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Free Masters Preview for November 2020

The Masters:

A week we have waited for, for what has seemed an eternity. It’s 19 months since Augusta played host to the 2019 Masters, but now in November of the strangest year in many a year, we have ourselves a Winter treat. For sure it will be different. The ‘patrons’ will be missing, as will the Spring sunshine, but the mystique the Masters offers more than any other Major, remains. And in a season shaped in such a way that the 84th version comes to us as more dessert than starter, it has been longed for all the more. So many mini stories and talking points within the one tournament, and oh so many of the game’s elite players approaching this week with what appears to be their Sunday best. I for one can’t wait for it to begin. The quest now is to find some bets which offer us the best chance of making it not just enthralling viewing, but profitable also. The preview this week will take on a slightly different format to others, in the way I discuss leading contenders. 

*In another break from the norm, I will also issue a pre final round copy on Sunday. This will be sent out to subscribers by Midday Sunday. 

Course:

The world and its mother knows that The Masters comes to us from Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta, Georgia. The most manicured and beautiful setting in sport will still be that, in this 7 month later than normal slot. It will still be a 7475 yard Par 72, but given the forecast wet weather and the damp in the air, it will likely play much longer. Look at the winners here, and you will see distance from the tee clearly matters, but where The Masters is won and lost is from the fairways in. It really is the classic second shot golf course. Supreme approach play is King around here, and if that area of your game is out of kilter this week, it won’t matter where you have driven it. Approaches do not need to be wayward to lead to bogeys. Simply hitting the wrong portion of these heavily contoured greens can leave you in 3 putt territory. Miss your target altogether, and you will find your ball 30 or 40 yards from the target, having succumbed to the devilish sloped roll offs to these slick greens. Rain will no doubt see fairways softer than is typically the case, particularly the first couple of days, but the subair system installed here will still see the greens at a pace quicker than any other venue. Putting from 10-15ft will be crucial to convert any stellar approaches to birdies, and nerves of steel will be called upon to knock home those tricky downhill 6 footers for par. Knowing full well an 8 footer could await if you miss it! The average winning score over the past 10 years is 12 under par. I feel this may be bettered slightly this year. There are so many top players in excellent shape arriving here, and the soft conditions though making it longer may make it slightly easier to find your target, I can envisage 15 under par being required to be successful.

The Betting:

Those that read my previews regularly will know that price is key for any selection I put up. There are many players I could, and otherwise would, be interested in this week. But there is no point nominating someone who’s chances the market has afforded too much credit to.

This week’s market is headed up by Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson at the 9/1 mark. Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas tuck in then on the 10/1 and 12/1 mark respectively, followed closely by Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele at 14/1.

I do feel this is very much an event where the cream will rise to the top. I have 5 outright selections, but given the circumstances, I wouldn’t put anyone off having up to 10 or 12 each way bets! These circumstances are the following.

We have a limited field of just 94 starters. Of these, at least 15 have absolutely no chance. Of winning or placing. So we are down to under 80. Of these, it is very easy to put a line through approx 50 for chances of outright glory, and 20 who really don’t have any chance of getting near a place. Typically with limited fields such as this, we are left to make do with 6 places with most bookie firms. Here, we have up to a staggering 11 on offer. 3 then offer 10 places, and another offers 9. Augusta rewards class, and I find it hard to see us having a surprise winner here. A ‘throw enough shit at the wall’ approach may indeed be the best one given the terms this week, however I will try to be somewhat more selective!

Too Short For Me:

