Corey Conners wins the Valero Texas Open winning capturing his second victory at TPC San Antonio. Given his recent success, he’ll likely be a popular play this week especially when you factor in his finishes at Augusta National. We had a great week cashing Connors (+120 – Top 20) and Rickie Fowler (+230 – Top 10). Now, let’s get into this week’s event.
Hello Friends, and welcome to the best week of the year, The Masters. Before we’ve even teed off, the storylines have already started.
Let’s start with Tiger Woods who will make his second start of the PGA Tour season after finishing T45 at The Genesis Invitational. For the first time playing golf since his car accident, he showed flashes of his old self giving Tiger fans hope worldwide. However, since competing earlier this season he has been involved in another scandal with his long-time girlfriend. It’s unclear what Tiger’s headspace is but regardless, it should still be exciting to watch him this week. His last victory on the PGA Tour was in the 2019 Masters. If he is somehow able to win this week, he would tie Jack Nicklaus with the most victories at Augusta National (6).
Rory McIlroy is looking to finally complete the career Grand Slam. He finished 2nd last year at Augusta posting a 64 on the final day coming up one stroke short of the 18-hole course record. His last major championship victory was back in 2014 so we’ll see if he can finally become the sixth player to complete the quest.
World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler will look to become the first player to win back-to-back Masters since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. He’s already won twice on Tour this year picking up wins at the WM Phoenix Open and THE PLAYERS Championship.
Jon Rahm has only one major championship victory (2021 U.S. Open) despite his impressive resume. He’s the only player to have won three times on the PGA Tour this season and will look to become the 4th Spaniard to win at Augusta National.
There are also a few top players in the world that are looking for their first major championship. Patrick Cantlay, current World No. 4, had his best finish in a major at the 2019 PGA Championship with a T3 finish. At Augusta National, he’s only finished inside the top 10 once. Xander Schauffele (World No. 7) and Will Zalatoris (World No. 8) both have several runner-up finishes in major championships but have failed to break through yet.
Lastly, the LIV Tour players have been allowed to play in this year’s event by the governing body, the Augusta National Golf Club membership. Since the PGA Tour does not officially run this event, they do not have jurisdiction over who and who cannot play in it. Headlining the list of eighteen players from the LIV Tour includes Cameron Smith, defending Open Championship winner, Dustin Johnson, 2020 Masters Champion, and Phil Mickelson, three-time Masters champion. The feud between the two tours has died down a bit but I can guarantee the last thing Jay Monahan wants to see is someone from a rival tour putting on that famous green jacket.
The Masters is truly one of the greatest sporting events to take place. The pristine conditions, the azaleas in full bloom, the artificial birds chirping. It’s something that most sports fans look forward to despite their interest level in golf. While it may not have the history of the Open Championship, there is truly no other tournament like The Masters.
- Dates: April 6th, 2023 – April 9th, 2023
- Location: Augusta, Georgia, United States
- Course: Augusta National Golf Club
- Course Type: Classical/ Technical
- Par: 72 (4x 3’s / 10x 4’s / 4x 5’s)
- Length: 7,545 yards
- Format: 72-hole stroke play
- Greens: Bentgrass .125”
- Fairways: Ryegrass .375”
- Rough: Ryegrass 1.375”
- Bunkers: 44
- Water Hazard(s): 6 (In-Play on 5 Holes)
- Average Green Size: 6,486 sq. ft.
- Stimpmeter: 14 ft.
- Purse/ Winner: $15,000,000/ $2,700,000
- FedEx Cup Points: 600
- Field/ Cut: 88 Pros | Top 50 and Ties – 36 Holes
- Historic Cut Line:
- 2022: +4
- 2021: +3
- 2020: E
- Course Scoring Average:
- 2022: 73.95 (+1.95), Rank 3 of 50
- 2021: 73.06 (+1.06), Rank 7 of 51
- 2020: 71.75 (-0.25), Rank 13 of 42
Course Architect:
- Course Architect: Dr. Alister MacKenzie & Bobby Jones (1933)
- Recent Renovations:
- 2023: No. 13 – The tee box was moved back
- 2022: No. 11 & No. 15 – The tee boxes were moved back
- 2019: No. 5 – The tee box was moved back
To see all of the renovations completed on each hole, you can click the following link.
