US 2024 Masters Tournament: Golf Betting Preview
The 2024 Masters Tournament will be its 84th edition. It was initially the first of four major golf championships held in 2024. Initially set for April 9th to 12th at The Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia, the tournament was rescheduled due to the pandemic. The Augusta National announced last April that the contest would go ahead on the 9th to 15th of November. The tournament will be held without attending spectators. The 2024 US Masters has taken place 83 times since its inaugural event back in 1934, finishing 82 times in April. The only one that didn't was the initial event, which ended in March. The Masters was canceled during World War II from 1943-45. Invites have been sent to professional and amateur golfers who qualified for the original April date. There are 96 invitees, including Graeme McDowell. He finished a career-best at Augusta back in 2012. However, he hasn't played in the US Masters ever since 2016. Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout are participating. They became eligible thanks to category 19 of the 19 qualifications standards, thereby squeezing into the top fifty golfers in the Official World Golf Rankings in March. McDowell seemed on the way out as the deadline loomed; however, he jumped from No. 51 to No. 49 after his efforts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. That move was just before the OWGR freezing the rankings as tournaments were getting canceled around the globe due to coronavirus. The total of 96 participants is higher than the previous two Masters, which both consisted of 87. A Master's spokesperson confirmed any winners of PGA Tours leading to the 84th Masters November starting date would be eligible only for the 2021 Masters next April. That is presenting a unique scenario where players can win several times, leading up to November. That potentially both the PGA and U.S. Open Championships, yet not be on the field at the US Masters.
Historically, the last way to qualify for the US Masters was via the Official World Golf Ranking top 50, with the cutoff coming two weeks before the tournament. Four players were allowed solely because of their position in the frozen world rankings. They are Collin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and Graeme McDowell. Players who do win a PGA Tour event during the summer and the fall of the newly restarted season won't receive an invitation to the tournament this year. The restrictions also apply to other US Masters qualification routes like finishing in the top four of the U.S. Open or the PGA Championship, or if they reach the Tour Championship. Instead, the players earn a bid to the ultra-exclusive golf major in 2021.
2020 Masters Tournament Betting Favorites & Odds
Golf is full of unexpected twists and turns, with the usual suspects vying for victory at the 2020 Masters. Recent player performances and their results can indicate who is more likely to succeed at the 2020 Masters.
Rory McIlroy has been shown his impressive form by going on a fantastic winning run of 6 consecutive top-5 finishes before the season was suspended. With all eyes on him at the 2020 Master, he may carry on with that distinctive form. He struggled with consistency of late on his three latest tournaments, but a lot more is expected of him at the 2020 Masters. Rory is the number 1 player in the world at present and a previous Masters favorite. McIlroy has had a series of pretty close calls, with heartbreak at Augusta National back in the 2011 event. He was leading with a mere nine holes remaining to play, and he managed to hook his tee shot on his tenth hole, posted him a back-nine of just 43, finished with a share of the lowly 16th place. He has always finished within the top 25 since then, including five top-10 finishes with a personal best of fourth place in 2015.
Jon Rahm is another hot prospect. Although Rahm is behind McIlroy in the official world rankings, he follows him intensely nonetheless. The Spaniard is seeking his first career major championship win, although Jon achieved his ranking after Rahm won the very prestigious Golf Memorial Tournament this July 2020. Jon has the envois record of being the number one ranked World Amateur Golf player, a position he retained for 60 weeks. He turned professional at the 2016 US Open, and in 2017, he won it three times, which were The PGA Golf Tour and two Rolex Golf events forming part of the European Tour.
Justin Thomas has already won the Golf Sentry Tournament of Champions, Hawaii 2020. That was his second major triumph. He achieved the victory during the playoffs against Xander Schauffele and also defeated Patrick Reed on the way. Thomas won the Golf WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational last August by three strokes more than another four players. That made it his 13th career victory at the PGA Golf Tour. The win propelled him to the Number One rank in the Official World Golf Rankings, making it his second time in his career.
Towards the end of 2019, Bryson DeChambeau set out to build muscle and gain weight to help him hit the ball farther and increase the speed of his swing. He added 20 pounds of weight before the pandemic break-out and subsequently added another 20 during the break. Bryson may well be a dark horse with a chance of victory. He surprised the golfing community by putting on 30 pounds of weight and muscle during the extended quarantine. He now hits drives at a million yards, so each golf course that he plays on feels like pitch and putt to him. All the intensive work and gaining extra protein is paying off now. He already won the Rocket Mortgage Classic Tournament, smashing Tiger Woods' long-standing driving record. He can be a polarising player and a villain the game after his recent confrontation with a CBS cameraman. The US Masters can be bland, and anything pitting two of the best players against each other is a rather welcome distraction!
Brooks Koepka became the number one ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking after he won the CJ Cup 2018. He also won the PGA Golf Championship in both 2018 and 2019, making him the first to hold down back-to-back titles with two significant tournaments simultaneously. Back in 2019, he grabbed the PGA Championship trophy to become the very first to manage to defend that title since the legendary Tiger Woods back in 2007.
