It’s the best time of year baby.
Welcome to the official 2023 Barstool Masters Tournament betting guide.
We’re back at the crowned jewel of the golf world, Augusta National Golf Club.
It really doesn’t get any better than this.
We spend weeks and months counting down the days for the Masters to arrive and it’s finally here.
Whole gang is back together.
Last year Scottie Scheffler took home the green jacket in his first tournament as world #1.
But it wasn’t a total snoozefest, and there were certainly pivotal moments on the weekend.
Cam struggled and eventually carded a 73, including a disastrous triple at the vaunted 12th.
He’d finish in a tie with Shane Lowry for 3rd.
Tee to green was business as usual, as Scottie hit the green in regulation.
That’s where things got hairy for a quick sec.
Guy became the first player to ever 4-putt to close out a major tournament by missing a couple bunnies.
Last year’s leaderboard and recent winners of The Masters Tournament.
2022 Leaderboard
Recent Masters Champions
The Course
Come on y’all.
We know what this course is all about.
It’s the only major that’s played at the same course every single year.
That’s what makes this such a treat.
There’s no 2nd cut of rough anywhere on this course.
The thing that makes Augusta National what it is is the undulating nature of the entire place.
The greens are traditionally some of the fastest and most challenging on Tour.
And the hills aren’t just obstacles around the greens.
There’s hardly an even lie on the entire course that isn’t a teebox.
Most years there are a handful of tweaks to the course.
Regarding the 13th hole: “2023 Masters tees moved back 35 yards.”
This change is likely going to put driver back in everyone’s hands.
Whether that’s a good thing?
I’m not convinced… yet.
Nobody tunes in to watch guys lay up.
It’ll certainly be something to keep an eye on this year.
Regardless, barring inclement weather, everybody goes off of 1 at Augusta National.
The Conditions
Weather forecast as of Tuesday at 11 AM does not look too promising for the week.
Rain in the mix damn near every day.
Fun fact, rain has been experienced during 47 of the 86 Masters Tournament.
The Media Guide literally has a round by round detail of how weather has affected the Masters.
Here’s hoping we get it all in.
TV Coverage
Courtesy of theMasters website, here is your schedule for wall to wall coverage the Masters Tournament.
As is tradition I’m breaking down the full field.
There’s some overlap between this and D-Raps' beauty of a blog yesterday…
But you’ll find that this has more of a gambling angle towards it.
You and I both know you’re throwing some beans down this weekend.
Probably in a pool or two as well.
This will help you win it.
The Past Champions
Andrew Redington.
Jack Nicklaus was the oldest Masters champion in 1986 at 46 years young.
Most these guys are well past that age and these guys ain’t Mr. Nicklaus.
The Amateurs (pronounced “Am-a-toors”)
Harry How.
These guys qualified by one of these 4 ways:
1.
Winning a PGA Tour event between last year’s Masters and now
2.
Making the Tour Championship back in September
3.
Placing in the Top 12 at last year’s Masters
4.
Being in the World Top 50 at calendar year end 2022.
Some caught fire one week and were able to steal a PGA Tour win to get into this field.
Some had a good 2022 and managed to maintain their spot in the OWGR at year-end.
Sorry, but these guys aren’t winning, period.
He would have been firmly in this group had I been writing this blog in 2016.
Some are former major winners.
All have played the Masters and a few have even won it.
But these guys aren’t likely to win.
A couple may contend, but this ain’t their year.
Tom Hoge
Brian Harman
Chris Kirk
Russell Henley
Si Woo Kim
K.H.
His only Top 10 since that win was a T-9 in 2017.
Oddly enough, he’s made 19 straight cuts worldwide but few high finishes.
Recent form has also not been spectacular for the 2019 Open winner.
Tommy Fleetwood- Fleets is 5/6 for cuts made here but no Top 10’s.
He’s had a couple down years but has started to trend back to his old self.
He’s worth a look at a top finish, but it’s tough to see him winning.
Phil Mickelson- There’s no fucking way right?
But there was no fucking way at Kiawah either soooo maybe??
….no, no… there’s no fucking way.
I’ll probably bite.
He finished 4th here in 2017, but has only qualified twice since and missed the cut both times.
Like I said, hard to project but never know.
Par 67has no chance of winning The Masters.
Patrick Reed- Can’t rule out a former winner.
Just finished T-3 at LIV Orlando and has had some high finishes there in their short history.
I get it, all-time golf shot.
But his highest finish since was a 19th in 2015 and he missed the cut last year.
He’s not the Augusta horse people make him out to be.
Do yourself a favor and let the squares ride Louis.
The Young Guns
Gregory Shamus.
I’m not overly optimistic he has a great week here.
So I’m throwing him in.
Joaquin Niemann- Tough to project as a LIV guy, but he’s as talented as they come.
