The 2021 Masters: PGA Tour Betting Odds
Three players have opened as +800 co-favourites on the golf odds.
The 2020 Masters was shifted to November last year because of the COVID pandemic. Back then, Tiger Woods was trying to become to become the first golfer in history to win the Masters in back-to-back years twice. Jack Nicklaus (1965-66) and Nick Faldo (1989-90) had done it once, while Woods pulled the trick in 2001-02 and was the 2019 champion.
However, Woods finished tied for 38th. He will remain on five green jackets for at least one more year, one shy of Jack Nicklaus’ record, as Tiger is recovering from a serious car injury and probably won’t play in 2021 at all.
The Masters dates to 1934 at storied Augusta National Golf Club, probably the No. 1 course most Americans/Canadians would want to play over any other if given the chance. Alas, it’s very, very exclusive. The spectacular course is a par 72 at around 7,475 yards. The most famous stretch is “Amen Corner,” holes 11 through 13. The Masters field is limited to around 90 players but there is a cut.
Tiger and Jordan Spieth had held the 72-hole scoring record at the Masters of 18-under 270, but current world No. 1 Dustin Johnson blew past that back in November to finish at 20-under 268 and win his first green jacket by five shots. He was the first world No. 1 to win the tournament since Woods in 2002 and it was the largest margin of victory since Woods won by 12 in 1997.
It was Johnson’s second major championship along with the 2016 U.S. Open. Masters winners are allowed to return to the event for the rest of their lives, and Johnson will host the Masters Club dinner this week where he gets to pick the menu.
The 2021 Masters Golf Odds
Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Spieth are all +800 favourites. The last man to win back-to-back majors was Spieth in 2015, which is what Johnson is attempting. DJ originally was in the field of last week’s Valero Texas Open but then decided to skip it.
Spieth won the Texas Open, his first PGA Tour victory since 2017. He was the 2015 Masters champion and has two seconds and a third at Augusta. DeChambeau has yet to finish in the Top 10 in four trips to the Masters.
Justin Thomas is +1000 with Jon Rahm +1100, Rory McIlroy +1600 and Patrick Cantlay +1900. Thomas’ best finish at the Masters was fourth in November. Rahm said he was prepared to leave mid-tournament if his wife went into labor, but she gave birth over the weekend so Rahm is good to go. He has been Top 10 three straight trips to the Masters but yet to win. McIlroy is looking to complete the career Grand Slam with a green jacket. Cantlay’s best result is T9.
Of course, Mike Weir is the lone Canadian to win this tournament, doing so in a 2003 playoff over Len Mattiace. Tiger was going for a threepeat then. George Knudson was one of three runners-up to George Archer in 1969.
Corey Conners was T10 last year, highlighted by a second-round 65. Nick Taylor was T29, Weir was T51, and Adam Hadwin missed the cut. Conners is +5200 to win this week with Mackenzie Hughes +17200 and Weir +45400. To be the top Canadian finisher, Conners is -152 with Hughes +140 (missed the cut in his lone Masters in 2017) and Weir +500.
The 2021 Masters Golf Predictions
Take McIlroy and Rahm for Top 10s, but Thomas is the winner. His result at Augusta has improved every year and Thomas already has a big win this season at the Players Championship.