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**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:42 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

Golf glance
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

COMING UP
PGA TOUR: The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Thursday through Sunday.
TV: Thursday and Friday, 3-7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN; Saturday, 3-7 p.m. EDT on CBS; Sunday, 2-7 p.m. EDT on CBS.
LAST YEAR: Jordan Spieth claimed his first major championship by four strokes over Justin Rose of England and Phil Mickelson, becoming the second-youngest winner of the first major of the season. The then 21-year-old, who was only a few months older than Tiger Woods was when he won the Masters in 1997, led virtually from wire to wire, opening with 64-66 before playing the weekend in a solid 70-70. His bogey on the final hole of regulation left him with a 72-hole total of 18-under 270, tying Woods' tournament record. Spieth's 28 birdies broke Mickelson's record of 25 set in 2001. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, making his first attempt to complete the career Grand Slam, closed with a 66 to finish six shots back in solo fourth, his best result at Augusta.

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS: Mitsubishi Electric Championship at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga., April 15-17.
TV: Friday, 12:30-2:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday and Sunday, 3-6 p.m. EDT; on the Golf Channel each day.
LAST YEAR: Olin Browne set a course record of 8-under-par 64 in the second round, and it stood up for a one-stroke victory over Bernhard Langer of Germany when the final round of what was then the Greater Gwinnett Championship was wiped out by rain. Browne, who won three times on the PGA Tour, claimed his second title on the senior circuit -- the other coming in the 2011 U.S. Senior Open. He birdied five of the last seven holes in round two. Langer, who 26 PGA Tour Champions victories, tied Browne's course record of 64 later in the day, holing his second shot from the fairway on the 18th hole for an eagle.

LPGA TOUR: Lotte Championship at Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii, April 13-16.
TV: 7-11 p.m. EDT, on the Golf Channel each day.
LAST YEAR: Sei Young Kim of South Korea holed her second shot with an 8-iron from 145 yards for an eagle on the first playoff hole to stun Inbee Park, also of South Korea. Kim, who won five times on the LPGA of Korea Tour, claimed her second LPGA Tour victory on her way to becoming 2015 Rookie of the Year, and she has won twice more since. Kim struggled with the lead in the final round, shooting 73, but found another bit of magic when she chipped in from 18 feet to save par on the final hole of regulation and get into the playoff. Park, who has won 17 times on the LPGA Tour including five majors, finished with a 71, but missed several chances down the stretch, closing with seven consecutive pars.

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:42 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

2016 Masters Preview
By Dan Daly

With all due respect to Andy Williams, and the guy that plagiarized Andy Williams and wrote the ESPN bowl week song…THIS is the most wonderful time and week of the year. I love College football, the Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament as much as the next guy, but for my money, nothing in sports tops Masters Week.

The azaleas are in full bloom, JD is set up in the Hooter’s parking lot on Washington Avenue, and the most beautiful 365 acres on the planet are on full display this week. There is not a blade of grass out of place, or a single piece of trash to be found within 500 yards of Augusta National. And of course a simple reminder that with the help of their sponsors, Augusta National and CBS will continue to bring us 56 minutes of every hour of golf coverage.

The single greatest week of the year is upon us and two questions are waiting to be answered: how many Hooter’s waitresses will JD have his picture taken with this week and who will win the 2016 Masters?

There are really only six people that have a remote chance to win this week, so before we get to them, let’s go ahead and eliminate the ones that don’t.

As always, the betting odds below are as of the time this article is posted and most likely will change throughout the week.

Dustin Johnson (20/1) – Contend…maybe? Top 10…possibly. Win…hilarious. This is a major championship and he is still Dustin Johnson.

Rickie Fowler (15/1) – No one in the history of golf has generated more hype based on minimal production than Rickie Fowler. It’s almost impressive to be quite honest with you. The guy has three PGA Tour wins in basically eight years on Tour and yet people continue to put him the category of Spieth, Day and Rory. I feel like I’m taking crazy pills listening to people go on and on about how good he his. Jordan Spieth and Jason Day have as many wins in the last 13 months (6 each) as Rickie Fowler has career Top 10’s in Majors. Think about that for a second. Plus, no golfer has ever won the Masters wearing women’s pants. A fact that I’m certain will continue in 2016.

Henrik Stenson (25/1) – Everything about Stenson’s game sets up perfectly for Augusta…yet his best finish ever at Augusta was a T-14 in 2014. Even if he were to figure it out this year, the problem with Stenson is that he is taking a page out of the Jim Furyk playbook the last two years. The guy has eight runner-ups in his last 32 starts since his last win in November 2014. So even if he is in contention come Sunday afternoon I think we all know how that story ends.

Justin Rose (30/1) – Strokes gained tee-to-green thus far in 2016 Justin Rose ranks 8th on the PGA Tour. Total putting thus far in 2016 on the PGA Tour…Justin Rose ranks 134th. Do you see the problem with taking Justin Rose this week?

Louis Oosthuizen (25/1) – His MC in Houston was the best thing that could have happened to Louis after his seven straight rounds at the WGC Match play. The guy lost in a playoff in 2012 to Bubba’s rope hook out of the woods after making a two on #2 on Sunday. In other words, if it didn’t happen then, it’s never going to happen for Louis at Augusta.

Brandt Snedeker (45/1) – For those of you that like to take that one flier with big odds, this is your guy. Sneds has seven top 10s in the majors, including two at the Masters and is arguably one of the best putters on fast greens in the world. My biggest concern for Sneds is that he has openly said how much this tournament means to him and I think when he gets into contention at Augusta that works against him.

