PGA POWER RANKINGS: TOP 5 GOLFERS FOR THE MASTERS
PGA POWER RANKINGS: TOP 5 GOLFERS FOR THE MASTERS
It's finally time to watch The Masters, the most prestigious and iconic event in golf. It's both a beautiful and challenging course at Augusta National Golf Club, which will challenge every player in the field with its doglegged fairways and multi-tiered greens that are faster than most other greens on the PGA Tour.
Select LIV Golf members will also be joining the field since it's the first major of 2024. There are quite a few golfers at LIV who have won The Masters and donned the green jacket, including Jon Rahm, who is the defending champion at Augusta National, alongside Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, and Sergio Garcia.
Tiger Woods' return to Augusta National will fuel even more interest on golf's biggest stage. The 48-year-old star hasn't missed a cut at The Masters in 23 consecutive appearances, although he was forced to withdraw due to flu-like symptoms a year ago.
Scottie Scheffler is the outright winner betting favorite at +400 odds, thanks to his ridiculous talent from tee-to-green. Can Scheffler win his second green jacket after winning The Masters in 2022? Will Jon Rahm join Tiger, Nick Faldo, and Jack Nicklaus as the fourth player to go back-to-back at Augusta National? Or will Rory McIlroy finally complete his career grand slam and seize his first win at The Masters on Sunday?
PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is here to provide analysis on his favorite golfers to bet on in the outright winner market ahead of Thursday's opening round from the 2024 Masters.
THE MASTERS DATE, START TIMME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: April 11 - 14, 2024
- Where: Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia
- Where to Watch: ESPN+, ESPN, CBS, Paramount+, CBS Sports App
THE MASTERS COURSE: AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Augusta National Golf Club is a par 72 that now runs over 7,500 yards in length. Notorious for its fast-paced, tiered greens, even the best putters will struggle to get the proper reads and pace with their flat stick.
The second hole par 5 is slightly longer now at 585 yards, while the next par 5 doesn't occur until the eighth hole. On the back-nine, players end with a par 5, par 3, and two par 4s to close out their round.
Approach shots reign supreme at this venue, although strong off-the-tee ability can wind up giving players an edge on these fairways, which tend to be a bit wider, albeit with Dogwood trees lining most of the fairways. As always water hazards and sand bunkers abound, but the doglegs and tiered greens are the biggest hurdles to overcome.
THE MASTERS POWER RANKINGS
| GOLFER | ODDS |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +400 |
| Rory McIlroy | +1000 |
| Jon Rahm | +1100 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1400 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +2000 |
| Brooks Koepka | +2200 |
| Jordan Spieth | +2200 |
| Joaquin Niemann | +2800 |
| Ludvig Åberg | +3300 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | +3500 |
| Viktor Hovland | +3500 |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | +3500 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +4000 |
| Will Zalatoris | +4000 |
| Wyndham Clark | +4000 |
| Justin Thomas | +4500 |
| Dustin Johnson | +4500 |
| Tony Finau | +4500 |
| Cameron Smith | +5000 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +5000 |
| Collin Morikawa | +5000 |
THE MASTERS POWER RANKINGS
1. Scottie Scheffler (+400) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
There's not much to analyze to convince bettors to jump on Scottie Scheffler. He's top-five in strokes gained off-the-tee, approach, and around the green. His switch to a mallet putter resulted in back-to-back wins, although a missed five-foot birdie putt at the Houston Open a couple of weeks ago that would've forced a playoff showed signs of his earlier putting woes.
Scheffler mastered Augusta National in 2022 during his win and has recorded four consecutive top-20 finishes, including two top-10 finishes since his win two years ago. He's +400 for a reason, so a full unit wagered on these short odds is acceptable.
2. Hideki Matsuyama (+2000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Hideki Matsuyama's putting is the only flaw in his game right now. The 2021 green jacket winner is first in strokes gained around the green, 31st on approach, and 39th off-the-tee. His irons are sharp and Matsuyama knows what it takes to win at this event. Since an improbable comeback win with a blistering 62 at Genesis, Matsuyama has gone T12, T6, and T7 entering The Masters. His odds have also shortened from +2200 to +2000, so drop half a unit on his current odds before they dry up even more.
3. Jordan Spieth (+2200) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Undoubtedly one of the most entertaining golfers to watch, Jordan Spieth's success at Augusta is the definition of consistent. The Texan won The Masters in 2015, and has since produced four top-five finishes. He's seeking his first outright win since the 2022 RBC Heritage, but ranking 12th strokes gained: putting and 30th strokes gained off-the-tee are vital skills to possess at a course like Augusta National. +2200 is solid value for a golfer who has wound up steadily inside the top-five at this major, so a half unit stake is a good investment to make on Spieth in the outright winner market.
4. Russell Henley (+6500) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
Georgia native Russell Henley has amassed four career wins on the PGA Tour and is still seeking his first outright win at The Masters. Henley is coming off of a fourth-place finish at Augusta National a year ago, his best finish to date, plus he's ranked 29th strokes gained putting and 40th strokes gained around the green. Sixth in three-putt avoidance and 11th in scrambling further support Henley's probability of winding up with his first green jacket, as he enters Thursday's first round with two T4 finishes in two of the past three events he's played. 0.25 units returns a massive profit on Henley, who deserves to be bet on in the outright winner market at 65-1 odds.
5. Patrick Reed (+8000) CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
The 2018 Masters champion, Patrick Reed, returns to the PGA Tour to compete in the first major of the season. Currently at LIV Golf, Reed ranks 12th in scrambling and 17th in putting average this season. He's known for his dynamic ability to gain strokes around the greens, plus he's recorded three top-ten finishes in three of his previous four outings at Augusta National. 80-1 in the outright market is a huge value, so let's stake 0.10 units to gain eight units as Reed seeks his second green jacket this week.
GOLF ODDS
Matt is an avid writer, editor, and researcher. He enjoys analyzing the game within the game which is fantasy sports and sports betting. Music is another constant in his daily life. Matt loves spending time with his wife and three pets. He likes to read, listen to podcasts, and is constantly motivated to create the most accurate and engaging content in the sports betting industry.