Rahm, Thomas Lead Odds to Win Masters
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are the favorites to win this year’s Masters Tournament, but there are other players to back—and some to fade.
Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas are the top picks to win the 2022 Masters Tournament, which begins April 7 at Augusta National Golf Course. But there are plenty of other golfers to look at in the men’s first major championship of the year.
Rahm, who was the No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Rankings before being overtaken by Scottie Scheffler, is the favorite at +1100 at BetMGM, while Thomas is right behind at +1200.
Rahm’s recent performance at Augusta make his odds logical. In his last four appearances, he has finished fourth, tied for ninth, tied for seventh, and tied for fifth.
If you want to take the safe route with the Spaniard, who won the 2021 U.S. Open, he’s getting +220 to make the Top 5 and +110 to make the Top 10.
Thomas, who won the 2017 PGA Championship, has improved his results every year. In 2016, he finished tied for 39th. In 2017, he finished tied for 22nd. In 2018, he tied for 17th, and in 2019 tied for 12th. Last year he came in fourth.
Betting Thomas to win might be a smart play. A $100 wager would return $1,200. Another good bet would be for him to finish in the Top 5 (+250) or the Top 10 (+115).
We take a look at other golfers—including you-know-who—to either back or fade at the Masters.
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Players to Back:
Brooks Koepka +2000
Koepka has a strong record at Augusta National, and more importantly, has a game that’s suited to this course. His short game is solid, as is his iron play. And he thrives on difficult layouts.
“You’ve really got to have a good short game number one, but number two you’ve got to understand where to hit it and where to miss it,” Koepka said Monday.
In his last two appearances, Koepka finished tied seventh (2019) and tied second (2021). Last year’s Top 10 was impressive because he was in so much pain. Now pain-free, he may be wearing a green jacket on Sunday.
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Scheffler’s been the hottest player on the PGA Tour this year. He won victories at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Phoenix Open, and the World Golf Championships Match Play.
The only concern is his lack of experience at Augusta. Scheffler has only played the Masters once, finishing a respectable tied for 19th. His game should overcome any lack of rounds at this tournament, and he’s a solid bet at 16 times your money.
Will Zalatoris +3300
If you’re looking at a longshot to take a flyer on, Will Zalatoris might be your man. Most of the time, first-time entrants to the Masters struggle as they learn the nuances of Augusta National. Not Zalatoris. He finished second last year, shooting four rounds under par, including a 68.
This year, the 25-year-old has had three Top 10 finishes, including a second at the Farmers Insurance Open.
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Players to Fade:
Tiger Woods +5000
There’s nothing I’d like more than to see Tiger Woods contend in another major championship. And if he’s going to win one, it would be at Augusta National.
Unfortunately, Tiger’s game just isn’t there. He hasn’t played since his February 2021 car accident. The public wants to see him win, and has bet him down from an opening +8000 to +5000. As much as we all want another feel-good story—like 2019, when he won the Masters for the fifth time—it’s not going to happen.
Dustin Johnson +1600
Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters winner, had a rough defense of his title, missing the cut after shooting 74-75. So which golfer will we see: the one who mastered Augusta National two years ago, or the one who couldn’t make it past Friday?
At +1600, I’m not sure I want to take that gamble. Especially considering Johnson’s play so far this season. He has played just five events since the start of the year, and had one Top 10 finish in a stroke-play event. His other results were T25, missed cut, and T39. Johnson did finish fourth in the Match Play event, but that doesn’t carry much weight.
Collin Morikawa +2000
Twenty-five-year-old Collin Morikawa made his debut at the Masters in 2020 and finished tied for 44th. Last year he was tied for 19th, so the improvement is there.
But Morikawa’s results in his last two stroke-play events are concerning. At the Players Championship, he missed the cut. And at the Valspar Championship, he finished tied for 68th.
Morikawa has won two previous major championships, but I just don’t think his game is where it needs to be at this time.
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