Bryson DeChambeau (200/1) – The amateur will get a lot of attention this week, and for good reason. He has played well in his limited starts on Tour to this point and certainly has the game to contend this week, but there is a reason amateurs and first timers don’t win at Augusta. Yes, it would make for an incredible story, it’s just not one that will be written come Sunday afternoon.

Danny Willett (50/1) – Willett is still one of the best players in the world that the casual fan knows very little about and couldn’t pick him out of a two person lineup. With that said, he is no Nick Faldo when it comes to The Masters.

Hideki Matsuyama (45/1) – The kid is crazy talented and finished 5th here last year. It wouldn’t shock me at all to see him repeat that again this year. I think he is a great bet for a Top 10 and I could see him slipping on a Green Jacket in the very near future…just not the immediate future.

Charl Schwartzel (35/1) – I just refuse to believe we live in a world where Charl Schwartzel can be a two time Masters champion. I think all the stars aligned perfectly for him in 2011 and I just don’t see that scenario ever playing itself out again. Speaking of which…

Zach Johnson (50/1) – Zach Johnson won the 2007 Masters because it was under water, it’s that simple. Augusta National turned into a plotters golf course for four days in 2007 and there might not be anyone better in the world at that kind of golf than Zach Johnson. But as long as Augusta plays even remotely hard and fast, which it will this week Zach Johnson has no chance to ever win there again. There is a reason he has only cracked the top 10 at Augusta one other time (2015) in his career at Augusta.

Jason Dufner (100/1) – I love me some Jason Dufner…just not this week. Augusta, and winning the Masters is about doing two things very well. Hitting accurate approach shots, which Dufner does as good as anyone on Tour, and making the short putts, which Dufner does about as poorly as anyone on tour. The first isn’t good enough to overcome the second.

Brooks Koepka (55/1) – With back-to-back Top 10 finishes in his last two majors, and an immense amount of talent, Brooks is due to break through and win a major at some point sooner than later. Unfortunately for Brooks, the 2016 Masters isn’t it.

Patrick Reed (50/1) – Despite being ranked number 10 in the world, Patrick Reed has the exact same amount of top 10 finishes in a major championship as I do…zero. I’m no Good Will Hunting but by my limited math skills I’m fairly certain that if you finish outside the top 10 it’s mathematically impossible to win.

Which leaves you with the only six golfers you should even consider betting on this week. I realize my two-year-old could come up with the same six golfers below, but sometimes in life people try to over think things. More often than not, the most obvious answer is in fact the right one.

Last year, we told you Jordan Spieth was a lock to win the 2015 Masters, and this year’s predictions are no different.

So let’s break down the top six.

Jason Day (13/2) – The favorite this week, and for very good reason. No one on the planet is in better form than Day and I think a top-10 finish is almost a certainty this week for him. But I don’t think he pulls off his third win in three starts. First, because it would be his third win in three starts. That’s hard to do. Second, even though I don’t envision any scenario where he withdraws, this guy is a walking WebMD ad and betting on someone like that always makes me very nervous. But third, and most importantly, his iron play of late could really get him in trouble this week. Day clearly has the length needed to overpower Augusta, and his short game as of late has been off the charts good, but those two things have more than made up for some very average iron shots over the last month. Again, you can get away with that on almost any golf course on tour, but not at Augusta. I don’t care how far you hit it or how good your short game is, if your middle to long irons are off at Augusta, even a little bit, that golf course will absolutely expose you and you will pay the price.

Adam Scott (12/1) – If Jason Day is the hottest player on the planet, then Adam Scott is 1B. Everyone will point to his putter this week as the big question. Personally, I think he has already answered that question…granted Augusta’s greens aren’t exactly Bay Hill or Doral. My concern for taking Scott to win is his recent pattern of making too many big numbers out of nowhere. Again, he was able to overcome them at Bay Hill and Doral (but not at the API) but they will kill him at Augusta. If Scott can avoid the big numbers this week he will be right there come Sunday and him winning wouldn’t surprise me at all, but that is a very big IF.

Phil Mickelson (15/1) – There are two courses on the planet that Phil Mickelson flips a switch when he plays. One is Pebble Beach where he was a 5-footer away from forcing a playoff two months ago. The other, and probably even more so…Augusta National. This is Phil’s Super Bowl, always has been and always will be. With that said, I think Phil is a lock for a top-10 finish this week at Augusta, and if you are feeling bold a top-5 finish is a very likely possibility as well. I just think Mickelson runs into the same issue he had two months ago at Pebble; he won’t make the key putts he needs over the weekend to win.

Bubba Watson (10/1) – Full disclosure for those that don’t follow the Waggle on a weekly basis. I despise Bubba Watson, more than any other athlete on the planet, and short of God himself coming down and telling me in person Bubba was going to win the Masters I wouldn’t pick him or bet one penny on him to win. And even then, I still wouldn’t bet on him…I just wouldn’t bet on anyone else and skip the Masters for the first time in 25 years. With that said, it terrifies me that he has a legitimate chance to win this week. I still don’t think he will win due to his putting as of late, but if you want to make a deal with the devil and are ok with cursed money, taking Bubba to finish top 10 this week is a safe bet.

