2017 Masters Preview
The 2017 Masters will be the 81st edition of this prestigious tournament, and takes place from April 6-April 9 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, GA. Last year Danny Willett was the surprise winner at 125:1 odds to win the tournament after Jordan Spieth’s historic collapse, and below shows the most recent winners and their pre-tournament odds around the market:
| Year | Golfer | Pre-Tournament Consensus Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Danny Willett | +12500 |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | +980 |
| 2014 | Bubba Watson | +2000 |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | +2800 |
| 2012 | Bubba Watson | +3550 |
| 2011 | Charl Schwartzel | +8000 |
| 2010 | Phil Mickelson | +650 |
The table below shows the odds to win the 2017 Masters from 5Dimes and Bovada:
| Golfer | April 5, 2017 (5Dimes) | Apr 3, 2017 (5Dimes) | Jan 9, 2017 (5Dimes) | Aug 1, 2016 (Bovada) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Spieth | +635 | +725 | +800 | +800 |
| Rory McIlroy | +650 | +690 | +800 | +800 |
| Dustin Johnson | +755 | +560 | +1000 | +1200 |
| Jason Day | +1535 | +1955 | +800 | +800 |
| Rickie Fowler | +1605 | +1755 | +3000 | +2200 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +1605 | +1855 | +1200 | +3300 |
| Justin Rose | +2005 | +2335 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Jon Rahm | +2235 | +2235 | N/A | N/A |
| Phil Mickelson | +2470 | +2470 | +3000 | +2500 |
| Henrik Stenson | +2470 | +3005 | +2500 | +2800 |
| Justin Thomas | +3005 | +3405 | +5000 | +12500 |
| Adam Scott | +3130 | +3150 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Paul Casey | +4000 | +3700 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Sergio Garcia | +4000 | +4500 | +6600 | +6000 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | +4500 | +5500 | +5000 | +4000 |
| Brandt Snedeker | +4500 | +5500 | +5000 | +5000 |
| Bubba Watson | +4800 | +4500 | +2000 | +1600 |
| Daniel Berger | +5000 | +7500 | +10000 | +12500 |
| Marc Leishman | +5500 | +6000 | +10000 | +8000 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +7000 | +6000 | N/A | N/A |
| Brooks Koepka | +7000 | +8000 | +6000 | +6600 |
| Russell Henley | +7000 | +9000 | N/A | +20000 |
| Lee Westwood | +7000 | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Adam Hadwin | +8000 | +8000 | N/A | N/A |
| Bill Haas | +8500 | +10000 | +12500 | +12500 |
| Thomas Pieters | +9000 | +8500 | +6600 | N/A |
| Matthew Fitzpatrick | +9000 | +9000 | +8000 | +10000 |
| Patrick Reed | +9000 | +11000 | +3300 | +5000 |
| Kevin Kisner | +9000 | +12500 | +15000 | +15000 |
| Charl Schwartzel | +10000 | +9000 | +6000 | +4000 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +12000 | +8000 | N/A | N/A |
| Alex Noren | +13500 | +9000 | +7000 | N/A |
| J.B. Holmes | +11000 | +10000 | +10000 | +10000 |
| Matt Kuchar | +11000 | +10000 | +6600 | +6000 |
| Gary Woodland | +11000 | +14000 | +8000 | N/A |
| Ryan Moore | +12000 | +19500 | N/A | +15000 |
| Zach Johnson | +12500 | +13500 | +8000 | +6600 |
| Charley Hoffman | +12500 | +14000 | +15000 | +15000 |
| Emiliano Grillo | +12500 | +14000 | +12500 | N/A |
| Shane Lowry | +12500 | +16500 | +12500 | +12500 |
| Jimmy Walker | +14000 | +11500 | +6600 | +7500 |
| Martin Kaymer | +14000 | +19000 | +15000 | +17500 |
| Brendan Steele | +16000 | +25000 | N/A | N/A |
| Rafa Cabrera-Bello | +16500 | +17500 | +12500 | +12500 |
| Danny Willett | +17000 | +18500 | +6000 | +2800 |
| Bernd Wiesberger | +17500 | +17500 | N/A | N/A |
| Branden Grace | +17500 | +6600 | +6600 | +6600 |
| Pat Perez | +17500 | +30000 | N/A | N/A |
| Jason Dufner | +19000 | +18500 | +15000 | +15000 |
| Francesco Molinari | +19000 | +25000 | N/A | N/A |
| Soren Kjeldsen | +20000 | +18500 | +25000 | N/A |
| Ross Fisher | +20000 | +20000 | N/A | N/A |
| Angel Cabrera | +20000 | +22500 | N/A | +15000 |
| Jim Furyk | +20000 | +32500 | +10000 | +8000 |
| Webb Simpson | +20000 | +50000 | N/A | N/A |
| Hudson Swafford | +22000 | +20000 | N/A | N/A |
| Jhonattan Vegas | +26500 | +30000 | N/A | N/A |
| Kevin Na | +28500 | +25000 | +15000 | N/A |
| Kevin Chappell | +28500 | +40000 | N/A | N/A |
| Byeong-Hun An | +30000 | +21500 | +12500 | N/A |
| Chris Wood | +30000 | +45000 | N/A | N/A |
| Scott Piercy | +32000 | +40000 | N/A | N/A |
| Andy Sullivan | +32500 | +30000 | +15000 | +15000 |
| Russell Knox | +35000 | +33500 | N/A | N/A |
| Hideto Tanihara | +35000 | +44000 | N/A | N/A |
| Steve Stricker | +42500 | +50000 | N/A | N/A |
| Fred Couples | +45000 | +60000 | N/A | +50000 |
| Jeung-Hun Wang | +47500 | +42500 | N/A | N/A |
| All Others Listed At | +60000 or above | +60000 or above | N/A | N/A |
| Bernard Langer | +70000 | +50000 | N/A | +40000 |
| Si-Woo Kim | +100000 | +50000 | N/A | N/A |
| Ernie Els | +100000 | +90000 | N/A | +25000 |
| Jamie Donaldson | N/A | N/A | N/A | +15000 |
| Bryson DeChambeau | N/A | N/A | +12000 | +8000 |
| Luke Donald | N/A | N/A | N/A | +15000 |
| Kiradech Aphibarnrat | N/A | N/A | +22500 | N/A |
| Smylie Kaufman | N/A | N/A | +15000 | +8000 |
| Anirban Lahiri | N/A | N/A | +25000 | N/A |
| Keegan Bradley | N/A | N/A | N/A | +25000 |
| Danny Lee | N/A | N/A | +15000 | N/A |
| Tiger Woods | N/A | N/A | +2200 | +6600 |
| Graeme McDowell | N/A | N/A | N/A | +25000 |
| Billy Horschel | N/A | N/A | N/A | +17500 |
| Ian Poulter | N/A | N/A | +15000 | +15000 |
A lot has changed over the last few months including an incredible surge by Dustin Johnson. He’s now the clear +560 favorite followed by Rory (+690) and Spieth (+725). Jason Day has run into some issues and moved out to +1955, while other players like Jon Rahm (+2000) and Justin Thomas (+3405) have improved their odds mightily since last season.