First up in this section for me, is the man who will get most column inches, Bryson DeChambeau. The media are smitten with the grip it and rip it approach he is likely to adopt here, and with a new driver in the bag (now confirmed he won’t use the new 48” this week) he could be hitting it into spots usually reserved for laid up/3rd shots. He certainly has to be feared here after his excellent display in closing out the US Open with a hefty 6 shots to spare. Whatever you think of him, that was mightily impressive. Some tv pundits will tell you he won it from the tee, but it was a clinical display on the greens that was the foundation of the win. He is no one trick pony. His length here will certainly be an advantage. If he’s accurate, he could be literally throwing balls onto the par 5 greens in two. A point Jordan Spieth made a few weeks ago was that he will be hitting it so far, that some of his landing areas will be up to 90 yards wide. That gives massive room for error, even if he is a bit wayward. And Augusta traditionally doesn’t punish waywardness, so his aggressive approach may reap massive dividends. That’s the case for, and I feel it is very easy made, too easy made in fact. Something so obvious is rarely over priced, and there are negatives which I feel have been slightly overlooked. The one area Bryson struggled in last season was his approach play. And as I alluded to earlier, that is where a Masters is traditionally won and lost. Yes, he will have less club in hand than most for his second shots, but if he isn’t dialled in with his irons and wedges, he will find trouble. Then we move to the greens. This stat could be tossed aside as simply small sample size, variance, or indeed just bad luck, but the fact is DeChambeau ranks last in strokes gained putting in the last 5 years here for anyone who has played at least 8 rounds. His putting won him the US Open, so it would certainly be a worry if it was to let him down here again. Maybe it is due to one of those reasons mentioned above, but equally it could be due to the fact he cannot use his beloved greens book here. So much of his game is scientific, and maybe when left to his own devices without that crutch, he struggles. Those worries are enough to make me believe he is too short here. He will be an intriguing watch for sure, but not one for my hard earned.

I’ve succumbed to giving Bryson too much column inches myself!!

Another who I feel is now too tight in the market to warrant support is Dustin Johnson. He though, was harder to leave out, as I feel he has an excellent chance of glory. I was with DJ last week in Houston, and he looked like rewarding that faith for much of Sunday. Unfortunately not only did he not ultimately deliver the goods, but he has also had 3 points knocked off his price here. At 12/1, I would have played. At 9/1 I see no juice left in the price. Of the top 10 in the market, I think he is the most likely to be in the hunt come Sunday. The flip side of that is, given the amount of opportunities he has had in majors and the fact he has only closed one out, I see him as less likely than a

few others to close the deal. It’s that niggle which sees me swerve single figure offers. If I was taking the scattergun approach though he would have to be included, as the 9/5 on a top 10 finish would equate to superb place terms.

I have often left players out of my Major staking plans on the basis that they haven’t got the job done in a big one yet. This has proven to be the wrong approach as so many recent winners have been major maidens. And that includes here at Augusta. With Jon Rahm though, I feel I would like to see him win one before viewing 11/1 as a price to be getting stuck into. For one of his prices, he has yet to be involved in the business end of many of the Big 4. I can leave him be here.

Justin Thomas is also a shade under priced in my opinion. He does have an ever improving record around here, and did lead the field in Strokes Gained Tee to Green last year, but he has yet to be involved in the business end of a Masters and I think that is a valuable asset to have in your armoury. And when playing at just 12/1, I would rather have that in the bank.

If DJ threw the cat amongst the pigeons with his weekend display at Houston, then Brooks Koepka threatened to land a grenade. He raced to 6 under par through 13 holes, and hoisted himself into contention for victory. The catalyst in that early birdie barrage though was a very hot putter, and it’s my view that the market has overreacted somewhat to it. Yes, he is Mr. Major, and he’s a bigger price than he has been for most of them in the last two years. But he still has to prove he’s back in the sort of form that saw him win in back to back years at both the US Open and US PGA.

My Selections:

Enough of who I haven’t backed, though I do feel it is important to outline why certain players haven’t made the cut, and let’s look at those I do feel are worthy of support.

I really like the chances of PATRICK CANTLAY here, and crucially I love his price of 25/1. He has all the attributes of a Masters Champion, and off the back of a massively confidence boosting win at the Zozo, I think now is his time.

