Our first major of the season has finally arrived. The Masters will be played at Augusta National Golf Club (par 72, 7,555 yards, bentgrass greens), which has been the only course to ever host the Masters since the major’s inception in 1934. There will be 95 players competing this week and there will be a top 50 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured some finishing position bets to consider for the Masters.
Sepp Straka for a Top 30 finish (+100)
Straka has been brilliant this season and is a must-bet for a top 30 finish at these +100 odds. The Austrian ranks second in the FedEx Cup Standings and he has only finished outside the top 30 once in 10 starts this season. Straka picked up the third PGA TOUR win of his career at the American Express in January, which is just one of his seven top 15 finishes this season. Straka ranks fifth in SG APP and second in par five performance, which is great news for Augusta National.
This course is a traditional par 72 with four par fives and, for three years running, the winner of the Masters has finished the major runner-up in par five efficiency. Straka carded a career-best T16 finish at Augusta National last season and he should comfortably finish inside the top 30 again this weekend.
Tom Hoge for a Top 40 finish (+125)
Hoge has finished inside the top 40 in one of his two starts at Augusta National and his form is excellent heading into this week’s Masters. Hoge has only missed one cut in 10 starts this season and, in his last two starts, the veteran finished T3 at THE PLAYERS Championship and T5 at the Valero Texas Open. Hoge gained strokes on approach and with his putter at both these tournaments, and he only shot over par once in these eight rounds, even though both these events were played in challenging conditions.
Hoge’s irons have always been his calling card and this season has been no exception. Currently, the 35-year-old ranks 12th on the PGA TOUR in SG APP and 10th in proximity to the holes on approach shots from 150-175 yards, which is a crucial range this week. At last year’s Masters, 19.5% of approach shots came from 150-175 yards. Hoge also ranks 15th in par five performance and he is awesome bet for a top 40 finish in this stellar form.
