The first major of the golfing calendar gets underway this week at The Masters, with attention turning to Augusta as the world’s best players compete for the Green Jacket.
Heading into the tournament, Scottie Scheffler remains the market leader, though his price has drifted in recent weeks. The world number one is available at 11/2, having not been seen since finishing 22nd at The Players Championship. His preparation has also been disrupted after withdrawing from the Houston Open due to the birth of his second child.
Scheffler, a two time Masters champion, has not been at his usual level with approach play this season, raising questions about whether he is peaking at the right time for Augusta.
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Defending champion Rory McIlroy is priced at 12/1 as he looks to retain his title. McIlroy has endured an unsettled build-up due to back issues this spring, which have limited his preparation heading into the tournament.
Among the main challengers, Jon Rahm is available at 10/1. The 2023 Masters winner has been in strong form on the LIV circuit, posting consistent results including finishes of 2-2-1-5-2.
Bryson DeChambeau is also priced at 12/1 after winning twice on LIV this season. He has finished sixth and fifth in the last two editions at Augusta and will be aiming to claim his first Green Jacket.
British interest is strong once again, with Robert MacIntyre and Justin Rose both attracting significant support in the betting. Rose has an impressive record at Augusta, finishing runner-up three times, including a playoff defeat last year.
MacIntyre has been backed following a strong run of form, including a near miss at the Valero Texas Open where he held a four-shot lead heading into the weekend.
Steve Freeth of bet365 said: “While many backed McIlroy last year, Justin Rose’s sportsmanship in defeat resonated with punters, and after several near misses at Augusta, he is again attracting strong support.
“Rose also heads our first-round leader market, having achieved that accolade five times, while Robert MacIntyre sits just above him in the outright liabilities after showing excellent recent form.
“Bryson DeChambeau is the only American in our top five liabilities, but we feel his price reflects his inconsistency with iron play, while Scottie Scheffler is further down the list, which would be a positive result for us.”
European players appear well represented among the leading contenders this year, with Rahm, McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Rose and MacIntyre all expected to challenge. Scheffler remains the only American to have won the Masters in the past five years, adding further intrigue to this year’s contest at Augusta.