Last year’s Masters winner Danny Willett was listed at just 28:1 at Bovada back in August but moved to 60:1 in January. He’s now at 185:1 at 5Dimes so oddsmakers and bettors don’t like his chances of repeating whatsoever. For the casual golf fans, Tiger Woods is still injured and will not participate in the 2017 Masters. This is unfortunate for sportsbooks since public bettors love taking Tiger, but now those bets have been refunded.
At Westgate, Johnson is receiving the most money wagered to win, followed by Spieth and McIlroy. The top 3 are far ahead of anyone else, but Rose and Matsuyama round out the top 5 players wagered on. At William Hill US, it’s the same top 3 but in a different order: Spieth, Johnson, then McIlroy.
Are there any golfers offering value to win the Masters this week? Some of the staff at Sports Insights lend their thoughts:
Dan M: Louis Oosthuizen +5500
My pick for the Masters this year is Louis Oosthuizen at +5500. I wanted to pick a player who has been playing pretty well lately, and has played well at the Masters before. Oosthuizen has made the cut in all of his starts over the last 6+ months, and has finished in the top 25 of the Masters in the last 3 years. There was also a 2nd-place playoff finish in 2012 at Augusta, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s won a major tournament before (The Open 2010). There’s a lot to like, a good price, and I think a bet on the Top 10 at +550 is also worth it.
Biff T: Lee Westwood +10000
At 43 years old, Lee Westwood is past his prime. However, this bloke loves playing at Augusta. Since 2010, he has five top 10 finishes and one 11th place finish at the Masters. Last year, he finished in a tie for second with Jordan Spieth. Given Westwood’s consistency in this tournament, 100/1 odds provide great value for a guy who has come so close to a green jacket so many times. Bet Lee Westwood at +10000 and you’ll be seeing green, too (see what I did there?).
Travis: Sergio Garcia +4000
Sergio’s best finish at Augusta is 4th but that was way back in 2004. The last five years, he has had some mixed results with three Top-20 finishes along with a missed cut and a 34th place finish last year. While driving accuracy is not a predictor of success at the Masters, driving distance usually plays a big role and Sergio Garcia currently leads the tour in strokes gained off the tee, just in front of tournament favorite Dustin Johnson. The Spaniard will have to get hot with the putter which is usually his downfall, but if he can get some putts to fall then he should be in contention on Sunday.
PJ: Jordan Spieth (-121) over Rickie Fowler
With two second-place ties and a win in only three starts already on his Masters record, it’s no secret that August National sets up very well for Jordan Spieth. On the other hand, despite only one Top 10 finish in six Masters starts and a missed cut in 2016 that included a first round 80, Ricky Fowler has become a trendy pick to win the 2017 Masters.
To his credit, Fowler has played well so far this season, posting four Top 10 finishes and one win (The Honda Classic) in seven starts. With that said, Spieth is off to a very good start as well with four Top 10’s of his own, including a win at Pebble Beach. While Fowler certainly brings momentum into the week, Spieth’s current form and course history make him a very nice value at -121 to finish ahead of Rickie.
There are also plenty of prop bets available around the market and here are some notable ones via 5Dimes and BetOnline:
Will any player shoot 62 or lower in a round?
Yes +1200, No -2500
What will be the lowest round of the tournament?
Over 65.5 (+130), Under 65.5 (-160)
What will be the winning 72-hole score for the tournament?
Over 280.5 (+110), Under 280.5 (-140)
Who will win the Masters?
Johnson/Spieth/McIlroy +200, Field -260
What will the nationality of the winner be?
USA -140, Europe +280, Field +350
Will there be a hole-in-one?
Yes -150, No +120
Will there be an albatross? (double eagle or -3 on one hole)
Yes +1600, No -4000
Will any player win wire-to-wire? (lead or share lead after every round)
Yes +1000, No -2000
Will Dustin Johnson win wire-to-wire?
Yes +3300, No -10000
Will there be a playoff?
Yes +280, No -370
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