Comparable Courses & Greens:
- Comparable Courses:
- Designer Link (Dr. Alister MacKenzie & Bobby Jones):
- Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) – 2019 President’s Cup
- Comparable Location (Augusta, Georgia):
- Sea Island Golf Club – St. Simons Island, Georgia – The RSM Classic
- Congaree Golf Club – Ridgeland, South Carolina – THE CJ CUP in South Carolina
- Harbour Town Golf Links – Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – RBC Heritage
- Comparable Yardage (7,545 Yards):
- Grand Reserve Golf Club – 7,506 Yards – Puerto Rico Open
- Quail Hollow Club – 7,521 Yards – Wells Fargo Championship (2021)
- Muirfield Village Golf Club – 7,533 Yards – the Memorial Tournament
- Plantation Course at Kapalua – 7,596 Yards – Sentry Tournament of Champions
- Comparable Greens (Bentgrass .125”):
- TPC Twin Cities – Bentgrass .110” – 3M Open
- TPC Craig Ranch – Bentgrass .100” – AT&T Byron Nelson
- Muirfield Village Golf Club – Bentgrass .090” – the Memorial Tournament
- Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club – Bentgrass – ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP
- Comparable Average Green Size (6,486 sq. ft.):
- TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) – 6,400 sq. ft. – Valero Texas Open
- TPC Twin Cities – 6,500 sq. ft. – 3M Open
- Grand Reserve Golf Club – 6,500 sq. ft. – Puerto Rico Open
- Round 1: Thursday, April 6th, 2023
- ESPN – 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET
- Round 2: Friday, April 7th, 2023
- ESPN – 3:00 PM – 7:30 PM ET
- Round 3: Saturday, April 8th, 2023
- CBS – 3:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
- Round 4: Sunday, April 9th, 2023
- CBS – 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET
- Thursday: PM Thunderstorms 85 F, 7 mp/h SSW, 65% Humidity, 44% Chance of Rain
- Friday: Thunderstorms 70 F, 9 mp/h NE, 64% Humidity, 59% Chance of Rain
- Saturday: Showers 55 F, 11 mp/h NE, 81% Humidity, 78% Chance of Rain
- Sunday: Showers 66 F, 7 mp/h NE, 76% Humidity, 58% Chance of Rain
Course/ Tournament History:
Bobby Jones acquired the property in 1930 and co-designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie. After two years, the course was finished and opened for play. In 1934, the first edition of the Masters took place won by Horton Smith. The only time the Masters hasn’t taken place since then was from 1943-1945 due to World War II. In 2020, the tournament was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the course was a former plant nursery, each hole on the golf course is named after a tree or shrub. Throughout the years, several holes have changed names.
The Master’s Tournament, also known as the Masters, is the first of four major championships in professional golf. Not only is it an official money event for the PGA Tour but, also for the DP World Tour (European Tour) and Japan Golf Tour.
Starting in 1949, the tradition of the green jacket was born. Along with the prize money and prestige, every champion becomes an honorary member of Augusta. The green jacket is only allowed to be removed from the Augusta National grounds by the reigning champion.
In addition to the green jacket, there are several awards presented to players who perform exceptional feats during the tournament. The player who has the daily lowest score receives a crystal vase, while players who score a hole-in-one or a double eagle win a large crystal bowl. For each eagle a player makes, they receive a pair of crystal goblets.
- Most Tournament Wins:
- 6, Jack Nicklaus (1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986)
- 72-Hole Record:
- 268, Dustin Johnson (2020)
- 18-Hole Record:
- 63, Nick Price (Round 3, 1986), Greg Norman (Round 1, 1996)
- Largest Margin of Victory:
- 12 Strokes, Tiger Woods (1997)
Course Guide/ Scorecard:
Augusta National is one of the most consistent courses on the PGA Tour but, there have been some recent renovations lately. Last year, holes No. 11 ‘White Dogwood’ and No. 15 ‘Firethorn’ were slightly modified adding some additional difficulty. Both tee boxes were pushed back along with the recontouring of the fairways on those holes. This year, the tee box on No. 13 ‘Azalea’ was moved back approximately 35 yards. Given the most recent change, the course yardage has increased from 7,510 yards to 7,545 yards.