Jordan Spieth (8/1) – Spieth is a total enigma to me this week. I’ve never been more certain of picking a player to win a major than I was of Spieth to win the Masters last year (since Tiger in the early 2000’s anyway). And from the first of the year, up until two weeks ago, Spieth has been my pick to repeat this year as well. But after watching him play the last two weeks in Austin and in Houston there is no way he can win this week if he continues hitting it like that. Spieth has been missing greens, and in some cases, badly with 8 and 9 irons in his hand. He has been blocking drives 20 and 30 yards right. Basically the exact opposite of what we have grown accustom to with him. With that said, the guy is still the best putter on the planet from outside of 10 feet, has finished second and first, respectively, in his only two trips ever to the Masters, and his “B-game” is still better than almost everyone else on Tour because of his putter. I guess my point is, Spieth may not be the overwhelming obvious pick he was a year ago but despite the poor play as of late I still won’t bet against him at Augusta. So if you are going to bet on two people this week, make sure Jordan is one of them.

But because the Internet requires you by law to only pick one player to win (even though you can bet on more than one), I think the 2016 Masters Champion is…

Rory McIlroy (8/1) – Last year Rory came in with all the pressure in the world after winning the last two majors of 2014 and needing the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam. Throw in the fact that he had played very limited competitive golf leading up to the Masters and he played the first 27 holes so poorly he was outside the cut line with 9 holes to play Friday. All he did from there was play the last 45 holes in 15-under and finish fourth. Fast forward to this year, and while he will obviously still be a major headline, he isn’t THE major headline. In fact, he probably isn’t even in the top three as far as biggest stories coming into the 2016 Masters. Throw in the fact that he has played a much different schedule this year leading up to the Masters and I think Rory is the man to beat this year. It will give him the career Grand Slam and as many career majors (five) as Mickelson, Nelson and Ballesteros. If Rory starts off the 2016 Masters the same way he ended the 2015 Masters, this thing might be over by Saturday afternoon.

Happy Masters Week to Everyone!

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:43 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

Golfers to Bet - The Masters

Tournament: Masters Tournament
Date: Thursday, April 7th
Venue: Augusta National GC
Location: Augusta, GA

The Masters Tournament tees off in Augusta on Thursday and Jordan Spieth will be going for his second straight title at this prestigious event.

Spieth was absolutely dominant in winning last year, shooting an 18-under on the 7,435-yard course. He tied Tiger Woods for the best score ever shot in this tournament, but Woods will not be playing in this year’s installment.

Two guys to watch at The Masters are going to be Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson. Watson won this event for the second time in 2014, shooting an eight-under to defeat runner-up Jordan Spieth by three strokes.

Mickelson, meanwhile, is a three-time Masters champion (2004, 2006, 2010). Since this is The Masters, the field for this tournament will be loaded with talent.

Joining Spieth, Watson and Mickelson will be guys like Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Henrik Stenson, Rickie Fowler and Adam Scott.

With that out of the way, let’s now take a look at some of the guys that could be celebrating come Sunday:

Golfers to Watch

Rory McIlroy (9/1) - While most of this week’s talk is going to be about Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy will have the benefit of playing with less pressure on him this weekend. The four-time major winner is still one of the most talented golfers on the planet and he will be more driven to win this event than any of his opponents. The Masters is the only major that McIlroy has not won and he will be looking to change that on Sunday. With the career grand slam being a real possibility, McIlroy is an easy player to back at 9/1.

Henrik Stenson (25/1) - Henrik Stenson has not had much success at the Masters Tournament, but he is one of the best golfers in the world and should have a real shot at winning this event on Sunday. Stenson is coming into this tournament in spectacular form, as he has shot a 14-under at each of the past two events. He finished tied for third at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in the middle of March and followed it up with a second place finish at the Shell Houston Open last week. If he can keep it up then he will certainly be hanging at the top of the leaderboard on Sunday and he is receiving some juicy odds at 25/1.

Justin Rose (28/1) - Rose has had a disappointing season, but he is somebody that can play at the same level as guys like Day, Spieth and McIlroy. Rose was actually the runner-up at this tournament in 2015, shooting a 14-under over the course of the event. He is a very solid all-around player and if he can get it going on the greens then he’ll have a very good shot at winning this tournament on Sunday. It’s very tough to stay away from a player of his caliber and it’s a no-brainer to put a unit or two on him at 28/1.

Jason Dufner (110/1) - When looking for a dark horse to win The Masters, one guy that stands out is Jason Dufner. Dufner is getting some absurd odds at 110/1 and he is a guy that can really get hot out on the course. He won the CareerBuilder Challenge with a 25-under in January, but he has been struggling as of late. Regardless, it’s hard to find somebody with his upside and odds in this tournament. He’d be a guy that people would regret not taking if he gets off to a good start on Thursday.

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:43 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

SuperBook posts Masters Props

Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook - The Masters Propositions
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, Georgia
April 7th - 10th, 2016

Odds Subject to Change - Updated 4.4.16

WINNING SCORE:
OVER 275½ - 110
UNDER 275½ - 110
*72 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION*

WHAT WILL THE 36 HOLE CUT BE?
OVER 147½ - 110
UNDER 147½ - 110
*36 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION*

LOWEST COMPLETED ROUND SHOT BY: ANY GOLFER
OVER 65½ +110
UNDER 65½ - 130
*FULL ROUND OF 18 HOLES - 72 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION*

WILL THERE BE A HOLE IN ONE?
YES - 110
NO - 110
*72 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION*

WILL THERE BE A PLAYOFF?
YES +290
NO - 350
*72 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ACTION*

WILL Jordan SPIETH WIN THE 2016 MASTERS?
YES +800
NO - 1400
*JORDAN SPIETH MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION*

