What are most golfers’ pre-Masters tournament strategy?
Assessing pre-Masters tournament strategies for PGA player’s concentration, field quality, novice participation, and underdog trends ahead of Augusta.
SportsGrid
The 2024 Masters Tournament is almost here. The biggest golf event of the year features dozens of the top players in the sport competing at Augusta National Golf Club over four days.
But who will win the major tournament? Last year, Jon Rahm won by four strokes over Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson. In 2024, Rahm’s played well since switching to LIV Golf. Scottie Scheffler, the 2022 Masters winner, has looked like one of the best golfers in the world so far this year. Koepka’s finished second in Augusta twice; 2024 could be the year he finally breaks through.
A first-time winner’s donned the green jacket in eight of the past nine years and Augusta could see another new name hoist the trophy in 2024.
Masters 2024 predictions, odds: How will Tiger Woods perform in the Masters this year?
2024 Masters Tournament predictions roundup
The Augusta Chronicle: Scottie Scheffler is the top pick
Tyler Palmateer writes: “He’s the favorite, having won at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship in back-to-back weeks earlier this season, followed by a runner-up finish at the Houston Open. Scheffler ranks atop nearly all of the PGA Tour’s ball-striking statistical categories. Can he really keep this streak going? If he wins at Augusta National, he’d have won three of his past four starts, including The Players and Masters, with a runner-up finish squeezed in.”
Golfweek: Long shot: Nick Dunlap
Adam Thompson writes: “Dunlap is just 20, he just turned pro, and first-time Masters golfers don’t win it (Fuzzy Zoeller was the last to do it, in 1979). But Dunlap is different… In his short time on the Tour, he ranks No. 1 in fewest puts, No. 2 in Par-5 Scoring and Top 10 in driving distance – all key attributes to own at Augusta. He’s had just one other Top 40 finish in six starts, so he’s a big-time dark horse, but the value is too much to pass up.”
Ben Everill, PGATour.com: Xander Schauffele
Everill says: “Look, we all know Scheffler has the chance to take this tournament and run with it but my process of elimination story brought me a winner last year and I’m banking it can do it again. Schauffele is ready to contend again… and you have to be knocking on the door to eventually be let in. Back off my blacklist and into the furnace!”
DraftKings Network: Scottie Scheffler
Landon Silinsky writes: “No one on the planet right now comes close to Scheffler, and both the numbers and eye test bear that out… The talent gap between Scheffler and the field right now is approaching peak-Tiger levels. So far in 2024, Scheffler has seven top-10 finishes in eight starts, which include two wins and two additional top-three finishes across his past five. He won the Masters in 2022 in dominant fashion and followed that up with a T10 in his title defense last year. It’s hard to imagine him not sitting within two to three strokes of the lead come Sunday evening.”
Chris Breece, PGATour.com: Scottie Scheffler
Breece says: “I’ll be that guy. My three finalists were him, Spieth and Schauffele. It came down to who I trusted most to win. And it’s not even close.”
Will Gray, PGATour.com: Long shot: Russell Henley
Gray writes: “The former Georgia Bulldog finished T4 here a year ago and has been known to heat up on the greens from time to time. Two top-5s in his last three starts show signs of promise.”
Washington Post: Long shot: Cameron Young
Matt Bonesteel says: “Young is coming off a tie for seventh at last year’s Masters, has four top-10s this year and is respectable enough on par-4s (12th in par-4 birdie or better, 31st in par-4 scoring). And while Young has yet to win on the PGA Tour, he has four top-10s in major tournaments, including a tie for eighth at last year’s British Open. A win is coming, and it could be at Augusta National.”
2024 Masters Tournament odds
Scottie Scheffler is the heavy favorite for victory in Augusta, BetMGM golf odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering sports betting promos in 2024.
Odds as of Tuesday afternoon.