Dustin Johnson cannot be dismissed, especially with the form he is in presently. In June this year, Johnson carded his whole career's lowest round on the PGA Tour. His nine-under-par round was incredible when 61 skyrocketed him to two shots of the tournament's leader. When he entered the last round, he managed to defeat the leader Brendon Todd and go on to clinch the trophy with a brilliant score of 19 under par. He held a spectacular 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship 2020 this August. He did lose eventually to Collin Morikawa by two strokes to finish in second place tied with Paul Casey.
Although Tiger Woods didn't commit himself to the Honda Classic, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and Players tournaments, his most recent ranking was around 68th-place when he finished at the Genesis Invitational some weeks ago. That was due to his lingering stiffness in his back, which has disappeared since then, so you can expect a few surprises from Tiger.
Collin Morikawa made his debut as a professional at the Canadian Open 2019, where he tied in 14th place. Colin may prove good value if he manages to mature enough and keep his cool to win the 2020 Masters tournament. He defeated Justin Thomas in the playoffs at the Workday Charity Open Tournament, thereby winning his second PGA Tour event. In August, Morikawa won the PGA Championship 2020, which was his very first primary and second start in a significant gold championship.
Xander Scheffler is ranked at No. 45 and has been flirting with the top 50 since finishing third in The American Express event to jump up the rankings.
2020 Masters Betting Odds: Tournament Matchups
Here are the latest best odds for the 2020 Masters Tournament. As the date approaches, they are likely to change as players show their form in other events until October.
- Rory McIlroy 10/1
- Jon Rahm 12/1
- Justin Thomas 16/1
- Bryson Dechambeau 16/1
- Xander Schauffele 22/1
- Brooks Koepka 16/1
- Dustin Johnson 12/1
- Tiger Woods 20/1
- Patrick Cantlay 28/1
- Colin Morikawa 28/1
- Justin Rose 33/1
- Webb Simpson 33/1
- Adam Scott 33/1
- Hideki Matsuyama 35/1
Most Popular Top 20 Finish Bets for 2020 Masters Golf
The following players are the most popular bets for a top 20 finish at the Masters 2020.
- Adam Hadwin 13/10
- Russell Henley 15/8
- Bernd Wiesberger 6/4
- Daniel Berger 3/1
- Brian Harman 3/1
Most Popular Outright Winner Bets for 2020 Masters Golf
These are the most popular bets for the outright winner is the 2020 Masters.
- Rory McIlroy 10/1
- Jon Rahm 12/1
- Justin Thomas 16/1
- Bryson Dechambeau 16/1
- Xander Schauffele 22/1
Popular Bet Types For 2020 Masters Golf
Golf is perfect for betting and pretty straightforward to follow. The sport provides multiple betting markets and betting types with winning chances. The nature of golf serves up a plethora of bets, and these are a few of the most popular.
Outright Winner - The bet is an uncomplicated one places on the golfer you think will win the tournament outright. Your choice needs to win the event for your stake to be successful. You could split your bets between two players so as not to put all your eggs in a single basket. You can double or split your bets, making it an each-way bet.
Futures Betting - With futures betting, you are betting on a specific player to win the event outright. It typically offers hefty payouts. Typical futures lines contain the player's name, followed by his odds. The bet is uncomplicated though your choice has to win the championship if your wager is to win. You can even split your stake between two players. Moreover, you may double or split your stake, turning it into an each-way bet.
Moneyline Betting - Moneyline betting is exceptionally straightforward as you are betting on a player to shoot a lower score than his counterpart. The most critical aspect you will need to understand is the payout. For example, if McIlroy is facing even odds, while Jon Rahm is pegged as the betting favorite, Even odds pay at 50-50, which means a wager of $100 on Rory gives you another $100. Jon Rahm, on the other hand, is the tournament favorite, so the payout isn't as significant. To win $100, you need to stake $120. Nevertheless, a wager of $120 will net you another $100, giving you $220 in winnings. If Rahm is quoted as an underdog, facing odds of +120, the payout is a little better. You would only need to bet £100 to win £120.
Nationality of Winner - Most golf tournaments, including The Masters, have betting markets on players from each competing nationality. It is essentially a wager on the winner's nationality. If you think he comes from The USA, and there are ten players from North American, your stake will win.
3-Ball Betting - Golfers are grouped into groups of three, and the wager involves choosing the best of three. With 3-ball bets, the stake applies to a single round of golf for the three players you select. Providing your pick outperforms the others in your group, the bet wins.
Top 5, 10, or 20 Finish - With a heavily fielded tournament like The Wyndham, you bet on players finishing among the top 5, 10, or 20 places. If your pick ends up among the senior positions, your bet wins.
First Round Leader - A first-round leader bet involves choosing a player who will end up top of the leaderboard in the first round. Whatever happens after that is inconsequential. The wager only counts for day one's final table.
Hole-in-One Bet - A Hole-in-one bet is when you bet on any golfer to land the ball in the hole with one single shot from the tee. The odds are generally pretty high; however, it is an infrequent occurrence. However, you will not have to name the player; he can be any of them.
Matchup - Although betting on futures is when you choose one player to win a tournament, when it Comes to matchup betting, you are wagering on a named player to score lower points than another chosen player. The bet type is generally for one golfer against another, and it may feature a trio of players.