The 28 year old Californian, now a 3 time winner on Tour, simply has no weaknesses to his game. He won’t be standing beside Bryson for their second shots, but he is by no means short. What happens from the fairway will matter more, and the last 3 seasons have seen him 19th/10th/18th for Strokes Gained on Approach to Green. Equally around the greens, he has few peers, and for the icing on the cake he has that streaky nature with the flat stick that you see in most Augusta winners. Injury and personal tragedy deprived the golfing world of Cantlay for much of his early 20s, but he is making up for lost time now. Indeed it was here back in 2012 that he showed the wider world just how precocious his talent was by landing the leading Amateur award. He didn’t return down Magnolia Lane until 2018 when he would have been disappointed with a missed cut. The school of thought that Augusta was a venue made for the game of Cantlay was reignited in no uncertain fashion last year. An eagle on the par 5 15th saw him leapfrog his way to the Sunday lead with 3 holes to play. It was all a bit too much at the time, as he squandered the chance of glory with bogeys at 16 and 17. Some will point to that, and the fact he has stalled when faced with other winning opportunities, and say that he isn’t solid enough in contention. I don’t agree.

Winning at Augusta is a learning curve, and last year’s disappointment will have left him readier than ever to land his first major. In all sports, winning becomes a habit, and repeating a process that has brought you success is key. I feel Cantlay’s win in the Zozo Championship on his last outing will leave him in a very good place coming here. That he mentioned words of encouragement from Tiger at last years Presidents Cup, as being instrumental in helping him over the line is another positive. When faced with a serious challenge there, Tiger simply told him, “It’s time to go to work”. It’s these words that he used to steady himself down the stretch at Sherwood, and having proved successful he will no doubt be convinced this will help him once again. Little things like this can ultimately prove very important.

Cantlay didn’t have too heavy a schedule since the resumption, and one felt he was all the while building towards a big end of year. His 8th place at the Shriners hinted that all was about to click shortly, and victory at Sherwood confirmed that. I see no reason why he won’t carry that form into this week. His approach play was back to it’s

brilliant best there, and given he is excellent in the 10-15ft putting range I mentioned earlier I find it hard to imagine he won’t be involved come the weekend here. At 25/1 with 9 places on offer, I see this as an absolutely cracking bet. 

He won’t be for everybody this week, but that is half the reason he is such a good bet, and I for one can’t let RORY MCILROY go unbacked here at 14/1.

I have often said that Rory has never produced a decent round here when it has really mattered. That might be slightly unfair on the Northern Irishman, but there is more than a grain of truth to it. Back in 2011 he sauntered into the final round with a 4 shot lead. With the pressure ramped up, he wilted in no uncertain manner. That was easily forgiven, he was young and inexperienced in such a position. His romp at the US Open a few weeks later laid much of that ghost to rest. But until he wins here, and as time goes on, it will still be talked about more than any other loss. He has produced some more excellent rounds since, but the majority of those have been from off the pace, with no real pressure applied. The exception to this was 2018 when he hit the front early in the final round, only to once again unravel having presented with a golden opportunity of the career grand slam. So why is this year different?

To me everything sets up perfectly for Rory to have his best shot at filling the one glaring void in his CV. For starters, Bryson with his new driver, and defending champion Tiger Woods, will demand the majority of the media attention. That has to help. When under less pressure, is when Rory has produced his best rounds here. That, and the whole Augusta mystique, will help Rory past his craving for fans. He won’t like that he’s not the centre of attention, though he does acknowledge it’s a blessing. Then we have the course. We know Rory can take Augusta apart, particularly the back 9 where he has no peers. But with the added rain of this week, with quite a deluge forecast for Thursday, it provides the perfect hunting ground for Rory to produce his major winning best. A long, rain softened tree lined layout is meat and drink to a peak form Rory, and the 29 birdie blitz at the Zozo suggested a peak wasn’t far away. He made too many errors there to be ultimately competitive, but as he declared himself, it’s easier to fix the bad stuff than find the good. He’s very close to his best.

The par 5s will be taken out of reach in two for much of the field, but not Rory. If he drives it as well as he did at the US Open and CJ Cup, he will set himself up to be very aggressive from the fairways. This again is where Rory is at his best. Fiddly little wedges can see him come up shy of some of his peers, but with iron in hand from distance, McIlroy is the chief. Had the Masters been in its traditional April slot, he would have arrived in superb form, and been an 8/1 shot. But the pressure to convert would have been immense. He now arrives 6 points bigger in the market, with a glimpse of that best on his most recent outing, without the media circus around him, and to a course now absolutely made for him. He hasn’t started this big a price here since 2011, and now is the time to get involved in him. The 9 places on offer would have seen us return a dividend in 4 of the last 6 years. I expect the same at worst this time around.

