Nothing tops the drama and excitement of Masters Week.
The immaculate fairways of Augusta National come into focus on Friday (AEDT), and there is no shortage of value to be found ahead of the first major tournament of the year.
Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama can be found at $29.00 ahead of his bid to become the first back-to-back winner since Tiger Woods in 2001/02, while Aussie Cameron Smith has been installed as the second-elect behind World No. 2 Jon Rahm.
Speaking of Tiger, the 15-time major champion looks set to make his return this week after spending the last 12 months on the sideline recovering from a car accident.
It’s also a special week for several debutants, including Aussie Cam Davis and the six spots held for amateur qualifiers.
Who will walk away with a green jacket?
Find out in our 2022 Masters Preview below!
The Masters Best Bet
Cameron Smith @ $12.00
It won’t be long before the World No. 6 wins his first major. Smith has come close in each of his last two appearances at Augusta, finishing in a share for second in 2020 and a share for 10th last year. What he’s accomplished since has been well documented – a win at the Tournament of Champions, followed by a thrilling triumph at TPC Sawgrass last month. The Aussie is easily one of the most aggressive players on TOUR and also one of the most clutch when it comes to putting. Ranked first in average birdies and eighth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green, he’s a tick in just about every box.
Justin Thomas @ $15.00
Continues to flirt with a win and has enjoyed a week off since finishing T13 at Riviera two weeks ago. Finished in a tie for second behind Webb Simpson at this event in 2018 and is among the Top 20 best ball strikers on Tour. Has found close to 72% of greens in regulation (good for 25th) and has shown some real improvement with the putter recently. Has to win one of these big tournaments eventually, right?
The Masters Best Value
Matthew Fitzpatrick @ $51.00
The Englishman has played some of his best golf at majors in the past, most notably finishing inside the Top 20 at The Open Championship and the US Open back in 2019. Fitzpatrick has been a frustrating player to back throughout his career, but he has been playing consistently well so far this year carding Top 10 finishes at Pebble Beach, the Phoenix Open, and the Valspar. He’s made the cut in five of his six appearances at Augusta and also ranks 31st in that key stat we spoke about earlier, Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.
Tony Finau @ $67.00
Big, big price for a guy that has been in the mix in all four of his appearances at Augusta. Like Fitzpatrick, the frustrations surrounding Finau are well documented, but he did finish 10th in his Masters debut before joining Tiger in the final group a year later. The late November edition in 2020 was the only real outlier as he rebounded last year to finish in a share for 10th. Recent form since his breakthrough win at The Northern Trust last year has been below average, but if he can build on his final round 69 at the Texas Open and find a hot putter, he’s a chance.
The Masters Best Roughie
Max Homa @ $101.00
Homa has made the cut only twice in seven major appearances, but hear me out: all three of his wins on Tour have come on exceptionally tough courses. The American owns wins at Quail Hollow and Riviera, the latter being a strong form guide when it comes to Augusta. His short game needs some work, but Homa’s recent form really hasn’t been as bad as you might think: four Top 20 finishes prior to a T35 at the Matchplay.
Luke List @ $101.00
Found success earlier in the year at the Farmers where, for a change, his putter didn’t let him down. List has mixed his form since, but he did show encouraging signs at TPC San Antonio in the first round last week before things got messy. Returns to Augusta for the first time since his debut in 2005 and should have plenty of support having called this area home for the last decade or so.
