The Masters 2023 Preview
The 2023 Masters is the first Major of the year and will be held, as usual, at the Augusta Country Club in Georgia, USA. It is held from Thursday 6th April to Sunday 9th April, with current world number one Scottie Scheffler looking to defend the famous Green Jacket he won 12 months ago.
The Augusta National is subject to frequent changes to the course design, ensuring it’s always hugely challenging. Winning The Masters requires a great mix of skills, but powerful driving is widely acknowledged as key at the event, and having the ability to play the course’s four par-5s (the 2nd, 8th, 13th and 15th holes) aggressively provides the best hope of shooting a low score.
So who will win The Masters 2023?
Scottie Scheffler tops a trio of players who lead the betting market at 7/1 with William Hill, after having successfully defended his title at the WM Phoenix Open in February and then winning The Players Championship by five strokes earlier this month. Scheffler is seeking to become the first player since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002 to win back-to-back Green Jackets.
Rory McIlroy is next up at 15/2 with 888sport. McIlroy had top-10 finishes in all four majors last year, including a 2nd place finish at the Masters. The Northern Irishman has also already won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour in 2023.
McIlroy’s last Major triumph was in 2014 and the only one he’s never won is the Masters (although he’s had seven top-10 finishes at the tournament).
The third of the market leaders is Spain’s Jon Rahm at 8/1 with Betway. Rahm has come off the boil a little in recent weeks, but he was on a superb run of consistent form in late 2022 and earlier this year. Indeed, Rahm has already won three tournaments in 2023 – Sentry Tournament of Champions, The American Express and The Genesis Invitational (what was actually his fifth tournament victory in nine starts). Rahm’s only Major to date was the US Open in 2021, but he has four top-10 finishes from six appearances at The Masters.
There’s something of a gap in betting after the in-form market leaders, with Jordan Spieth next up at 16/1 with BoyleSports. Spieth’s form has been mixed in 2023, with top-10 finishes at the WM Phoenix Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational, but he also missed cuts at the Sony Open in Hawaii and The Genesis Invitational. Spieth did win The Masters in 2015 though, and also finished tied-2nd in both 2014 and 2016, so shouldn’t be discounted.
Cameron Smith is an 18/1 chance with BetFred. The Australian’s best result in 2023 was a tie for 5th at the LIV Golf Mayakoba. Smith is looking to make history as the first LIV Tour member to win a Major.
Justin Thomas can be backed at odds of 20/1 with William Hill. He finished 4th at the WM Phoenix Open, but has no other top-10 placings in 2023.
Xander Schauffele is a 22/1 shot with 888sport, with Collin Morikawa also at 22/1 with SpreadEx and Patrick Cantlay is another 22/1 chance with Betway. Schauffele has secured top-10 finishes in The American Express and WM Phoenix Open in 2023. Morikawa finished runner-up to Rahm at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, but he actually held a six-shot lead after 54 holes. Cantlay has had a couple of decent results over recent months, having finished 3rd at The Genesis Invitational and 4th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
In-form Jon Rahm Could Be the Man to Beat at The Masters
The top three in the Masters 2023 betting odds look the worthy market leaders, but Jon Rahm has been very consistent until recently and looks worth a bet to secure a second Major in his career. Rahm has been particularly hot with his putter and his history at Augusta suggests he could take some stopping.
If looking for a relative outsider at decent odds, then Will Zalatoris could be worthy of consideration at 30/1 with BetFred. The 26-year-old Californian hasn’t had the best year to date, with a 4th place finish at The Genesis Invitational being his only top-10 finish in 2023.
However, Zalatoris already has six top-10 finishes in Majors in his short career to date, with his two previous appearances at The Masters seeing him finish 2nd, one stroke behind champion Hideki Matsuyama, in 2021, and tied-6th last year. He looks each-way value for another strong showing.
The Masters Best Bets
Jon Rahm @ 8/1 with Betway Sports
Will Zalatoris (Each Way) @ 30/1 with BetFred (1/5 odds, top-6 finish)
* Masters 2023 betting odds correct at the time of writing. Subject to changes.
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