WILL Rory McILROY WIN THE 2016 MASTERS?
YES +800
NO - 1400
*RORY McILROY MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION*

WILL Jason DAY WIN THE 2016 MASTERS?
YES +700
NO - 1100
*JASON DAY MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION*

WILL Jordan SPIETH, Rory McILROY OR Jason DAY WIN THE 2016 MASTERS?
YES +210
NO - 250
*JORDAN SPIETH, RORY McILROY AND JORDAN SPIETH MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION*

WILL Bubba WATSON WIN THE 2016 MASTERS?
YES +1000
NO - 2000
* BUBBA WATSON MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION*

FINISH POSITION BY: Jordan SPIETH
OVER 10½ - 110
UNDER 10½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Rory McILROY
OVER 10½ - 110
UNDER 10½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Jason DAY
OVER 9½ - 110
UNDER 9½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Bubba WATSON
OVER 12½ - 110
UNDER 12½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Adam SCOTT
OVER 12½ - 110
UNDER 12½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Rickie FOWLER
OVER 16½ - 110
UNDER 16½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Dustin JOHNSON
OVER 17½ - 110
UNDER 17½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Phil MICKELSON
OVER 19½ - 110
UNDER 19½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Henrik STENSON
OVER 19½ - 110
UNDER 19½ - 110

FINISH POSITION BY: Justin ROSE
OVER 18½ - 110
UNDER 18½ - 110

FINISH POSITION RULES - *MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION - INCLUDES TIES - IF GOLFER WITHDRAWS, IS DISQUALIFIED, OR MISSES THE CUT, 'OVER' IS THE WINNER*

WILL Jordan SPIETH MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 900
NO +600

WILL Rory McILROY MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 900
NO +600

WILL Jason DAY MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 900
NO +600

WILL Louis OOSTHUIZEN MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 400
NO +330

WILL Charl SCHWARTZEL MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 400
NO +330

WILL Patrick REED MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 360
NO +300

WILL Zach JOHNSON MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 360
NO +300

WILL Brooks KOEPKA MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 300
NO +250

WILL Justin THOMAS MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 250
NO +210

WILL Bryson DeCHAMBEAU MAKE THE CUT?
YES - 145
NO +125

MAKE THE CUT RULES - *MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION - IF GOLFER WD'S/IS DQ'D DURING 1st OR 2nd ROUNDS, "NO" IS THE WINNER - IF WD/DQ OCCURS AFTER THE 2nd ROUND, "YES" IS THE WINNER*

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Jordan SPIETH
OVER 70½ - 125
UNDER 70½ +105

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Rory McILROY
OVER 70½ - 120
UNDER 70½ EVEN

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Jason DAY
OVER 70½ - 110
UNDER 70½ - 110

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Phil MICKELSON
OVER 71½ - 110
UNDER 71½ - 110

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Hideki MATSUYAMA
OVER 71½ - 120
UNDER 71½ EVEN

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Sergio GARCIA
OVER 71½ - 130
UNDER 71½ +110

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Brandt SNEDEKER
OVER 72 - 120
UNDER 72 EVEN

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Matt KUCHAR
OVER 72 - 110
UNDER 72 - 110

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Paul CASEY
OVER 72 - 110
UNDER 72 - 110

1st ROUND SCORE BY: Danny WILLETT
OVER 72 - 125
UNDER 72 +105

1st ROUND SCORE RULES - *MUST TEE OFF FOR ACTION - FULL ROUND OF 18 HOLES MUST BE COMPLETED - WHENEVER PLAYED*

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:43 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

Vegas ready for 2016 Masters
By Micah Roberts

There's no Tiger Woods in this years Masters, but action is still pouring in at a record pace at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook for the first major of the season which tees off on Thursday morning.

SuperBook assistant manager Jeff Sherman says Tiger is always good for business, but there are enough storylines to keep bettors satisfied for what is annually the largest wagered golf tournament.

"By far," Sherman said of their Masters handle compared to other majors. "We're going to surpass last year (which was the highest). We're on pace to do it."

With Woods not in play on the board -- he was the largest wagered upon golfer in last year's Masters and largest risk Sherman ever saw for a golfer in any tournament -- bettors have gravitated to Phil Mickelson who was once as high as 30/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $3,000), but the three-time Masters champ is down to 15/1 and will likely be dropping even further.

"He's our biggest risk so far," Sherman said of Mickelson. "He's had a good start to the year, and always been supported well in the majors. We have double the tickets written on him than we do on Jordan Spieth."

Spieth won last year's Masters by jumping out to a huge lead shooting a 64 on Thursday and followed it up with a 66 on Friday. Sherman opened him as the the 5/1 favorite when odds were first posted in August after the PGA Championship -- Where Spieth finished second. If Spieth wins again, he'll be the fourth player in Masters history to capture back-to-back green jackets.

"If you look at the top-10 guys on the odds list, they're all in such good form and the people are familiar with them," said Sherman who is considered the top golf oddsmaker in town. "Right now, I think the list of candidates to win is actually a little deeper."

Sherman likes Jason Day's chances a lot this week and currently has him the 7/1 favorite with both Spieth and Rory McIlroy next at 8/1.

He posted a prop on Monday night asking whether any one of the of them would win with NO -240 and the YES at +200.

Another one of his dozens of Masters props is an OVER-UNDER on the best round set at 65.5.

With two full days of action still to go, the SuperBook has already taken quite a few sizable bets on the odds to win board.