As much as Bryson’s length hogs the limelight, someone not far behind him but of far more natural power, is CAMERON CHAMP. It will be a big ask for him to shed his Major maiden tag in his first go at Augusta, but maybe the November slot will leave this all a little new to everybody. It won’t level the playing field altogether, but for any debutant, it can’t be a negative. What certainty aren’t negatives is Champs distance off the tee, and his recent excellent approach play. The putter too has become more friend than foe of late, and everything seems to be coming together for his first meaningful assault on major glory. In his 4 just major outings, he has made 3 cuts, including an excellent 10th at Harding Park just 3 months ago. A soft Augusta will let be as aggressive as he wants off the tee, and if he repeats his display from the fairways from the CJ Cup, I feel he will do enough damage on the Par 5s alone to be in with a serious shout. His price has changed since I wrote this, and though 70/1 is still acceptable, I wouldn’t be taking any lower. 

I have decided this is the best place to get with TONY FINAU. I had been toying with just having a hefty Top 20 bet, but with the amount of places on offer I feel playing him each way offers more value. People will crab his ability to get across the line until he does so again, but I will repeat myself in saying it doesn’t bother or worry me much at all. Winning is bloody hard, and on a couple of occasions he has bumped into someone playing superb Sunday gold. His final 18 holes at Harding Park certainly can’t be scoffed at, and he is just as likely to win a Major as a regular event. In his two Masters appearances to date he has finished 10th and 5th. He went out with Tiger Woods last year,

and similar to Cantlay’s Presidents Cup experience, that can only have been beneficial long term. A sizzling Saturday 63 showed just what the big man from Utah can do here when on his game, and on his game he is pretty much all the time at the moment. He has 7 Top 10s in Majors since 2017, the 2nd most of anybody, and has achieved that feat in each of his last 4 attempts. He clearly relishes the big stage on tougher layouts. He certainly won’t lack for length here, produced some eye catching approaches at Houston last week, and as ever the one area of worry will be the putter. Augusta greens have always been somewhat of a leveller in the putting department, and it’s never an area I really let sway my judgement too much. This could be the week Tony sees a few drop, and if it is he will be very much a threat to all. At 28/1 with 9 places, we are getting over 11/2 that he hits the frame. With the win part certainly no forlorn hope, and with the option of trading out of he goes short, I prefer it to taking the 3/1 for a straight Top 10 or evens for a Top 20. 

For fear of the piece becoming Jeremy Chapmanesque, I have another from towards to fore of the betting. This is where the winner is likely to come from though, and the extended place terms make these players very appealing. Especially someone as consistent in major championships as XANDER SCHAUFFELE.

Like Finau he also has 7 Major Top 10s to his name since 2017, and though loathe to come out with such statements, it does appear just a matter of time until he wins one. Again akin to Finau, many will crab his lack of success recently, but I for one do not question the bottle of this supreme competitor. Regular readers will have been on board for his ‘win’ at the Tour Championship, This doesn’t register as a win on Tour though, as it came in the 72 hole score market, rather than the TC outright. HIs display there though once again portrayed his prowess in these limited field events, and also how he can be relied upon to repeat previous good performances at the same venue. He pretty much owns East Lake, and I have often said how I find that and Augusta quite similar. To that extent, and given how he consistently elevates his performance for Majors, it was no surprise that he improved massively on his 2018 Masters debut, to finish runner up last year. His case pretty much makes itself from there. Like Cantlay, he is pretty much the supreme all rounder, he doesn’t have a weakness. His putting inside of 10ft is scarily good, he seems to have no fear of the one back, and this will always help around Augusta. He led the Tour in Par 5 scoring average last year, and any potential winner is going to have to do their damage on these 16 holes this week. His last 3 outings have seen him 5th at the US Open, runner up at the CJ Cup, and 17th at the Zozo where he shot the best score over the weekend. He seems to turn up on weekend leaderboards at the big events as frequently as Santa shows up at Christmas, and though for a win only bet I couldn’t advocate backing him at less than the current 14/1, the place terms enhance the quality of the bet. He is very much one of the most likely winners, and alongside DJ, maybe the most likely to contend. I can’t leave him out. 