- Scottie Scheffler (+400)
- Rory McIlroy (+1100)
- Jon Rahm (+1200)
- Xander Schauffele (+1400)
- Hideki Matsuyama (+1800)
- Brooks Koepka (+2000)
- Jordan Spieth (+2200)
- Joaquin Niemann (+2800)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2800)
- Wyndham Clark (+3000)
- Bryson DeChambeau (+3300)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (+3300)
- Viktor Hovland (+3300)
- Patrick Cantlay (+3500)
- Cameron Smith (+4000)
- Dustin Johnson (+4000)
- Justin Thomas (+4000)
- Tony Finau (+4000)
- Will Zalatoris (+4000)
- Cameron Young (+4500)
- Sahith Theegala (+4500)
- Shane Lowry (+4500)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+4500)
- Collin Morikawa (+5000)
- Max Homa (+5500)
- Sam Burns (+5500)
- Russell Henley (+6000)
- Jason Day (+6600)
- Tyrrell Hatton (+6600)
- Brian Harman (+6600)
- Corey Conners (+6600)
- Min Woo Lee (+6600)
- Patrick Reed (+6600)
- Si Woo Kim (+8000)
- Adam Scott (+9000)
- Akshay Bhatia (+9000)
- Denny McCarthy (+10000)
- Sergio Garcia (+10000)
- Sungjae Im (+10000)
- Byeong Hun An (+12500)
- Harris English (+12500)
- Rickie Fowler (+12500)
- Tom Kim (+12500)
- Justin Rose (+15000)
- Stephan Jaeger (+15000)
- Tiger Woods (+15000)
- Chris Kirk (+17500)
- Keegan Bradley (+17500)
- Kurt Kitayama (+17500)
- Adam Hadwin (+20000)
- Adrian Meronk (+20000)
- Erik Van Rooyen (+20000)
- Nick Taylor (+20000)
- Nicolai Hojgaard (+20000)
- Phil Mickelson (+20000)
- Sepp Straka (+20000)
- Taylor Moore (+20000)
- Thorbjorn Olesen (+20000)
- J.T. Poston (+22500)
- Adam Schenk (+25000)
- Austin Eckroat (+25000)
- Bubba Watson (+25000)
- Cameron Davis (+25000)
- Emiliano Grillo (+25000)
- Eric Cole (+25000)
- Gary Woodland (+25000)
- Matthieu Pavon (+25000)
- Nick Dunlap (+25000)
- Ryan Fox (+25000)
- Jake Knapp (+30000)
- Lucas Glover (+30000)
- Luke List (+30000)
- Charl Schwartzel (+35000)
- Lee Hodges (+40000)
- Peter Malnati (+40000)
- Danny Willett (+50000)
- Ryo Hisatsune (+50000)
- Grayson Murray (+60000)
- Camilo Villegas (+75000)
- Christo Lamprecht (+75000)
- Zach Johnson (+80000)
- Jasper Stubbs (+100000)
- Neal Shipley (+100000)
- Santiago De La Fuente (+100000)
- Stewart Hagestad (+100000)
- Fred Couples (+150000)
- Jose Maria Olazabal (+200000)
- Mike Weir (+200000)
- Vijay Singh (+200000)
2024 Masters Tournament schedule and how to watch
The Masters begins Thursday, April 11 and run through Sunday, April 14.
Round 1: Thursday, April 11
- Starting at 8:30 a.m. ET
- TV coverage: 3:00-7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: Masters.com (simulcast), CBSSports.com (desktop and mobile), CBS Sports App (desktop and mobile), ESPN+, Paramount+
Round 2: Friday, April 12
- Starting at 8:30 a.m. ET
- TV coverage: 3:00-7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN
- Streaming: Masters.com (simulcast), CBSSports.com (desktop and mobile), CBS Sports App (desktop and mobile), ESPN+, Paramount+
Round 3: Saturday, April 13
- Starting at 10:00 a.m. ET
- TV coverage: 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: CBSSports.com (simulcast), Paramount+ (simulcast), CBS Sports app (simulcast)
Round 4: Sunday, April 14
- Starting at 10:00 a.m. ET
- TV coverage: 2:00-7:00 p.m. ET
- Channel: CBS
- Streaming: CBSSports.com (simulcast), Paramount+ (simulcast), CBS Sports app (simulcast)
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