"We took a $9,000 wager on Spieth at 5/1 in January, and the second largest was on McIlroy for $5,000," said Sherman, which shows just how large their overall futures pool is that risk on other golfers has allowed the SuperBook to raise the odds on both those golfers despite those large wagers.

The SuperBook is the top place in town to bet the Masters, not just with its fair odds to win and props, but also daily as they'll be setting up adjusted odds to win after each round as well as golfer vs. golfer match-ups.

Sherman will also be offering in-progress wagering for Sunday's final round.

All the props, daily odds and in-progress wagering will be available on their phone app as well, which just opened for business in mid-January. Sherman said half their overall action -- in all sports -- comes through the phones which is part of the reason this year's Masters handle has been so high already without the Woods brand in play.

Sound will be on for each of the rounds and its quite possible you'll never have the type of viewing experience for the Masters as you'll have at the SuperBook's renovated room. The HD on the blades of grass is going to be intense on those massive new screens. The picture is so crisp you'll likely be able to smell the fresh cut greens too.

So whether you're wagering or not, if you're looking to watch the Masters this weekend, the SuperBook is your best bet!

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:44 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

10 Players to Watch: The 80th Masters
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

1. Jason Day, Australia -- It is hard to pick against a guy who won his last two tournaments, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the WGC-Dell Match Play, and six of his last 13, including the PGA Championship. And Day has come close at the Masters, tying for second in 2011, two strokes behind Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, and finishing solo third two years later, two shots out of the playoff in which fellow Aussie Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera of Argentina. Before breaking through for his first major title last year in the PGA at Whistling Straits, Day finished in the top 10 on six occasions in Grand Slam events the previous three years, and he came in second three times in the majors. As long as his chronic back problems don't flare up, he again figures to be in the mix.

2. Bubba Watson, United States -- Only two players managed to win three Masters titles in a span of five years, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, but Watson has a chance to join them this week. He beat Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa with a hook shot for the ages from the trees to set up a par on the second playoff hole in 2012, then won by three strokes over Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt of Sweden two years later. However, in his other five starts at Augusta, Watson's best result was a tie for 20th the first time he played there in 2009. He is in form this year, posting a victory in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera and a runner-up finish behind Adam Scott in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral.

3. Adam Scott, United States -- Even though he cooled off a bit in the last month, Scott is definitely a threat to win the Masters for the second time in four years. He became the first Aussie to don the Green Jacket in 2013, when he made a birdie on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff with Angel Cabrera, the 2009 champion, and then won with a 12-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole. Scott did that with a long putter anchored to his chest, but with the ban on anchored putters taking effect in January, he used a conventional model to win the Honda Classic and the WGC-Cadillac Championship in addition to finishing second in the Northern Trust Open. He ranks ninth on the PGA Tour in putting average at 1.713 strokes per hole.

4. Jordan Spieth, United States -- The 22-year-old will try to become the first player to win the Masters in consecutive years since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. The only others to pull off the feat were Jack Nicklaus (1964 and 1965) and Nick Faldo (1989 and 1990). Spieth led virtually wire to wire last year, starting with 64-66 and playing the weekend in 70-70 to win by four strokes over Danny Lee of New Zealand, Justin Rose of England and Henrik Stenson of Sweden. Two months later, he became the sixth player to win the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. In his only other Masters appearance, he tied for second two years ago, three shots behind champion Bubba Watson. Spieth won the Hyundai Tournament of Champions by eight strokes in January. His game has not been as sharp since, but you can't count him out.

5. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- McIlroy will make his second attempt to complete the career Grand Slam this week, having tied for fourth last year in his first try, shooting 66-68 on the weekend but finishing six strokes behind winner Jordan Spieth. The Irishman's best chance to win at Augusta came in 2011, in the third of his seven Masters starts, when he took a four-stroke lead into the final round but fell apart on the back nine en route to a tie for 15th. McIlroy had another chance two years ago, but a 77 in round two left him an uphill battle on his way to a tie for eighth. He became four-time major champion by the age of 25 when he claimed the PGA Championship in 2014, but even though he showed flashes of brilliance recently, he hasn't won a tournament since the DP World Tour Championship-Dubai in November.

6. Rickie Fowler, United States -- Fowler put to rest the widespread opinion that he was all flash and no substance by winning four times since last May. The next step is for him to capture a major championship. He did the next best thing last May when he claimed the Players Championship in a playoff over Sergio Garcia of Spain and Kevin Kisner, but he is after the real deal. His best result in the Masters was a tie for fifth two years ago, and that was his worst finish in the majors that year, as he tied for second in both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship in addition to tying for third in the PGA Championship. Fowler won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January on the European Tour, and he finished in the top 10 in five of his past six stroke-play events on the PGA Tour.

7. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Lefty is a year younger than Jack Nicklaus was when he claimed the Masters at the age of 46 in 1986, and he can't be overlooked this week based on the way he is playing. He has finished in the top 10 five times this year, including second in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, a tie for third in the CareerBuilder Challenge and fifth in the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He leads the PGA Tour in scoring average at 69.17. Mickelson, a five-time major champion who has three victories in the Masters, is making his 24th appearance at Augusta and has been close several on several other occasions, finishing third five times and tying for second last year, four strokes behind Jordan Spieth. He will make his third bid to complete the career Grand Slam in the U.S. Open at Oakmont in June.

