The Excellence of The Masters’ Course Design
For golf aficionados and betters alike, the Augusta course is unique. It has such a long history that even the holes have their own names. The 1st hole was named 'The Tea Olive' due to the fragrant bush that surrounds this part of the Augusta course. The par four doglegs to the right and plays on an uphill gradient, and the players must be aware of wayward drives on the left being caught by the mature trees. It really is a stunning backdrop to this mighty tournament with high drama to be found on all 18 holes. Whether the action is on the long par 5s or even on the short par 3s; Hole No.4 Flowering Crab, Hole No. 6 Juniper, Hole No. 12 Golden Bell, Hole No. 16 Redbud it will challenge the most formidable competitors!
Naturally, for betting purposes, it is significant that the course has been developed and designed to such an extent that it is possible to study the course and even match players’ styles to individual holes. Bobby Jones would never have imagined how the course that he bought with his partner Cliff Roberts in 1930 would have developed to this level of perfect design.
Augusta National is 7475 yards in length Par 72 course:
- The Front 9, 3765 yards, Par 36:
- Hole 1 - 445 yards, Par 4
- Hole 2 - 575 yards, Par 5
- Hole 3 - 350 yards, Par 4
- Hole 4 - 240 yards, Par 3
- Hole 5 - 495 yards, Par 4
- Hole 6 - 180 yards, Par 3
- Hole 7 - 450 yards, Par 4
- Hole 8 - 570 yards, Par 5
- Hole 9 - 460 yards, Par 4
The Back 9, 3710 yards, Par 36:
- Hole 10 - 495 yards, Par 4
- Hole 11 - 505 yards, Par 4
- Hole 12 - 155 yards, Par 3
- Hole 13 - 510 yards, Par 5
- Hole 14 - 440 yards, Par 4
- Hole 15 - 530 yards, Par 5
- Hole 16 - 170 yards, Par 3
- Hole 17 - 440 yards, Par 4
- Hole 18 - 465 yards, Par 4
Anyone serious about studying the form must be aware of the so-called 'Amen Corner' comprising holes 11, 12 and 13. Who could ever imagine with the names; White Dogwood, Golden Bell and Azalea, respectively, it would produce what golf pundits agree is the most difficult part of the Augusta course.
Jordan Spieth, currently favourite win The 2023 Masters would not like to re-call his 2016 performance at Augusta. He was all set to defend his previous year's title but bogeyed (1 over par) on the 11th and then quadruple bogeying (4 over par) the innocently named Golden Bell, on the 12th.
Top Ranked Players at The Masters
What makes betting on The Masters great fun is that the odds, even for the favourites, are still quite long. For instance, it is common to find the favourites to win with prices such as 12-1, 14-1 and 16-1. In other words, even a small bet on the favourite can produce quite a return.
When betting on The Masters, it is important to consider all the facts and decide to go with the trends or buck them!
In the history of the Masters, only three players have ever won back to back: Tiger Woods in 2001 & 2002, Nick Faldo in 1989 & 1990 and Jack Nicklaus back in 1965 & 1966. Therefore, even though Scottie Scheffler is very likely to do well at Augusta next year, it will be an even greater accolade to win back to back!
Justin Thomas, another firm favourite, is also one to watch, having just recently become the 64th player to win, a staggering 15 times, on the PGA Tour. Winning the PGA Championship, he came from seven strokes behind to grapple and eventually win in the final round against the very talented Will Zalatoris.
John Rahm's present form is something worth considering if you want to place a bet. He has been consistently good in recent years and can proudly claim to have finished in the top 10 in each of the last four Masters Tournaments. He can also boast of having been the only player to finish within the top ten in all four majors!
Highly ranked and four times winner of the majors, Rory McIlroy has achieved 6 top 10 appearances at the Masters, which is the only major the Northern Irishman has not won. Aged 32 years old and having attained an impressive 20 PGA Tour wins he is another great choice for a bet on to win.
Greater Odds Mean Greater Returns
There are some brilliantly attractive odds available for Cameron Young. At this year's British Open at St. Andrew's, he was only just pushed out of the coveted 1st place by the 'other' Cameron, Cameron Smith! His style at St. Andrews would translate well at Augusta as the courses have some similar characteristics and are correlated accordingly. In fact, the 10th hole at the 'Old Course' is even named 'Bobby Jones' the famed designer of Augusta. Betting folk will see how he closes the season on the last few PGA Tour games.
Masters fans will be aware of Corey Connors, another outside bet. He has been known as 'Mr. Reliable' within golfing circles due to his efficiency at previous Masters. From 2019, Connors has had three top 10 finishes and put in a solid performance at St. Andrew's. According to stats, he is very solid when it comes to lengthy courses and is in fact rated at 10th position on play over 7,400 yards. Don't wait too long for the price to drop as he presently seems to be in fine form.
The Masters Insights and Tips
One more statistic that can help predict success at the Masters are strokes-gained around the green. Players must be accurate with approaches as they're likely to miss a few greens. Creative-minded players who can recover from these misses and escape with good scores will give themselves a chance to slip on the green jacket.
Also, remember there are a few correlated courses to Augusta National, so researching how a player has performed at those courses, Torrey Pines South, Riviera Country Club and Quail Hollow, can offer a real insight into a player's form.
Like so many things in life, the right mix of youth and experience is the key as 32 years old is the average age of a potential Masters champion. Winning on a debut, however, is a rare commodity. Debutante winners include; Horton Smith being the inaugural winner in 1934, Gene Sarazen's first try in 1935 and Fuzzy Zoeller's maiden outing in 1979.
The motto is surely 'if at first you don't succeed...' as on average, it takes six attempts at the Masters to win. Perseverance was undoubtedly the key to Sergio Garcia winning in 2017, as it was his 17th attempt at victory. It paid off.
However, you go about placing a bet on the Masters, be sure to keep an eye on the form as it looks set to be a classic in the making!