The 2nd Tier
Jared C. Tilton.
Will Zalatoris- Will Z is going to be a trendy pick based on two strong performances here at Augusta.
He could very well dig deep and repeat those kind of performances and get the job done this year.
His near misses in other majors suggest he’s a big game hunter too.
I’m staying away.
He just doesn’t feel like a big game hunter.
Given that was the most recent major, maybe that suggests he’s turning a corner?
But I will say he came into last year’s Masters in better form and only managed a T-27.
Good enough to be a major champion some day?
A green jacket winner?
I’d say probably not.
Guy didn’t even win the Valspar this year.
So who the heck knows what kind of Sam Burns will show up this week.
Somehow this is only his 2nd Masters, and he missed the cut last year in his first.
I’m not bullish on him but never know.
Cam Young has a stupid amount of game.
Dustin Johnson- I mean… what the hell do we do here with Deej?
I think I’m sprinkling a little bit on him this week to carry the LIV load.
Balled out during the Fall Masters in 2020.
He’s definitely a pure striker who lingers on leaderboards… Hideki Matsuyama- Green jacket winner whose triumph may feel like a one-off, but he’s actually remarkably consistent.
He’s made 8 straight cuts at ANGC, only missing the Top 25 once in those years.
Jason Day- I… and seemingly so many others now… are bullish on Jason Day this week.
He’s still a great play at +2800.
When he was on his shit a few years ago, his game showed well here too.
It felt like he was tracking toward an eventual green jacket when he finished runner-up to Tiger in ‘18.
One of the more curious guys to watch this week.
Max Homa- Congrats to Max Homa on falling just short of the Heavyweights category.
2022’s majors were a big step forward for him, and so was making his first cut here.
Let’s see if he can build on it.
The Heavyweights
Kevin C. Cox.
Here come the big boys.
Yes, even Danny Willett was sneaky 12th in the world going into that 2016 Masters.
All of them below fit that criteria and all of them are green jacket material, especially in 2023.
There’s not all that much room to go further up than his 5th place finish last year.
+2500 seems about right here.
Same went for last year and he weirdly missed the cut.
Patrick Cantlay- He’s in a similar boat as Xander.
He can roll it with the best of them, which is key here and anywhere.
Cantlay’s odds continue to shorten.. which I find interesting.
He’s played good golf this year but hasn’t won.
His reputation at Augusta is fine, but not exactly sparkling either.
Yet he finds himself 4th on the betting board at +1400 outright as I pop in this.
Justin Thomas- I have made JT my official pick to win this damn tournament 3 years running.
And every year I get burned.
It’s a shame because I think his game suits Augusta super well.
He’s imaginative as hell but you get the sense that he wants it too damn badly.
I’ll probably blink.
Tony Finau- Love me some Tony.
But he’s been in the mix another couple times too.
He was one of many that got eaten up in 2019 by Rae’s Creek.
Crazy to think that this is his TENTH Masters.
We all know the drill.
But he actually missed the cut for the first time last year.
He’s been around plenty of leads this spring which has helped move his number down to +1600.
The scar tissue effect for him seems very real.
But he also is lacking some confidence coming into the week.
That’s extremely tantalizing for somebody who pairs up well with the shaved green complexes of Augusta National.
He’s going to be a late add to my card.
I’ll cut to the chase.Rahm is my official pick this week at +900.
Love that that number fell to where it is.
Now don’t get me wrong.
Scheffler is an all-world player, and certainly deserving of his spot atop the world golf rankings.
A speed bump on the road to reach his eventual destiny as a Masters champion.
And ya know what?
He’ll probably win more than just this one.
The Co-Favorites
Cliff Hawkins.
These two fellas are currently +650 on the board.
You know their names.
Rory McIlroy- Is it Rory’s time?
I’d say no.
But MAYBE?!?!
It was still game on from there, and he didn’t make a move.
It goes outside of Augusta National too.
The Open last year at St. Andrews was supposed to be a coronation.
The guy couldn’t make a putt for his life.
I’m rooting for him, but also cowering in fear for him.
Scottie Scheffler- Scottie’s the defending champion and deserves his respect.
He’ll play well this week and he’ll contend.
It’s hard to envision a scenario otherwise.
There’s just nothing I could say with any sort of validity or credibility to knock this man down.
He’s Tiger Woods.
It’s time to talk Tiger.
Every year he tees it up is a continual blessing.
Freddie Couples is doing what Boom Boom does every year and is gassing his guy up.
Is it crazy to think he could contend?
IS IT???
No, not at all.
Plenty more to come along the way here… Hope to do daily blogs too, as is tradition.
Well over 6,300 words on The Masters.
Let’s have a week.
Enjoy The Masters Tournament.