8. Charl Schwartzel, South Africa -- Even though he is flying under the radar heading into the Masters because so many of the big names are playing well, Schwartzel certainly cannot be overlooked completely. He already has his Green Jacket, having won by two strokes over Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott five years ago. In addition, Schwartzel has claimed three titles since November, winning the Tshwane Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour and the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour last month in a playoff over Bill Haas. He is playing at Augusta National for the seventh time, and his best result other than his victory was a tie for 25th in 2013, which says something about seizing the opportunity when it arrives.

9. Henrik Stenson, Sweden -- Not only is Stenson right at the top of the list when it comes to golfers who have not won a major, but he carries the hopes of his country to become the first Swedish male to capture one of the Grand Slam events. He has come close, finishing in the top 10 in the majors four times in the last two years, including a tie for third in the U.S. Open and a tie for fourth in the PGA Championship in 2014. Stenson has nine top 10s in the majors during his career, but surprisingly none in the Masters, even though the course would seem to suit his game. He finished in the top 20 each of the past three years at Augusta National, with his best finish a tie for 14th in 2014. Stenson was second last week in Houston.

10. Dustin Johnson, United States -- Here is another guy who has never won a major championship, which is perplexing because he probably has as much natural talent as any golfer in the world. Johnson has been close, and much has been written and said about his meltdowns in the Grand Slam events, particularly in 2010 in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Of course, that was before he three-putted the final green with a chance to win the U.S. Open last year at Chambers Bay, leaving him one stroke behind champion Jordan Spieth. Johnson finished seventh or better in three of the four majors last year, giving him 10 top-10 finishes in the big four, with his tie for sixth last year in the Masters his best result at Augusta National.

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:44 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

18 need-to-know betting notes for the 2016 Masters
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Twenty two-year-old two-time Major Championship winner Jordan Spieth and 88 other hopefuls are set to hit the links at Augusta National on Thursday for the commencement of the 80th edition of the prestigious Masters golf tournament, but interestingly enough, the defending champion is not listed as the betting favorite to take home the green jacket. Instead, that honor belongs to 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day, who has already recorded two victories on Tour this season (Arnold Palmer Invitational and WGC-Dell Match Play).

This year’s field includes 20 first-time Masters participants, but will be without one marquee name in 14-time Major Championship winner Tiger Woods, who continues to recover from last fall’s back surgery. Even without the presence of Woods, the 2016 player pool is loaded with talent like Spieth (8/1), Day (7/1), Rory McIlroy (8/1), Bubba Watson (10/1) and Phil Mickelson (15/1).

While we’ll have to wait until Sunday for the crowning of this year’s champion, it’s never too early to start preparing for how to bet the most popular golf tournament of the season.

Augusta National Golf Club (ANGC): Par-72, 7,435 yards

*All odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

1. Four-time Major Championship winner Rory McIlroy (8/1) will attempt to complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters, a monumental achievement only five golfers (Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen) have accomplished in the Masters era. However, the 26-year-old has recorded just one top-15 (WGC Cadillac Championship) in four PGA Tour stroke play events this calendar year and heads to Augusta with some serious chipping issues (ranks T65 in proximity to the hole from the rough). As many of you already know, Augusta National is not the place where Tour professionals go to find their chipping game.

2. Who’s hot: Jason Day (won each of last two events played), Adam Scott (two wins, T12 and T28 in last four events), Dustin Johnson (three top-5s in last four events), Henrik Stenson (T11 or better in each of last three events) and Charl Schwartzel (four consecutive top-20 finishes with one win).

3. Who’s cold: Mike Weir (four straight missed cuts dating back to AT&T Pebble Beach), Kevin Streelman (three straight missed cuts), Hunter Mahan (two missed cuts, T70, T53, T57 in last five events), Webb Simpson (two missed cuts, T68 in last three events) and Keegan Bradley (four missed cuts, T36 in last four events).

4. Since Tiger Woods claimed the U.S. Open championship at Torrey Pines back in 2008, only one Major Championship (2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, Rory McIlroy) of the last 30 has been won by the world’s top-ranked golfer. Jason Day is currently ranked first in the Official World Golf Rankings.

5. Course note: ANGC remains at 7,435 yards for the eight consecutive year with all 18 holes measuring the same length as last year. The 2015 Masters scoring average was 72.54, making Augusta National the 14th-hardest course to score on last season.

6. The Masters Champion has emerged from the final Sunday pairing in 21 of the last 25 years.

7. Weather: Thursday calls for a high of 75 degrees, low of 52 degrees, 40 percent chance of showers in the morning and winds as high as 20 miles per hour. Friday calls for a high of 70 degrees, low of 46 degrees and winds as high as 19 miles per hour. Saturday calls for a high of 65 degrees, low of 37 degrees and winds as high as 21 miles per hour. Sunday calls for a high of 65 degrees, low of 45 degrees, sunshine and minimal winds (6 miles per hour).

8. Each of the last eight winners at Augusta National shot 69 or lower during the opening round. Each of the last ten Masters Champions has been in the top-10 after the first round.

9. Augusta National caters to golfers who hit a plethora of greens (GIR: Green in Regulation), as evidenced by the fact that 13 of the last 16 Masters winners have ranked in the top-five in GIR. Golfers who rank in the top-10 in GIR on Tour this season include two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson (first), Rickie Fowler (second), Sergio Garcia (fifth), Henrik Stenson (sixth) and Adam Scott (seventh).

