Brooks Koepka (9th) | Joaquin Niemann (10th)
Strokes Gained: Approach
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (1st) | Shane Lowry (3rd) | Justin Thomas (5th) | Corey Conners (6th) | Tony Finau (8th) | Will Zalatoris (9th) |
DP World Tour x LIV – Brooks Koepka (4th) | Joaquin Niemann (5th) | Dustin Johnson (9th)
Par 4: Birdie or Better
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (2nd) | Chris Kirk (3rd) | Shane Lowry (4th) | Sam Burns (6th) | Wyndham Clark (7th) | Pete Malnati (9th) | Jason Day (10th)
DP World Tour & LIV Statistic’s not publicly available
Strokes Gained: Tee To Green
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (1st) | Xander Schauffele (2nd) | Si Woo Kim (3rd) | Hideki Matsuyama (4th) | Shane Lowry (5th) | Tony Finau (6th) | Chris Kirk (7th) | Justin Thomas (9th) | Corey Conners (10th)
DP World Tour – Adrian Meronk (4th)
LIV – Brooks Koepka (3rd) | Bryson DeChambeau (4th) | Dustin Johnson (6th) | Sergio Garcia (10th)
Proximity
PGA – Ludvig Aberg (2nd) | Matthieu Pavon (6th) | Scottie Scheffler (8th) | Tony Finau (10th)
DP World Tour & LIV Statistics not publicly available
Putting Average
PGA – Nick Dunlap (1st) | Scottie Scheffler (2nd) | Jordan Spieth (3rd) | Nick Taylor (4th) | Wyndham Clark (6th) | Brian Harman (7th) | Sam Burns (8th) | Matt Fitzpatrick (9th) | Xander Schauffele (10th)
DP World Tour x LIV – Cameron Smith (1st) | Patrick Reed (3rd)
Strokes Gained: Putting
PGA – Peter Malnati (4th) | Matthieu Pavon (5th)
DP World Tour X LIV | Cameron Smith (1st) | Patrick Reed (7th) | Bryson DeChambeau (9th)
Par 5 Performance
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (2nd) | Tony Finau (3rd) | Xander Schauffele (6th) | Wyndham Clark (9th) | Sahith Theegala (9th)
DP World Tour – Adrian Meronk (1st)
LIV – Bryson DeChambeau (4th) | Dustin Johnson (5th) | Brooks Koepka (9th)
Bogey Avoidance
PGA – Scottie Scheffler (1st) | Xander Schauffele (3rd) | Si Woo Kim (5th) | Zach Johnson (8th) | Jason Day (10th)
DP World Tour – Adrian Meronk (1st)
LIV – Patrick Reed (2nd) | Brooks Koepka (8th)
Best Bet
Betting Strategy
BACK (WIN) Joaquin Niemann (at $17 or Better)
Niemann is enjoying an elite run and even though that has been somewhat hidden by playing on LIV, he is playing at the level of a Top 10 player on the planet. Niemann is an elite ball-striker who ranks Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Approach and GIR. He has won the Genesis, the key correlation tournament. With so many top players so out of form, Niemann looks outstanding value.
Next Best Bet
Betting Strategy
BACK (WIN) Brooks Koepka (at $15 or Better)
It is a fool’s game taking on Brooks Koepka in a major. Much like when he played on the PGA Tour, his LIV form means nothing. All that matters is his health and the fight of the dog in him. He is healthy. The fight is large. He has five major wins to his name and in his last 19 majors, he has four wins and seven more Top 10s and that is covering a period he was injured. Seems destined to win a green jacket.
Value Bet
Betting Strategy
BACK (WIN) Patrick Reed (at $51 or Better)
The polarising Patrick Reed won here in 2018 and has developed a real affinity for Augusta National. In his five tournaments since his Augusta win, he has three Top 10s and has not finished outside the Top 40. At huge odds last year he finished with a piece of 4th place. A short-game wizard, his ability to avoid the big number always has him in the mix here.
Best Lay Bet
Betting Strategy
LAY (WIN) Rory McIlroy (at $26 or Shorter)
It is truly astonishing that Rory is the second favourite heading into this. McIlroy is going as bad as he ever has leading into a Masters. He has not won a major in a decade. His form here tends to hide the fact he rarely contends. McIlroy obviously has the talent to win here but at the odds he has to be take on.
Want to learn how to lay bet?
When you place a lay bet, you are betting on something not to happen. Let’s think about the Melbourne Cup again. Remember: there can only be one winner. But what about the others trailing behind them? If you place a lay bet in a “Win” market, you can celebrate if the runner tails off at the back of the field.
Best In-Play Trading Opportunity
Betting Strategy
BACK (WIN) Tony Finau (at $31 or Better)
Tony Finau has historically been a very fast starter at Augusta. He ranks 2nd in first round strokes gained amongst those in the field this year. His strokes gained in the opening round is markedly higher than that in the fourth. He has never won a major. Profiles well but better bet-to-lay type.