Augusta National is one of the tougher courses on Tour ranking third of the fifty courses players faced last season. Over the past two editions, the scoring average has been above par both times. In 2021, only four holes played under par which were the four par 5’s No. 2, No. 8, No. 13, & No. 15.
In terms of length, Augusta National is one of the longest courses on Tour measuring 7,545 yards. It ranks 8th out of 46 courses in length. The fairways are on the wider side, ranking 2nd of 54, with the average fairway width being 50.0 yards. The average green size is roughly 6,486 square feet which is on the larger side when compared to the other courses on the PGA Tour. Bunkers really aren’t a factor here as there are only 44 which ranks as the 4th fewest of 54 courses.
Originally, the green complexes consisted of Bermuda grass. Throughout the 1970s, the greens became slower and they switched to a different strain of Bermuda. In 1978, Augusta National switched their par 3 course to bentgrass. Given the success of that trial run, they decided to change the main course to bentgrass as well before the 1981 Masters. If you’re interested in learning more about the greens of Augusta National, I highly recommend checking this article.
The four Par 3’s range between 155 yards and 240 yards. No. 4, No. 6, and No. 12 are three of the more challenging par 3’s as they all had more bogeys than birdies recorded on them in the 2021 tournament.
No. 12 ‘Golden Bell’ is one of the most famous holes in golf. While it is the shortest Par 3 players will face, it can be argued that it’s also the most difficult. Club selection is crucial here given the varying winds. Rae’s Creek run’s along the front of the green while three bunkers are positioned off the back. Following their tee shot, players will then walk across the Ben Hogan Bridge to reach the green.
Most of the twelve Par 4’s range between 450-500 yards. No. 3 ‘Flowering Peach’ is the shortest listed at 350 yards with the longest being No. 11 ‘White Dogwood’, playing 520 yards.
No. 5 ‘Magnolia’ is a slight dogleg Par 4 listed 495 yards. Off the tee, the landing area is fairly large but a wayward tee shot can be blocked out by the trees running on both sides of the fairway. A good approach shot is crucial here as the green is hard to hold with the false front.
No. 10 ‘Camellia’ has historically been the hardest hole throughout Masters history. Up until 1935, this was the first hole at Augusta. It’s a long downhill Par 4 listed at 495 yards. Players will try to aim towards the left center of the green for a better approach angle into the green that slopes right to left.
The four Par 5’s are No. 2 ‘Pink Dogwood’, No. 8 ‘Yellow Jasmine’, No. 13 ‘Azalea’, & No. 15 ‘Firethorn’. They all played under par last season, as they are some of the shorter par 5’s on Tour given their distance. All of these par 5’s are under 575 yards.
No. 13 ‘Azalea’ is a short Par 5 that allows players to go for the green in two barring an accurate tee shot. However, players will have to weigh the risk-vs-reward as a tributary of Rae’s Creek runs in front of the green while four bunkers lie just off the back.
No. 15 ‘Firethorn’ is the final Par 5 that players will face on the course listed at 550 yards. Players can reach this green in two but again, must be wary of the water and bunkers surrounding the putting surface.
| Hole | Name | Yards | Par | Hole | Name | Yards | Par | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tea Olive | 445 | 4 | 10 | Camellia | 495 | 4 | |
| 2 | Pink Dogwood | 575 | 5 | 11 | White Dogwood | 520 | 4 | |
| 3 | Flowering Peach | 350 | 4 | 12 | Golden Bell | 155 | 3 | |
| 4 | Flowering Crab Apple | 240 | 3 | 13 | Azalea | 545 | 5 | |
| 5 | Magnolia | 495 | 4 | 14 | Chinese Fir | 440 | 4 | |
| 6 | Juniper | 180 | 3 | 15 | Firethorn | 550 | 5 | |
| 7 | Pampas | 450 | 4 | 16 | Redbud | 170 | 3 | |
| 8 | Yellow Jasmine | 570 | 5 | 17 | Nandina | 440 | 4 | |
| 9 | Carolina Cherry | 460 | 4 | 18 | Holly | 465 | 4 | |
| Out | 3,765 | 36 | In | 3,780 | 36 | |||
| Total | 7,545 | 72 | ||||||
Featured/ Signature Hole(s): 12, 13
For a hole-by-hole overview of the course, you can click the following link.