Others of Note:

Many will nail their colours to the mast of two time champion Bubba Watson. For me the value in him has long since disappeared. Yes his long game has been in excellent shape of late, but given the strength of the head of the market I couldn’t see how anyone could have him shorter than the 30/1 on offer. Like so many above him in the market, a win wouldn’t surprise, but not for me at the price.

Tyrrell Hatton has the ability and short game skills required to be a winner here. I do wonder however if his ball flight and temperament are exactly what Augusta demands. I’ve often been critical of the Englishman’s chances, generally on hype and price grounds, but I am warming to him. I debated getting him on side here, but ultimately prefer others at the prices.

It was very hard to leave out Patrick Reed. If he was the same price in April, I would have had no hesitation in plumping for him. And it has little to do with his recent form, more so that I just feel there are more of the games elite in pristine form now. If adding another, it would have been him, and I wouldn’t put anyone off doing so. But I have preferred to back him in another market, where I feel he is an excellent bet. More of that further down. 

Jason Day and Adam Scott showed glimpses of their best in Houston last week, but I do still question if both are still struggling for peak fitness. Scarce sightings of Scott this year, and his collapse last week, suggest all is still not

100%. Day had a shocking Sunday having been favourite entering it, and though he has an enviable record around here, the 35/1 on offer doesn’t do much for me with the risks attached. I prefer another Australian to defeat both of them. Again. 

I should mention defending champ Tiger Woods, but more out of respect than any anticipation of a title challenge. He doesn’t look anywhere near the form that will be required to contend here, and I will be pleasantly surprised if he does.

Webb Simpson had a pretty poor record here until his top 5 last term. I wonder if lack of length will hinder him this time though.

This is a very competitive event amongst the top 30 or so in the betting, and I could go through a few more. All fall short on some ground or another, and the above 5 are who I go into battle with in the outright market.

Listen to my thoughts on Oddscracker Masters Podcast

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Alternative Markets:

Top Former Winner:

I left PATRICK REED out of the outright staking plan, but am very happy to have on the team sheet here. Winner here in 2018, perhaps unsurprisingly given returning champions poor record, he finished down the field last year. But that win 2 years ago proved what always looked likely on paper, that Augusta would be the most likely venue for a Reed major win. He arrives here in serious nick, not having finished outside the top 14 in his last 4 starts. He will scrap for every shot here, save more than most around the greens, and the errant tee shots of late won’t be punished as harshly here. He is highly likely to contend, and given the powder puff nature of his rivals here, he likely won’t have to do much else. 

Bubba Watson is the market leader here, but he’s underpriced all round in my opinion, and though the biggest danger I wouldn’t be entertaining backing him. Adam Scott would have been of more interest, but for a worryingly poor weekend at Houston.

As I said earlier, I don’t like the chances of Tiger here, and Phil has been woeful in recent PGA Tour starts. Jordan Spieth is likely to have at least one tournament wrecking round, and Danny Willett seems out of love with the game at the moment. Zach Johnson is likely to find it all a bit long, and Charl Schwartzel contending would be highly surprising. All told Reed has very little to beat here, and though initial quotes of 9/2 have disappeared (due in part to Garcia withdrawal) the current 4/1 is still much too big. He is the best bet of the alternative markets for me. 

Top South African:

Again, I don’t think much for the chances of Schwartzel, and Cristiaan Bezuidenhout hasn’t been advertising his claims of late. The advantage may be diminished this year, but I do like that JUSTIN HARDING has a previous Masters outing under his belt, in contrast to both Dylan Fritelli and Erik Van Rooyen. Of the two I would prefer EVR, but the market has afforded him plenty of respect. Obvious market leader is Louis Oosthuizen, who was runner up in the 2012 edition. Solid if not spectacular here since, he typically ups his game for the Big 4. You could say he hasn’t over performed here in recent years as much as he has in the other majors though, yet the market seems to have it as a given this week. He’s the one to beat in this section for sure, but the 10/1 on offer about Harding is too big to ignore. 