10. In the last 30 years, the eventual Masters Champion has commenced play at Augusta National with an Official World Golf Ranking in the top-10 18 times (60.0 percent). The current OWGR top-10 is as follows: Jason Day (1), Jordan Spieth (2), Rory McIlroy (3), Bubba Watson (4), Rickie Fowler (5), Henrik Stenson (6), Adam Scott (7), Dustin Johnson (8), Justin Rose (9) and Patrick Reed (10). During that same time span, the golfer with the lowest OWGR to win the Masters was Angel Cabrera (69th in 2009).

11. PROP: Over/Under finishing position for Phil Mickelson: 19.5 (-110 both ways). The three-time Masters Champion recorded a T2 at Augusta National last year and has finished in the top-12 in 16 of the last 21 years.

12. 2015 Masters Champion Jordan Spieth was the only golfer to record a top-20 finish in each of the four Major Championships last season. In addition to Spieth, only 17 other golfers made the cut in each of last year’s four Major Championships.

13. Seven of the last eight Major Championships were won by the 54-hole leader/co-leader, with Zach Johnson’s 2015 win at the British Open at St. Andrews serving as the only exception (sixth place after 54 holes).

14. Augusta National is widely regarded as the home of 18 of the toughest putting surfaces in the entire world, which makes 3-putt avoidance one of the key stats to keep in mind entering the Masters. Golfers who excel in the 3-putt avoidance metric include Jordan Spieth (second), Graeme McDowell (sixth), Phil Mickelson (12th), Dustin Johnson (T16) and Patrick Reed (18th).

15. Nick Faldo (1990) and Tiger Woods (2005) share the distinction of having come from the farthest back after 18 holes (7 shots behind) to eventually win the Masters Championship.

16. PROP: Over/Under winning score for the 2015 Masters: 275.5 (-110 both ways). A winning score of 275 or lower has been recorded just once over the last four years (Jordan Spieth in 2015) and only four times over the last 18 years.

17. Since 1997, ten golfers claimed their first career Major Championship at Augusta National. That list includes Tiger Woods (1997), Mark O’Meara (1998), Mike Weir (2003), Phil Mickelson (2004), Zach Johnson (2007), Trevor Immelman (2008), Charl Schwartzel (2011), Bubba Watson (2012), Adam Scott (2013) and Jordan Spieth (2015).

18. PROP: Will Jason Day (7/1), Jordan Spieth (8/1) or Rory McIlroy (8/1) win the 2016 Masters: YES +210, NO: -250. Would you be comfortable playing the “Yes” here knowing that each of your horses has won at least one Major Championship and all three currently rank within the top-3 in the Official World Golf Rankings?

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:44 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

The Masters 2016 betting preview: Tips for betting golf's first major
By MATT FARGO

Henrik Stenson had his chances but fell one shot short for us as Jim Herman captured his first ever PGA Tour win at the Shell Houston Open as we head into the first major of the season, the 2016 Masters. This is considered by many as the unofficial start of spring and while avid golf fans live for this weekend, even non-golf enthusiasts know about this epic tournament and what it means. Its beautiful simplicity is what makes it the greatest golf tournament in the world.

Famed Augusta National plays host to its 80th Masters. Back in the day, hitting the ball a mile would be the greatest asset a player could have. And even though the yardage has increased from 6,985 yards in 2001 to 7,435 yards today, bombing it, is no longer the edge. Ball striking is now a big factor as hitting greens in the right spots can lead to easier putts. Only three times in the last 14 years has the winner finished outside the top 22 in driving accuracy, and only twice have they finished out of the top 10 in greens in regulation.

Unless you have seen Augusta National in person, you cannot appreciate the enormous elevation changes which means getting a flat lie is a rarity. Basically, it is a 'second shot' course which means the approaches are important just to get into position. Hitting an approach shot to the wrong place in some cases means not even being able to go after the pin, whether it be a chip shot or putt. That brings big scores into play so the thought process of shots is just as important as the physical part of the game.

Even though the course is much longer, it does not take the small hitters out of play as we have seen many contend and even win recently. Because the course has been tightened, it actually brings every player to an almost even playing field and that is what the goal has been since redesigns started taking place. The setup has made the goal pretty simple actually - hit fairways and then hit the correct side of the green and there is a good chance of being on the first page of the leaderboard on Sunday.

Past history plays a big part as you will see names near the top that you rarely see in other events as successful players here are usually successful close to every year. Americans dominated here early on with Gary Player being the only non-American to win through the first 43 years and he actually did it three times. Since then, it has been up for grabs as over the last 36 years, Americans have won the green jacket 19 times (nearly half of those by just three players) with the rest of the world not far behind with 17 wins.

The most shocking fact is that despite dominating the United States in the Ryder Cup, the European contingent has struggled at Augusta. Granted, it is a totally different experience but with the huge amount of world class players, a European hasn't won since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999. Could this be the year that changes? In total, the green jacket has been given to only six European players (Nick Faldo three times, Jose Maria Olazabal twice, Seve Ballesteros twice, Bernhard Langer twice and Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle once apiece).

How do first time participants fare at Augusta? Not very well as a Masters rookie has not won here since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. But there have been some close calls, especially two years ago with Jonas Blixt and Jordan Spieth both tying for second in their debuts and Jimmy Walker and Kevin Stadler finishing T8. This year, there are 19 players making their Masters debut. Last week's winner Jim Herman will be making his first ever start at the Masters.

The first Masters took place in 1934, won by Horton Smith by two strokes over Craig Wood for his first of two wins here. He earned $1,500 for the victory and eight decades later, the winner gets $1.8 million. To put it in even greater perspective of how far it has come, Charley Hoffman finished T9 last year and collected $270,000. Arnold Palmer played here 50 times which included four wins and took home a grand total of $279,013.