Key Statistics:
- Strokes Gained: Approach
- Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
- Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green
- Driving Distance
- Par 4: Birdie or Better
- Par 4 Scoring: 450 – 500 Yards (x5)
- Par 5 Scoring: 550 – 600 Yards (x3)
- Proximity: 225 – 250 Yards
- Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
- Comparable Courses and Event History
Trends for Past Winners:
- 43 of the last 43 winners had played in at least 1 previous Masters Tournament
- 24 of the last 25 winners made the cut at the Masters the year before they won
- 21 of the last 23 winners were ranked in the top 30 in the OWGR
- 13 of the last 15 winners had finished 22nd or higher in a previous Masters Tournament
- 12 of the last 14 winners had at least 4 previous career wins
Credit: @PGASplits101
The Field/ Odds:
There will be 88 players in the field at this year’s Masters Tournament. All of the world’s top thirty players will be in the field. This is also the first event of the year that LIV Tour players have been invited to. Here are the current favorites in this week’s event:
- Scottie Scheffler (+700) is the defending champion of the Masters, winning his first major here last year. In his three appearances at Augusta National, he has yet to finish worse than T19. Scheffler had a tough start to the season finishing T45 at the CJ Cup but has been fantastic since then. Following Congaree, he’s yet to finish outside the top-15 in his ten most recent starts. During that span he’s also won twice, defending his title at the WM Phoenix Open and dominating THE PLAYERS Championship. Two weeks ago Scheffler had hoped to win the WGC-Dell Technology Match Play Event again but was bested by Sam Burns in the Semi-Finals and would then go on to lose to Rory McIlroy in the consolation match.
- Jon Rahm (+700) had a disappointing finish at the WGC-Dell Technology Match Play Event failing to make it out of the group stage. Despite that, he is still the only player to have won three times on Tour this season. He first won the Sentry Tournament of Champions and followed that up with a win at The American Express. Following that event, he posted two top-10 finishes and would then go on to win The Genesis Invitational. Rahm will be making his seventh appearance at Augusta National this week. He’s played well here in the past posting four top-10 finishes but has never put on the green jacket. His only major championship victory was the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
- Rory McIlroy (+700) had a fantastic start to the season winning the CJ Cup in South Carolina. He followed that victory up with a win at Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour. After that, he returned to the PGA Tour but has not won since. However, he did finish T2 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 3rd at the WGC-Dell Technology Match Play Event in his last start. Rory has never won the Masters but was runner-up last year posting a 64 on Sunday almost tieing the 18-hole record of 63. Since 2014, he has only finished outside the top 10 twice in his nine appearances at Augusta National. If Rory is finally able to win here he will become only the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam. Rory’s last major victory was back at the PGA Championship in 2014.
- Jordan Spieth (+1800) captured his first major win at Augusta National back in 2015. He has a great track record at this event with five top-3 finishes in his nine appearances here. Last year, he missed the cut for the first time at Augusta struggling with his iron play. Since his victory at the 2022 RBC Heritage, Spieth has not won an event on Tour. However, he has been in better form as of late finishing inside the top 20 in three of his last four starts.
- Cameron Smith (+2000) defected to the LIV Tour following the Tour Championship last year. He had an incredible season in 2022 on the PGA Tour, winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions, THE PLAYERS Championship, and The Open Championship. This year, he had a strong start winning the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship on the DP World Tour. Following that he missed the cut twice once on the DP World Tour and once on the Asian Tour. Since then, he finished 6th at LIV Mayakoba and 26th at LIV Tucson. Regardless, Smith’s been fantastic at Augusta National with four top-10 finishes in his six appearances.
