Joe Champion
Golf
Show Bio
The greatest golf tournament of the year is upon us once again. Having just seen the Masters take place last November, we turn our eyes to Augusta National only five months later, and there are plenty of different storylines going into the competition. Can Dustin Johnson prove as impressive in April as he was in November? Will Jordan Spieth complete his triumphant return to the top? How will Brooks Koepka fare following his knee surgery?
We’ll be breaking down all of the top 10 players in the betting while also rating their chances of Masters success out of five to ensure you’re as informed as possible before placing your bets. Make sure you also check out our outright picks for tournament winner, as well as our Augusta National course guide that includes real on-the-course insight from regular patron Ricky Dimon.
But for now, let’s take a look at the key contenders in the Masters, starting with last year’s champion.
Dustin Johnson +900
The defending Masters champion and the world’s number one golfer, Dustin Johnson looked almost unbeatable in late 2020 — winning four of his last 11 events of the year — but his 2021 form has been short of that which saw him claim a first Green Jacket in November.
In his last three starts, D.J. finished 54th in the WGC-Workday Championship and 48th at the Players before failing to escape his WGC Match Play group. However, the languid Carolina man boasts Augusta form figures of 6-4-10-2-1 from his last five appearances and it would be no surprise were he to rediscover his best.
4/5
Bryson DeChambeau +1100
A threat to all when on his game, long-driving Bryson DeChambeau described Augusta as a “par 67” before struggling to a 34th-placed finish in November, but he does possess all the tools to take apart the Cathedral of Pines and looks a serious threat if he finds top gear off the tee.
The reigning U.S. Open champion picked up his first silverware of 2021 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and was third at the Players Championship. He was less impressive in the Match Play but his game is in great shape and he looks poised for his best Augusta finish, having never before cracked the top 20.
4/5
Jordan Spieth +1100
Golf’s golden boy has roared back this year, finishing fourth at the Phoenix Open, third at Pebble Beach, 14th at the Genesis Invitational, and fourth at the Arnold Palmer before going on to win his first tournament in four years last week in the Texas Open.
Spieth’s Masters odds have dropped significantly in recent weeks ahead of a return to his happiest of hunting grounds, Augusta National, where he won the first of his three Majors in 2015. He was also runner-up in 2014 and 2016 and third in 2018 and nobody putts better on these bentgrass greens.
4/5
Justin Thomas +1200
Justin Thomas roared back to form to win the Players Championship and quietly progressive Augusta form figures of 39-22-17-12-4 mark him down as a serious contender at a course where his supreme control with his irons and wedges will come to the fore.
By his own high standards, JT’s record in Majors has been disappointing since he won the 2017 U.S. PGA at Quail Hollow but he has become one of the most prolific winners on the PGA Tour in recent years. He secured his 14th PGA Tour victory at the Players and his Masters claims are impossible to ignore.
5/5
Jon Rahm +1200
Probably the best player in the field without a Major on his resume, Spanish superstar Jon Rahm switched from TaylorMade to Callaway clubs at the beginning of 2021 and has needed time to get up to speed with his new equipment.
Playing well but rarely contending for titles, Rahm has recorded four top-ten finishes from six stroke-play events since the beginning of the year and reached the knockout stages of the WGC Match Play. Augusta form figures of 4-9-7 over the last three years point to another bold bid for a first Major title.
4/5
Rory McIlroy +1600
Rory McIlroy needs the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam but an Augusta victory is looking less and less likely for the popular Northern Irishman, who has teamed up with leading coach Pete Cowen in a bid to rediscover the swing that took him to world number one.
McIlroy’s 2020 Masters bid was all but over following a first-round 75 but he charged through the field to finish tied fifth behind Johnson, making it six top-ten finishes from his last seven Masters starts. Famously squandered a four-shot lead in the final round in 2011, and is still struggling to cut out the serious errors a decade later.
3/5
Patrick Cantlay +2000
Sweet-swinging Californian Patrick Cantlay may not have the Major-winning credentials of many of his market rivals but he arrives in Augusta quietly playing some excellent golf and there is every chance of him contending for the Green Jacket.
He did just that in 2019, briefly sharing the lead when he eagled the 15th hole, but bogeys at 16 and 17 saw his challenge quickly disappear and he faded into a tie for ninth, three shots behind Tiger Woods. Cantlay finished no worse than 15th in his first four starts of 2021 and, while he missed the cut at the Players, he should not be underestimated.
3/5
Xander Schauffele +2200
Xander Schauffele is yet to win a Major but has become a regular fixture on leaderboards in golf’s biggest tournaments, finishing in the top-ten on half of his 14 Major starts, including in three of his four previous Augusta appearances.
Rock-solid and in possession of a superb all-round game, Schauffele missed the cut at the Players Championship in his last stroke play event, marking the first time he has failed to make the weekend since the Farmers Insurance Open in January 2020. The 27-year-old should be in the mix but he is winless in over two years, which is a cause for concern.
3/5
A tradition unlike any other… #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/YIhNCcqjp5
— Xander Schauffele (@XSchauffele) April 5, 2021
Brooks Koepka +2500
Injuries have derailed Brooks Koepka’s career but the Floridian powerhouse had previously built up a reputation as a ruthless Major-winning machine, claiming two U.S. Open titles and two U.S. PGA Championship titles between 2017 and 2019.
The Green Jacket has remained elusive but Koepka was runner-up behind Tiger Woods in 2019 and seventh last year and he would be a threat to all if healthy. Victory at the Phoenix Open in February hinted at a return to top form but his chronic knee problems resurfaced recently and he underwent surgery in March. Staying healthy for 72 holes could be an issue.
3/5
Collin Morikawa +2500
Arguably the best iron player in the sport, Collin Morikawa has already achieved so much in his short professional career, claiming the U.S. PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in August of last year and picking up his first win of 2021 at the WGC-Workday Championship at the end of February.
Augusta National tends to get easier with experience and Morikawa can expect to improve on a 44th-placed finish on debut in 2020. He has a chance but his putting stroke is not as reliable as his long game and could be exposed on Augusta’s undulating bentgrass greens.
3/5
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