The Masters is a major golf tournament which takes place each April. There are four tournaments which are considered to be ‘majors’ with the Masters being the first one of the calendar year. This often sets the tone for the rest of the season.
It is an historic event which is watched by millions of golf enthusiasts around the world and the tournament regularly provides a tense and nerve-wracking final round which keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. The course has undergone a number of improvements and changes over the years but still retains its original charm.
Unlike the other majors, the Masters is always played at the same venue with the Augusta National Golf Course playing host to the tournament. It began in 1934 and was originally known as the Augusta National Invitational.
Winners will be awarded the iconic green jacket and achieving this is seen as one of the biggest achievements in sport. They will also become an honorary member of the golf club as a result. Jack Nicklaus holds the record with six tournament victories, his last success came in 1986.
2019 Prediction Report
Jordan Spieth currently has the joint-highest implied probability of winning the 2019 Masters. He is level with Tiger Woods, whose probability dropped after a poor performance in the Hero World Challenge and a loss to Phil Mickelson in “The Match”.
Woods is a four-time Masters winner and will hoping to secure his fifth title in April. He has spent some time away from the game but returned in 2018 and it wasn’t long until he was back amongst the winners. Woods was victorious in Atlanta back in September 2018, beating Billy Horschel in the 2018 Tour Championship. Following this success, he was reinstated as the favourite with a 10% implied probability of winning another major with the Masters the most likely outcome.
Spieth is a former Masters champions and despite a below-par 2018 at all four majors, punters are still confident of his chances in Augusta. He is experienced at the course and he’s always likely to make the cut here. He has never finished outside of the top 11 at the tournament and he will always give his backers a run for their money.
Dustin Johnson is third in the betting and has an implied probability of 9.09%. He is another incredibly consistent player who has achieved three straight top ten finishes at the first major of the season. He quietly put himself into contention in 2018 and is likely to put on a decent show once more. He made two top ten finishes last season but missing the cut at The Open and coming Tied 27th in the PGA has the market confidence in his chances drift ever so slightly during the latter part of 2018.
Rory McIlroy also has an implied probability of 9.09% and his price has also drifted since September 2018. The Irishman is considering turning his back on the European Tour in 2019 and concentrating on the PGA Tour instead. McIlroy claims this move would help him win more majors but despite this bold claim, his probability has decreased.
Brooks Koepka is one of the few players whose odds have shortened and his implied probability has increased. He is the fifth favourite with many of the best bookmakers and is ranked amongst the best chances of success in 2019. He has an implied probability of 7.69% and following his rise to number one in the rankings, his chances of adding another major to his recent haul is a real possibility.
Last Year
The 82nd edition of the Masters was suitably entertaining and was won by Patrick Reed, who claimed the green jacket for the first time. His final round of 71 secured his first major title finishing narrowly ahead of Rickie Fowler. Joint-favourite for the 2019 tournament, Jordan Spieth finished in third ahead of Spain’s Jon Rahm.
It was a hugely enjoyable tournament and made all the more impressive by the final round average of 70.49 which is believed to be the lowest single round scoring average in the history of the major.
There were four players tied fifth including Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson.
