The Masters Tips, Preview & Predictions

Thanks to the annual visits to Augusta, the course has provided countless moments which have made some holes infamous because of the unique challenge they bring and the iconic moments which have helped define them. The most famous stretch of holes in golf, Amen Corner offers multiple challenges, testing the all-around qualities of the pros. The long-par 4 11th hole is arguably the easiest of the three holes, as long as you can avoid the water on the left-hand side of the green.

However, the par 3 12th is one hole where you will want to take your par and run. Rae’s Creek and the bunkers surrounding the green make this a treacherous hole even for the very best, Jordan Spieth’s quadruple bogey here to throw away the 2016 Masters indicates that.

The 13th hole tests the bravery of the players, as going aggressive can leave you with a putt for eagle, or scrambling for bogeys or worse on this dogleg par 5. Phil Mickelson’s wonder shot from the pine straw on his way to win here in 2010 lingers long in the memory from this hole.

With so many huge hitters on the tour now, the par 4 3rd hole has become drivable for many, and could present opportunities for eagles this week. Also, the water on the par 3 16th hole has provided moments many players will want to forget, but Tiger Woods’ chip-in here in 2005 has gone down in folklore as one of the most iconic shots in golfing history.

No player has been in better form in 2021 than 2015 Masters winner Jordan Spieth, and after multiple top 10s to start the year, he finally returned to the winners circle for the first time since claiming the 2017 Open Championship by winning the Valero Texas Open last week.

His American compatriot, Dustin Johnson, will be hoping he is not the briefest ever holder of The Masters title, having won it just five months ago with an astonishing score of -20. Any repeat of last year’s performance and DJ will be handing himself a second consecutive Green Jacket come Sunday.

Spieth is 9/1 while Johnson is the outright favourite at 8/1, but a double chance of Spieth and Johnson is 4/1, and it will be a tough challenge finding anybody in the field who loves playing here more than these two.

Masters tradition means any past winner has a lifetime invitation to come back, meaning it gives us a chance to see some of the old legends we rarely see anymore, such as Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam. However, some more recent winners will hope to stake their claim at becoming multiple Masters champions.

Patrick Reed (28/1), Sergio Garcia (35/1) and Adam Scott (50/1) all have a reasonably good chance, while Bubba Watson is chasing a third Green Jacket after winning here in 2012 and 2014.

After a difficult start to the year on and off the course, Justin Thomas silenced any critics with a blistering weekend performance to take The PLAYERS crown last month, making him one of the most fancied players again at 10/1. Bryson DeChambeau is starting to add consistency to his game, even if his playstyle would not suggest it. The longest driver on Tour has five top 10s from nine events this season, while taking top spot in the US Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational, he is 9/1 here.

Some players looking to overcome a bit of adversity will look to turn their recent fortunes around at Augusta this week. Multiple major winner Brooks Koepka has been battling injury problems ever since golf restarted last summer, but he will feature this week, and at 25/1, you are unlikely to see him at such long odds very often, and considering he has a win and a tie for second in his previous three events, Koepka will likely be a threat.

Xander Schauffele is one player who big things are expected of, but he has fallen way below expectations in recent weeks, missing the cut at The PLAYERS, going out at the first stage of the WGC-Matchplay, and finishing a lowly T-39 at the WGC-Workday. A few top 10s at the start of the year show his game is still intact, but he may just need one big performance in a high-profile event to get himself back on track and Schauffele is 20/1 to win here.

By Andrew Delaney