Golf: The Masters
Venue: Augusta National, Atalanta.
Dates: Thursday 8th – Sunday 11th April 2021
Tournament Preview
The major of the year gets underway as the US Masters take place at the infamous Augusta course, with the golfing schedule back on track following the COVID 19 pandemic. 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. 6 months ago, Dustin Johnson secured his first green jacket, and he will be one of the favourites to prevail 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 with BetXChange:-
World number one Dustin Johnson has been in superb form since winning the Masters last November and few would be against him making it two in two here.
2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is the most talked about player on the PGA Tour and his big hitting could rip up the Augusta National course.
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.
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.
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:-
Having found form last weekend by winning the Texas Open, Jordan Spieth could be the man to watch from the off here at the Masters.
Emerging Norwegian Viktor Hovland will be making his Masters debut and his performances at the highest level this season suggest he could be one to watch.
Englishman Paul Casey is a big tournament player and his history of top 10 finishes at majors make him a candidate from the outset here.
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:-
American Xander Schauffele has been knocking at the door at the top of the world game for a while and he is looking to open his major account and be well in the mix come Sunday.
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.
South Korean Sungjae Im finished a close second to Dustin Johnson at the Masters last Autumn and he could well feature in the top 10 again here at Augusta this week.
Masters BetXChange Best Bets:
Outright Winner: Dustin Johnson – 9.00
1st Round Leader: Viktor Hovland – 33.00
Top Ten Finish: Xander Schauffele – 1.85