Jason Day, the winner of the most recent Major at the PGA Championship last year, is the favorite at +595. Rory McIlroy, who is seeking his first green jacket is next at +745 while defending champion Jordan Spieth is the third favorite at +855. Not far behind is two-time Masters Winner Bubba Watson +1,020 followed by 2013 champion Adam Scott at +1,060. Rickie Fowler at +1,485, Phil Mickelson at +1,555 and Dustin Johnson at +1,650 round out the top eight.

**TheGame** · 04-07-2016, 08:45 AM

Re: The Masters 2016 betting preview

2016 Masters Picks with Odds and Expert Golf Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

Just going to be honest with you upfront and say I had barely heard of PGA Tour golfer Jim Herman before he won last week's final tune-up for the Masters, the Houston Open.

But from what I've read about the 38-year-old journeyman who used to work for Donald Trump as a PGA professional and teaching pro, I'm happy for him. Herman, ranked 191st in the world at the start of the week, got his first win in his 106th start on the Tour. He chipped in for birdie on the 16th on Sunday to take the lead for good. He closed with a 4-under 68 and a one-shot victory over Henrik Stenson. And Herman earned the final spot in this week's Masters. Guy had failed to keep his Tour card in each of his first three seasons (2011, 2013, 2014).

"I never thought it was possible," said Herman with tears in his eyes Sunday. He had just five previous Top-10 finishes with a best of T4 at last year's Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Herman is the eighth first-time winner on Tour this season and the oldest to get his first.

Obviously I didn't pick Herman to win last week. I threw a few bucks on Phil Mickelson. but my main bet was on Patrick Reed. Lefty finished T13, so I also missed him on a Top 10. But I got Stenson at +120 and Reed at +200. Ditto Stenson at -110 over Dustin Johnson (-120), Reed (-110) over Mickelson (-120) and Charl Schwartzel (-105) over Louis Oosthuizen (-125). So not too bad.

This week is the Super Bowl of golf and easily the most-wagered tournament in the United States, the Masters at storied Augusta National, a course I've had the pleasure to visit but unfortunately not play. Sadly, Tiger Woods couldn't make it back from his back surgery to tee it up for the first time this season at his favorite tournament. But his agent said Woods would play on Tour at some point this year. Another former winner, 56-year-old Fred Couples, had to pull out with back problems. Believe it or not, he might have contended here even at that age. Since turning 50, Couples had five Top-20 finishes at Augusta, including sixth place in 2010.

Thus the field is just 89 this week, the lowest number at the Masters since 2002. The two big storylines have to be whether Jordan Spieth can repeat -- and reclaim his world No. 1 ranking -- or if Rory McIlroy can complete the Grand Slam.

Spieth dominated last year in his first major win (followed two months late at the U.S. Open) by finishing at 18-under, four shots ahead of Mickelson and Justin Rose. That tied Tiger's record 18-under score set in 1997. Spieth also set the birdies record with 28 and the 54-hole and 36-hole scoring records in becoming the first wire-to-wire champ since Raymond Floyd in 1976. Spieth will play with Paul Casey and amateur Bryson DeChambeau the first two days. They tee off at 9:48 a.m. Thursday. McIlroy is in the last group Thursday at 2:01 p.m. with Martin Kaymer and Bill Haas.

Golf Odds: Masters Betting Favorites

The favored role at +650 goes to Aussie Jason Day, who plays for the first time since taking back the No. 1 ranking. Of course he also enters on a two-tournament winning streak, taking the Match Play and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Day has been close here twice: a third in 2013 and T2 in 2011. I always worry about his health, though. Tiger in 2001 is the last to make the Masters his third straight win

McIlroy is +800. Of course he should have won here in 2011 before imploding on the back-nine Sunday. He was fourth last year and eighth in 2014.

Spieth is +900. He was second in 2014 in his only other start at Augusta. Last year he joined Jimmy Demaret (1940), Herman Keiser (1946) and Charl Schwartzel (2011) as the only players to win a Masters in only his second appearance.

Bubba Watson is +1000 and Adam Scott +1100. Augusta obviously suits Watson's game as he won in 2012 & 2014. Scott won here in 2013 and just had two wins on the Florida Swing, although he didn't play quite as well in the two events after those.

Golf Odds: Masters Expert Betting Picks

There are hundreds of prop options this week, so I recommend you go see for yourself. You can also bet on a Top-5 or Top-20 finish, but I'll stick with my Top 10s. And I like McIlroy (-162), Watson (-110) and Mickelson (+125). Head-to-head, go with McIlroy (-110) over Day (-120), and McIlroy (-120) over Spieth (-110). I like Watson (-120) over Scott (-110), and Watson (-130) over Rickie Fowler (even). Go Rose (-125) over Oosthuizen (-105), Mickelson (-120) over Stenson (-110), and Sergio Garcia (-105) over Zach Johnson (-125).

For top senior, I like former champion Bernhard Langer (+225) over Vijay Singh (also +225). Go Schwartzel (+150) as top South African, red-hot Rafa Cabrera-Bello (+450) as top debutant, Danny Willett (+350) as top Englishman, McIlroy (+120) as top Great Britain and Ireland player, Sergio (+300) as top continental European and Watson (+450) as top American. Ditto Watson at +275 as top former winner.

I'm not picking an individual winner, although I think it will be Bubba. I'm going Watson, McIlroy, Spieth and Day at +130 against the field (-170).

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The Masters 2016 betting preview

The Masters 2016 betting preview

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