The Masters Preview
The Masters
November 12 – November 15
Augusta National Golf Club | Augusta, GA
Par 72 – 7,475 Yards
Carlos Ortiz (-15) held off Hideki Matsuyama (-11) and Dustin Johnson (-11) to win the Houston Open last week and was a part of some very solid DFS lineups. On the betting side had Talor Gooch top 5 at +1400 but enough time on the Houston Open….
The 2020 Masters in November rather than April may feel a little strange but the hype is still there with Tiger (+3300) the defending champ. Tiger won his 5th green jacket at the 2019 Masters finishing 13-under; beating out Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele by one stroke. This year, favorites include Bryson (+800), DJ (+900), Jon Rahm (+1000), Justin Thomas (+1100) and Rory McIlroy (+1400). Some of the past winners: Patrick Reed (+2800), Bubba Watson (+2800), Adam Scott (+6600) and Jordan Spieth (+6600).
It’s hard to ignore course history at a place like Augusta, with Tiger Woods (5 wins), Phil Mickelson (3), and Bubba Watson (2) all in the field this week. DJ has four top 10’s in a row; Rory five of last six years top 10; Spieth with a win plus three more top 3’s and Rickie Fowler with five top 12 place finishes. So, giving a little extra weight to course history might make sense at the Masters where your game will be tested.
The Course
Augusta National Golf Club | Augusta, GA
Par 72 – 7,475 Yards
Par 3’s: 240, 180, 155, 170
Par 4’s: 445, 350, 495, 450, 460, 495, 505, 440, 440, 465
Par 5’s: 575, 570, 510, 530
Augusta plays long (especially if a little softer in November) and has always been known as a second shot golf course, so driving distance and Strokes Gained: Approach will be key stats this week. Winners will get to at least double digits and maybe as low as 18-under like Jordan Spieth in his 2015 win; this means birdie or better percentage is still a factor even if we don’t expect a “birdie fest”.
With four par 5’s this week and two (#13 and #15) providing plenty of eagle opportunities, par 5 scoring is a must to stay in contention. The combination of long par 4’s and par 3’s could make the 125-150 yard and 150-175 yard proximity stats a differentiator.
Lastly, Augusta has unique greens that require a strong around the green game and good putting so don’t discount consistency in those areas.
Past Winners
2019: Tiger Woods (-13) def. DJ, Koepka, Schauffele (-12)
2018: Patrick Reed (-15) def. Rickie Fowler (-14)
2017: Sergio Garcia (-9) def. Justin Rose (Playoff)
2016: Danny Willett (-5) def. Jordan Spieth, Lee Westwood (-2)
2015: Jordan Spieth (-18) def. Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose (-14)
2014: Bubba Watson (-8) def. Jonas Blixt, Jordan Spieth (-5)
2013: Adam Scott (-9) def. Angel Cabrera (Playoff)
2012: Bubba Watson (-10) def. Louis Oosthuizen (Playoff)
2011: Charl Schwartzel (-14) def. Jason Day, Adam Scott (-12)
2010: Phil Mickelson (-16) def. Less Westwood (-13)