- Previous Winners in the Field:
- Scottie Scheffler (’22), Hideki Matsuyama (’21), Dustin Johnson (’20), Tiger Woods (’19, ’05, ’02, ’01, ’97), Patrick Reed (’18), Sergio García (’17), Danny Willett (’16), Jordan Spieth (’15), Bubba Watson (’14, ’12), Adam Scott (’13), Charl Schwartzel (’11), Phil Mickelson (’10, ’06, ’04), Zach Johnson (’07), Mike Weir (’03), Vijay Singh (’00), José María Olazábal (’99, ’94), Bernhard Langer (’85, ’93), Sandy Lyle (’88), Larry Mize (’87)
- Debutants in the field (excluding amateurs):
- Ryan Fox, Kazuki Higa, Tom Kim, Kurt Kitayama, Adrian Meronk, Taylor Moore, Mito Pereira, Adam Svensson, Sahith Theegala
- LIV Players in the field:
- Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Mito Peirera, Charl Schwartzel, Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III, Jason Kokrak, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Talor Gooch
- Notable Withdraws:
- Aaron Wise (Mental Health)
To see the most up-to-date odds, you can click the following link.
To see the full field for this event, you can click the following link.
Horses for Courses:
- Will Zalatoris: 2/ T6
- Scottie Scheffler: T19/ T18/ 1
- Jordan Spieth: T2/ 1/ T2/ T11/ 3/ T21/ T46/ T3/ MC
- Jon Rahm: T27/ 4/ T9/ T7/ T5/ T27
- Tony Finau: T10/ T5/ T38/ T10/ T35
- Dustin Johnson: T30/ T38/ T38/ T13/ MC/ T6/ T4/ T10/ T2/ 1/ MC/ T12
- Cameron Smith: T55/ T5/ T51/ T2/ T10/ T3
- Rory McIlroy: T20/ MC/ T15/ T40/ T25/ T8/ 4/ T10/ T7/ T5/ T21/ T5/ MC/ 2
- Justin Thomas: T39/ T22/ T17/ T12/ 4/ T21/ T8
- Cameron Champ: T19/ T26/ T10
- Corey Conners: MC/ T46/ T10/ T8/ T6
- Sungjae Im: T2/ MC/ T8
- Xander Schauffele: T50/ T2/ T17/ T3/ MC
Donkeys for Courses:
“Horses for Courses” is a phrase that is widely used and describes the best course/tournament fits. These are the players that have had success at the particular course/event. “Donkeys for Courses” is something I came up with that highlights the players who have struggled at a specific course/tournament.
- Alexander Noren: MC/ MC/ T62
- Max Homa: MC/ MC/ T48
Previous Winners Scores & Prices:
- 2022: Scottie Scheffler (-10)
- Price: 16-1
- 2021: Hideki Matsuyama (-10)
- Price: 45-1
- 2020: Dustin Johnson (-20)
- Price: 9-1
- 2019: Tiger Woods (-13)
- Price: 16-1
- 2018: Patrick Reed (-15)
- Price: 55-1
Picks (Outrights):
- Patrick Cantlay (+2200) – DraftKings
- Risk 0.37 to win 8.14 Units
- Xander Schauffele (+2400) – FanDuel
- Risk 0.34 to win 8.16 Units
- Tony Finau (+3000) – FanDuel
- Risk 0.27 to win 8.10 Units
- Max Homa (+3000) – FanDuel
- Risk 0.27 to win 8.10 Units
Total Risk on Outrights: 1.25 Units
Picks (Top 20):
- Cameron Young (+115) – DraftKings
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.15 Units
- Min Woo Lee (+200) – DraftKings
- Risk 1.00 to win 2.00 Units
Total Risk on Top 20s: 2.00 Units
Picks (Top 30):
- Joaquin Niemann (+105) – FanDuel
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.05 Units
- Si Woo Kim (+145) – FanDuel
- Risk 1.00 to win 1.45 Units
Total Risk on Top 30s: 2.00 Units
Total Risk on the Masters: 5.25 Units
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting. Any feedback whether positive or negative is always encouraged.