Not only does he have the course experience from last year, but very happy memories to go with. A superb 12th place finish was enough to be leading debutant, and he will relish the opportunity that gave him to come back here. He is a rare starter on the PGA Tour, typically only playing the best co sanctioned events, and the fact he has made 12 out of 16 cuts has to be admired. Like Finau, he clearly thrives on these tougher examinations and bigger stages. He had a nice lead in outing at Houston last week, where his putting stroke will have

instilled further confidence into him. I don’t for a minute think he should be 10/1 for this section, and should be backed.

Top Debutant:

An interesting sub section, which has plenty of participants this year. Collin Morikawa heads the market, but the US PGA champ has been rather inconsistent since, missing 3 of his last 6 cuts. Matt Wolff after a wonderfully consistent spell has also gone off the boil in his two latest starts. The biggest worry there being his long game has gone somewhat AWOL. Recent trends suggest Augusta isn’t somewhere you find your form. They do however deserve their places at the front of the market.

For me though, CAMERON CHAMP is the one to be on here. I really am keen on his chances this week, his recent improvement and flourishing iron play suggesting he will go very well at a venue set up for his game. He has really found his game of late, and will approach this week high in confidence, yet under the radar enough that he will be able to go about his own business without much media intervention or expectation.

Top Australian:

The last 3 occasions CAMERON SMITH has teed it up, I have backed him in this market. On all 3 occasions he has brought home the bacon. As I explained prior to the Zozo, previous collections are no reason to go in again unless the price is right. I didn’t expect to be reloading here, as I envisaged the odds compilers finally becoming wise to the talents of this young man. It appears they haven’t. The one worry I would have this week, is that he lacks a bit of distance from the tee. Otherwise, there is not much not to like, and I feel he should be just about favourite to land this section. 

A run of 10 made cuts in a row, featuring Top 20’s at The Northern Trust, BMW and CJ Cup, allied with a 4th place finish at the Zozo Championship, shows the type of form the 27 year old is in. He also has previous around here, with a Sunday 66 in 2018 giving his 2nd Top 5 finish in a Major. His recent top class form came as a result of his long game matching his prowess on the greens. Always a great putter, he was often shy of birdie looks. But he seems to have taken his game to the next level of late, and a repeat of his 2018 would be no surprise at all. He seems sure to give his true performance once again. 

The same cannot be said of his Aussie rivals here. I briefly discussed Adam Scott and Jason Day earlier, and though both clearly have excellent records around here, their well being has to be taken on trust. That isn’t something you want when taking a short priced option on board. For my money, Smith is the most likely of the trio to contend (if not quite the most likely to win outright), and this is what these subsections are all about. I wouldn’t worry about Marc Leishman one bit. I don’t know why, but he has been ultra negative off the tee of late, and if he continues that here, he will be taking long irons into far too many greens. He remains one to avoid. Lukas Michel won’t count. As such the 3/1 available on Smith, slightly bigger on the exchange in a market awaiting more liquidity, is an excellent bet in my opinion. 

First Round Leader:

I have fielded against JORDAN SPIETH in the Top Former Player category, but do feel he is worth taking a flyer on here at 50/1. Inconsistency has been killing the 2015 champ of late, a tournament wrecking number always seems to be just around the corner. Augusta though is his favourite hunting ground. Even when otherwise playing absolutely abysmally in 2018, he threatened victory here. Here last year was again one of his better performances of the year. If anything can inspire him, it’s this revered layout. I still feel he will throw in a couple of big numbers over the 4 days that will ruin his outright chances. But in an 18 hole shootout, at 45/1, given he has led after Round One on 3 of just 6 visits here, I am more than happy to roll the dice. 

Others of Interest:

I know many like extra interests in the weeks of majors, so I will run through some other markets where I was close to having a bet.

Top English:

I considered playing Lee Westwood here, but it’s a section I feel has a bit of depth this week. Just too much to take the 10/1 on Lee. Hatton aside, I wouldn’t be surprised if Justin Rose built on an improved showing at the Zozo to go well here.