LAY (WIN) Tony Finau (at less than $19)
If Tony Finau hits $19 or less on the Betfair Exchange look to lay off your bet.
First Round Leader
Betting Strategy
BACK (WIN) Shane Lowry (at $41 or Better)
Former Open champion ranks fifth in the field in opening round scoring. He creates opportunities, makes birdies and most importantly, avoids doubles. He has a good record here so expect him to make a nice first round showing. Ranks third in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.
LIV Masters Winner
Betting Strategy
BACK: Yes (at $2.25 or Better)
This is the best prop on the board with as much as $3.65 being offered. The LIV guys did great last year and are among the better plays in 2024. Current LIV players have won eight of the last 14 Masters and Niemann, Koepka, Meronk, Reed, Johnson and Garcia are all over the odds.
ROUND 1 – 3 BALLS MARKETS
The Top 5 three-ball bets for the first round of the 2024 Masters from Augusta National.
Betting Strategy
BACK: 1st Round 3 Balls – Taylor Moore at $1.40+
Jose Maria Olazabal – Taylor Moore – Santiago De La Fuente. No spoil the first play but it is hard to see anyone but Taylor Moore. Moore opened up 73, 72, 70 in his debut Masters last year. Olazabal has made one cut in his last eight Masters. De La Fuente is an amateur who is up against it in his Masters debut.
BACK: 1st Round 3 Balls – Corey Conners at $1.50+
Zach Johnson – Corey Conners – Jasper Stubbs. Conners is an elite ball striker who has finished Top 10 in three of his last four trips to Augusta. Former winner Zach Johnson has missed six of his last nine cuts. Jasper Stubbs is probably the lowest-rated player in the field.
BACK: 1st Round 3 Balls – Rickie Fowler at $2.50+
Patrick Cantlay – Min Woo Lee – Rickie Fowler. Rickie Fowler is an astonishing price in this group. He has not played at Augusta since 2020 but in his last six April Masters, he has finished Top 12 in five. Cantlay is in the worst form of his short career. Min Woo Lee has a broken finger.
BACK: 1st Round 3 Balls – Wyndham Clark at $2.10+
Cameron Smith – Wyndham Clark – Viktor Hovland. The most disrespectful price of any player this week is that of Wyndham Clark. The US Open winner is not even the clear-cut favourite in this market. Hovland has switched coaches and tinkered with his swing. Smith has been horrendous tee-to-green this year.
BACK: 1st Round 3 Balls – Patrick Reed at $2+
Patrick Reed – Sungjae Im – Kurt Kitayama. The winner of the 2018 Masters has finished Top 10 in three Masters since and is clearly incredibly comfortable at Augusta. Sungjae Im is well down on his form. Kurt Kitayama has not fired a shot in 2024.
US MASTERS PREVIEW AND TIPS
US Masters 2024: Get the Best Golf Tips and Betting Picks on the Betfair Hub
The US Masters is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the world. Every year, the world’s best golfers gather at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, to compete for the iconic green jacket. The 2024 US Masters promises to be another thrilling event, and if you’re looking for expert golf tips and betting picks, you’re in the right place. Welcome to the Betfair Hub, your go-to source for everything related to golf betting. Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Major Championship.
Course Overview: Hole Lengths, Index, Number of Par-3/4/5s
Augusta National Golf Club is known for its beautiful and challenging course. The US Masters is played on a par-72 course that measures 7,545 yards in length. The course has a unique layout, with four par-3 holes, four par-5 holes, and ten par-4 holes. The course also has a challenging set of greens that are fast and undulating, making it difficult for golfers to execute accurate shots. The signature hole of the Masters is the 12th hole, a par-3 that measures only 155 yards but has caused many golfers to lose their chance at winning the Major Championship.
Tournament Structure: Field Size, Cuts, Qualification
The US Masters is a highly competitive Major, with only the best golfers in the world competing. The field size is limited to 88 players, with a cut after 36 holes that reduces the field to the top 50 players, plus ties. The tournament is open to all professional golfers and amateur golfers with a handicap of 2.4 or lower. The reigning champion, the top 50 players in the world rankings, and winners of other major tournaments are automatically qualified. Other golfers must qualify through the PGA Tour, European Tour, or other recognized tours.
Event History: Records, Past Winners, and Key Moments
The US Masters has a rich history, with many memorable moments and legendary golfers. Some of the most famous records in the tournament include Jack Nicklaus’ six victories and Tiger Woods’ record-setting score of 18 under par in 1997. The tournament has also seen many dramatic moments, including Phil Mickelson’s incredible shot from behind a tree on the 13th hole in 2010. Some of the past winners include Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Sam Snead, among others.
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