Golf: The Masters
Venue: Augusta National, Atalanta.
Dates: Thursday 7th – Sunday 10th April 2022
Tournament Preview
The biggest major of the year gets underway as the US Masters take place at the infamous Augusta course, arguably the flagship event of the golfing schedule. A staple of both the sporting and golfing calendar, the Masters in April always gets people talking and there are plenty of big names in contention at Augusta this year. The coveted Green Jacket is arguably the most coveted prize in professional golf and there are plenty of big names looking to get their name on it for the first time. Last year, Hideki Matsuyama secured his first green jacket, and he will be one of the men to watch again this time around, whilst the usual array of big names are sure to be in hot pursuit come Sunday afternoon on Magnolia Lane.
Betting Preview
Outright Winner
Picking a winner from the vast field assembled at Augusta could be somewhat of a lottery but here are our top 5 selections:-
Spaniard Jon Rahm has been the model of consistency on the PGA Tour for the past few seasons and he looks to be one of the men capable winning his maiden Green Jacket this weekend.
Former PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas is another man in his prime on the PGA Tour and he will be looking to add another major to his ever growing list of tournaments won.
Australian Cameron Smith is a superb ball striker and with his form red hot on arrival here at Augusta, he looks to be one of the hot favourites to go all the way.
Former world number one Dustin Johnson hasn’t been in the best of form since winning his maiden Masters title at the back end of 2020, but he can never be discarded in any event he plays.
Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka has recently recovered from a knee injury and whilst there are a few question marks, not many people would bet against him going well here at Augusta.
1st Round Leader
Major Championship golf never fails to provide drama and this year’s Masters promises to be no different. Here are three punts at 1st round leader after Thursday’s action:-
2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth loves the conditions here on Magnolia Lane and he could be the man to watch from the off here at the Masters.
Emerging Norwegian Viktor Hovland impressed on his Masters debut last year and his performances at the highest level this season suggest he could be a candidate from the opening round.
Much of the narrative this week at Augusta has surrounded the surprise return of Tiger Woods and betting against him getting off to a flyer could be dangerous.
Top 10 Finish
Going deep in a major is deemed as the ultimate test for any golfer and there are plenty of players that have had experience at going the distance in this year’s Masters field:-
World number one Scottie Scheffler is the man to beat on the PGA Tour at the moment and with some superb results in the bank lately, a top 10 finish looks well within his reach.
American Xander Schauffele has been knocking at the door at the top of the world game for a while and he is looking to add a Masters title to his Olympic gold in Tokyo last year.
Few players enjoy the level of consistency Tony Finau shows on the PGA Tour and he will be eager to show what he can do in a packed field at Augusta this week.
The Masters 2022 betxchange.com best bets:
Outright Winner: Jon Rahm – 12/1
1st Round Leader: Viktor Hovland – 28/1
Top Ten Finish: Xander Schauffele – 2/1
