We’re going to teach you how to bet on the Masters. The Masters is one of the four Major golf tournaments on the PGA schedule and possibly one of the most popular events in professional sports. The Masters dates back to 1934 and is played at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia with the winner getting a signature green jacket! It is the first golf Major of the season as it takes place in April of every year.
For many golf fans, The Masters is also the start of the summer PGA Tour season even though tournaments have been going on for weeks, even months. This brings up the topic of how to bet on the Masters golf tournament. There are a few things you can do to better your chances heading into Masters week starting with understanding how the events exclusive field is set.
The Masters’ Field is Unlike Other Tournaments
Did you know that The Masters golf tournament is not run by the PGA? The Master field is unlike any other tournament in golf. It is an exclusive field set by strict criteria established by Augusta National and its governing body. The basic criteria are selecting past winners of the Masters, the top 12 finishers (and ties) from the former year’s Majors, any player that won a PGA Tour tournament the prior season and is ranked in the top 50 the week heading into the Master tournament.
There are also selections based on other requirements including amateur invitations from Augusta. This means that the majority of players in the Master’s field are the top players in the game. At the same time, there are plenty of ways that you can bet on the Masters Tournament.
How to Bet on the Masters – Bet Types
The most popular wager on the Masters and any golf tournament is probably a straight-up bet on which player is going to win outright. This is simply when you pick which player you think will end up winning the famed green jacket! Most of the time, I lean towards fading on the biggest names in a field unless I can back my selection with research and spotting a trend.
However, the Masters, like the other Majors, is loaded with big names! In this case, I look for scoring trends from past Masters. Of course, you could look for players with past wins which be easiest. It would help if you also looked for players with good finishes at the event. Dustin Johnson is a good example as he finished T2nd in 2019 before winning the following year in 2020.
This brings us to one of the other most popular ways to bet on the Masters. You can avoid picking an outright winner, which can seem intimidating at times. Instead, you can bet on golfers that you expect to finish inside the top five, top ten, fifteen, or even in the top 20. Offerings may be different depending on your wagering platform, but most sportsbooks offer this type of bet. And, all of the research done for picking an outright winner helps here too.
Masters Betting Trends
The above touches on an important topic in betting which is betting trends. Masters and PGA betting trends are best described as being how a player has done heading into the opening round. It’s the same way you would research a player heading into any tournament. Have they done well, have they made cuts over the last several events, have they finished T20 or better, have they won recently and more.
A big plus you have with the Masters when it comes to betting trends and other types of wagers is that the Masters is played at Augusta National every year. All of the other Majors rotate between courses. The reason this is important is that you can research stats on how many of the players have performed at the Masters in the past on the same course! This is an excellent opportunity to look for player trends on the same course while also factoring in their recent play heading into the event.
How to Bet on the Masters – Tips for Winning
There are several tips for winning money betting on the masters starting with taking the above two sections of this article into consideration! There are other things you can do as well and it starts with keeping up with any news related to the tournament.
First, keep an eye on the weather for Masters week. The event is held in early spring in Georgia which means it can be hot, cold, dry or wet. A wet course changes green speeds and how far a ball travels. Look for players that seem to do well in bad conditions. Changes to the course are also something to keep tabs on.
Augusta National does not change things too often, but they have moved tee boxes back, removed trees and tightened angles over the years. I like to keep tabs on any changes to the links at Augusta as well as any equipment changes players have made recently. Speaking of changes, look for media reports for any player that has a nagging injury no matter how small or recently had a life-changing event.
It’s as simple as doing an online search of your possible selections and seeing if something pops up that makes you pause. That could range from getting married, welcoming a new baby or winning a tournament before the Masters. Lastly, always look for prop bets that interest you.
If you can’t commit to a wager on the winner or the top five, then you could simply enjoy wagering on something smaller such as a prop bet. These types of bets will come up during Masters week and can range from who makes the cut, to the number of hole-in-ones or even lost balls by a player. It will depend on your platform, but these types of bets require less research and are based on having fun in the moment.
Regardless of how you wager, or what bets you place, knowing how to bet on the Masters golf tournament is essential when wagering on the outcome and props at Augusta National. It all starts with a bit of information – aka research. Knowing recent past Masters champions is a great way to start.
Past Winners of the Masters
- 2023 – Jon Rahm (276 overall) −12
- 2022 – Scottie Scheffler (278 overall) −10
- 2021 – Hideki Matsuyama (278 overall) −10
- 2020 – Dustin Johnson (268 overall) −20
- 2019 – Tiger Woods (275 overall) −13
- 2018 – Patrick Reed (273 overall) −15
- 2017 – Sergio Garcia (279 overall) −9
- 2016 – Danny Willett (283 overall) −5
- 2015 – Jordan Spieth (270 overall) −18
- 2014 – Bubba Watson (280 overall) −8
Lastly, check out media reports by simply entering a player’s name in a search engine and check out a few news articles to see if they are making swing or equipment changes. Or if they had a big event happen in their life recently. Combining some or all of the tips I’ve listed should help you make better-informed decisions when it comes to making your selections. Now that you know how to bet on the Masters, it’s time to start making money.