The best golfers in the world are set to converge on Augusta, Georgia for the first major championship of the year in The Masters. Horton Smith won the first edition of The Masters back in 1934 but the first green jacket wasn’t handed out until 1949, when it became a part of the annual tradition. It has been exactly 30 years since Jack Nicklaus won his sixth title at 46-years-old to become the oldest Masters Champion, but there won’t be much talk about the pursuit of the other record he holds for most major wins with Tiger Woods having withdrawn from The Masters once again.
Event Details
Event: The Masters
Category: PGA
Date: April 7-10
Location: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
Even without Woods there will be lots to talk about this week with Jordan Spieth looking to defend his title as he continues to try to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking. Jason Day took that distinction from him when he posted back-to-back victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play. The battle for the No. 1 ranking will be an interesting subplot with the big three of Spieth, Day and Rory McIlroy battling for glory this week at Augusta.
Past Five Winners
2015: Jordan Spieth -18
2014: Bubba Watson -8
2013: Adam Scott -9 (Playoff)
2012: Bubba Watson -10 (Playoff)
2011: Charl Schwartzel -14
What To Know About The Course
Augusta National is one of the most recognized courses in the world with full breakdowns of every one of the 18 holes available online. The weather will have an obvious impact on this year’s tournament and it will be interesting to see if or there will be a major difference from a year ago when Spieth conquered the soft conditions in a dominant performance. Spieth ranked only 52nd in driving distance but that was unusual as power off the tee is usually a major factor at Augusta. The wider than average fairways make Driving Distance the most important statistic while Driving Accuracy is the least important number. Spieth did rank No. 1 in Putting Average a year ago and the average ranking for the winners over the last 10 years in that department is 10.4.
The Field
It should be no surprise Day is listed as the favorite to win The Masters outright at +700 as all of his form figures are on point heading in to this tournament. Day is now a major champion and he won’t be underestimated heading in to this event. Meanwhile, McIlroy is currently listed at +800 odds while the defending champion Spieth is listed at +900 odds. Bubba Watson is available at a very reasonable +1000 odds with Adam Scott at +1200, Rickie Fowler at +1400 and Dustin Johnson at +1600 odds. Henrik Stenson will be a popular sleeper play at +2500 odds while Patrick Reed could be a strong dark horse sleeper play at +4500 odds.
A Good Matchup To Bet: Rory McIlroy over Jordan Spieth
It might seem like a bad idea to bet against Spieth after the form that he showed at this tournament in 2015 but it’s important to remember how terrible defending champions have done at The Masters over the years. Nicklaus, Woods and Nick Faldo are the only three players in the history of the tournament to win back-to-back at Augusta so Spieth will have to defy the odds in order to win this year. His 2016 form figures aren’t nearly as strong as his 2015 numbers were leading in to The Masters either. Meanwhile, McIlroy has already won four major titles and needs only the Green Jacket to complete the career Grand Slam. He had an excellent chance to win here in 2011 and he finished fourth here in last year’s tournament. McIlroy might even be considered the underdog between these two on paper but he looks like a strong pick to come out on top in this matchup.
Top Five Pick: Bubba Watson
The two-time Masters winner has an excellent chance to win his third Green Jacket in five years this week. Watson’s game is suited perfectly to the conditions at Augusta and he arrives in excellent form after he won the Northern Trust Open and was a runner-up at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship. Watson has alternated victories here with some disappointing runs but he is coming off a 38th place finish last year so he could be primed for another strong performance. All of the signs point to Watson contending for the win this weekend so he should be a strong bet as a top-five pick and a serious threat to win the tournament outright.
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