Nine months on since Cameron Smith won the Open Championship at St Andrews, the first major of the season is upon us as the green grass of Georgia beckons for the world’s best players.
The Masters may be ‘a tradition unlike any other’, but the wind of change has swept through Augusta National this year with 18 defectors to the Saudi-backed LIV Tour in the field this week.
A member of the PGA Tour when he secured the Claret Jug in July, Smith is one of the headliners of the LIV Golf contingent along with former Masters winners Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is probably better equipped than any of the recent Masters winners to defend his title, while Rory McIlroy looks primed to finally end a nine-year wait for a major.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, hasn’t given up hopes of contending at Augusta, despite struggling last year and facing renewed questions over whether this may his last appearance at the Masters.
Scottie Scheffler won the Masters last year by finishing three shots ahead of Rory McIlroy
Changes have come on the course too, with 35 yards added to the famous par-five 13th as organisers continue their quest to stymie the seemingly unstoppable proliferation of heavy hitters.
Last year, of the 17 eagles carded throughout the week at Augusta, six came at the 13th hole.
The changes may dissuade players from attacking the hole as ferociously this year or else they could find water at Rae’s Creek, which guards the front of the green and the left side of the fairway.
Here is Daily Mail Australia’s guide on where to find the best punts ahead of Augusta.
The Favourites
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler is an $8.50 favourite with Bet Right and arrives at Augusta on the back of defending his Phoenix Open title in February and winning The Players Championship last month.
Scheffler finished three strokes ahead of Rory McIlroy last year and the Northern Irishman is again among the leading contenders.
McIlroy has tried and failed to complete a career Grand Slam eight times but arrives at Augusta in complete control of his game and is the second-favourite at $10 alongside Jon Rahm.
The world No1, Scheffler arrives at Augusta National as the bookmakers’ favourite
McIlroy is the second-favourite as he bids to end a nine-year wait for a major title
Like Scheffler, the Spaniard has won two tournaments this year and has finished outside the top-10 at Augusta just twice in six appearances.
‘The top three in the market are super hard to beat and are generating a lot of betting support from Bet Rights pro punters,’ said Bet Right CEO Anthony Waller.
‘At $8.50 Scott Scheffler would nudge it. He’s had a great year and is the defending champ. The in form Rory McIlroy and John Rahm at $10 will be there or thereabout as well.’
The Aussies
Cameron Smith headlines the Aussie contingent at Augusta and is the shortest contender among the 18-strong LIV Golf defectors in the field.
The reigning Open champion has finished in the top-10 at Augusta four times in his last five starts, with a second and third-place finish in the last three years.
Smith, however, has struggled to recapture the form he showed at St Andrews last year and the Masters will be only his fourth start this year.
Meanwhile, 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott is firmly a dark horse at $81 and Min Woo Lee is a $67 shot after finishing in the top-30 in all three of his four major entries last year.
Cameron Smith is the shortest-priced Australian player in the field at Augusta
Min Woo Lee (left) is a $67 shot after finishing in the top-30 in all three of his four major entries last year, while 2013 Masters winner Adam Scott (right) is an $81 dark horse
‘There has been a slow trickle of money around the Aussies this year with most money on previous winner and LIV golfer Cameron Smith at $23 and the in form Jason Day at $26 who has three top-5 finishes at Augusta,’ said Waller.
‘We have written some good bets for the young Aussie Min Lee Woo at $67 who had a great 2022 in Majors finished T-14 in last years Masters and T – 21 in the Open Championship and T-27 In the US Open
‘Another previous Master winner Adam Scott is currently at $81.’
The Roughies
Tiger Woods is an $81 outsider, but knows Augusta National better than arguably anyone else in the field and betting against a five-time Masters champion is always a risk.
Woods finished 47th last year in his first start at Augusta since his near-fatal car accident, but has indicated his game and body are in a much better place than 12 months ago.
At $41 and $51 respectively, 2021 winner Hideki Matsuyama and 2019 Open winner Shane Lowry are also worth keeping an eye on, according to Waller.
‘Five-time winner Tiger Woods is at $81 and still generates plenty of betting interest despite all of his set backs of the past years,’ he said.
‘Hideki Matsuyama $41 has support and was the winner in 2021 and has a great record at Augusta.
‘With the weather forecast predicting some windy wet conditions, two players that have been specked by Bet Rights smart clients are Shane Lowry $51 and Danny Willett at $126
‘Other roughies specked are Kurt Kitayama at $126 and Corey Conners at $51.’