Top 20/Top 40 Finish:

Again to Lee Westwood. 3/1 top price for a Top 20 finish is half a point shy of what I wanted to play him. The Top 40 market on Betfair is slowly taking shape, and it seems likely he may be available over even money there. Hang fire until there is some decent liquidity, but anything above evens would be worth a bet.

Lee has a tremendous record at The Masters. 8 of his last 10 appearances have produced Top 20 finishes, and though he’s not quite the player now that he was a few years ago, it is a venue where veterans can continue to shine. His recent outings on the PGA Tour have been very commendable, and last week’s missed cut at Houston was slightly unlucky. Keep an eye on the machine in both markets for prices in excess of what would be deemed acceptable.

Top Lefty/Top Continental Euro:

For all I feel Bubba Watson is too short in most markets, I would have him shorter than the 4/7 to account for Phil Mickelson in the battle of the lefties. After the withdrawal of Sergio Garcia, Jon Rahm probably only has to stay alive to land Top Cont Euro. The 5-6 on offer in PP looks big. Those that like a short priced double, this would be the route I would suggest.

Shane Lowry:

I’ve often alluded to the fact that I thought Augusta would be where Shane might land his first Major. I obviously got that wrong. I have looked around to get him onside this week, but unfortunately the bookies are taking no chances. 120 on the exchanges would have certainly been of interest if available in the shops with extended places.

To Miss The Cut:

Only currently Paddy Power pricing this up, and the 7/4 on Phil Mickelson missing the weekend is just too short to get involved. If more firms join in, and where to go 2/1, I would be interested. 

That’s all I have to offer on this, the best golfing week of the year. Below are the bets I feel offer the most value for those wishing to get involved.

Recommendations:

Outright:

2pts ew Patrick Cantlay 25/1 (⅕ odds 9 places, WH) *Anything 20/1 and up with 8+ places acceptable
2.5pts ew Rory McIlroy 14/1 (⅕ odds 9 places, WH) *Betfred 14/1 8 places + 13/1 7 place firms acceptable
2.5pts ew Xander Schauffele 14/1 (⅕ odds 10 places, PP/BFSB) * 9 places with WH acceptable
1.2pts ew Tony Finau 28/1 (⅕ odds 9 places, WH) *30/1 8 places Betfred, 28/1 365 8 places acceptable

**The Cameron Champ price has tightened up again. He’s still 80/1 to 7 places with 888/Unibet, but I won’t recommend that when they are the only firms going the price, and I don’t imagine any/many can get on. Down to 4 bets in the outright market.

Top Former Winner:

6pts Patrick Reed 9/2 (PP) *With Sergio now out, I feel anything from 3/1 upwards is acceptable here. The PP price is out of line.

Top South African:

2pts Justin Harding 10/1 (PP/BFSB/Betfred) *9/1 upwards acceptable

Top Debutant:

2.5pts Cameron Champ 10/1 (Betfred) *11/1 with Unibet – 9/1 and upwards acceptable

Top Australian:

6pts Cameron Smith 3/1 (General) *10/3 Unibet – 4.2 on Betfair – 5/2 and upwards acceptable

First Round Leader:

.6pt ew Jordan Spieth 50/1 (⅕ odds 6 places, Betfred/888) *40/1 upwards acceptable

A few of the above recommended prices have contracted since I sent this to current subscribers this morning. Rory McIlroy had far more to do with Ben Coley, and Steve Palmer, than me! I would still take the 12/1 to extended places, the amount on offer really is a loss leader for bookies this week. The 3/1-10/3 on Patrick Reed is also more than acceptable. I really fancy his chances of landing that section. As a relative unknown my previews will rarely shift prices, and my decision to leave Paul Jones at the ned of this year is to further protect that. 

No doubt an enjoyable week ahead, which can hopefully also be a profitable one! A reminder that I will issue a Pre Final Round Copy at approx Midday on Sunday.

How Much Does It Cost?

Just €100!!
2021 will see 35 Previews sent to subscribers Which means it works out as less than €3 per week.

Check out the Sample + Archived Copies to see what to expect for that small fee

How To Join?

Pay Ciaran Meagher by using PayPal.me

Just type in the amount. Since it’s PayPal it’s easy and secure.

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Don’t have a Paypal account? Then contact me at [email protected]