Prodigious length and the most recent major winner or the hottest player on the planet over the past five months?
Sportsbooks have installed Bryson DeCheambeau and Dustin Johnson as the betting favorites entering Masters week. DeChambeau has been the favorite ahead of August at most books since winning the U.S. Open in September. Johnson has been No. 2, and the top-ranked player in the world shrunk the gap with his runner-up finish at the Houston Open on Sunday.
They are co-favorites by BetRivers.com (+800) and PointsBet (+900), while FanDuel was offering DeChambeau at +900 and Johnson at +950 on Monday.
Both seeking first Masters win
DeChambeau’s best Masters finish was a tie for 21st four years ago. Sixth in the official world golf rankings, he has played only once since his U.S. Open triumph.
DeChambeau tied for eighth at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, then retreated to his home in Dallas to work on the 48-inch driver he has been planning to debut at Augusta.
Johnson tied for second a shot behind Tiger Woods at last year’s Masters. He returned from a bout with COVID-19 to finish second in Houston, where he shot 66-66-65 after an opening-round 72.
It marked Johnson’s sixth consecutive top-six finish, including a win at The Northern Trust to kick off the FedEx Cup Playoffs, which he ultimately won.
PointsBet is offering a prop bet with -10000 odds that either player will finish in the top 10, including ties.
Everyone a threat at Augusta
Of course, most everyone in the 93-player field – Sergio Garcia had to withdraw Monday due to a positive COVID-19 test – is a legitimate threat to win the green jacket.
Spain’s Jon Rahm was being offered at +1000 at BetRivers.com and PointsBet on Monday, while FanDuel listed the world No. 2 at +1100. Justin Thomas is the fourth betting favorite at most sportsbooks, including +1200 at BetRivers and FanDuel and +1300 along with Rory McIlroy at PointsBet. BetRivers.com was also offering McIlroy at +1300, while FanDuel had him at +1400.
Not among the pre-tournament favorites is Woods, the reigning champion and five-time Masters winner.
Now ranked 33rd in the world and without a top-30 finish in six events he has opened since the PGA Tour resumed in June, Woods missed the cut at the U.S. Open and tied for 72nd in his most recent start at the Zozo Championship.
Woods was being offered at +3300 by PointsBet on Monday with FanDuel and BetRivers both listing him at +4000. That left him outside of the top 10 betting favorites at all three books. PointsBet was offering Woods at +260 to miss the cut, meaning a $10 bet would return $26 if Woods fails to reach the weekend. Meanwhile, FanDuel listed Woods at -375 to make the cut.
PointsBet also listed Woods at +750 to finish in the top 5, +320 to finish in the top 10 and +130 to finish in the top 20.
Top former champ? Top Masters newcomer?
There are 16 former champions in the field, half of whom qualify for the Champions tour. In a prop bet to finish highest among former winners at Augusta, two-time champion Bubba Watson was the favorite at +400, followed by Patrick Reed at +450, Adam Scott and Woods at +550 and Jordan Spieth at +650.
Watson was also the -175 favorite at PointsBet to be the top left-hander this week. Phil Mickelson, coming off a missed cut in Houston, was +185, followed by China’s 20-year-old Yuxin Lin (+1100) and 2003 champion Mike Weir (+1400).
Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa was the favorite among the 26 first-time Masters participants.
The PGA Championship winner was being offered at +470 among players making their Augusta debuts, ahead of U.S. Open runner-up Matthew Wolff at +550, Scottie Scheffler at +650, Cameron Champ at +900 and Sungjae Im and Jason Kokrak at +1000. –Field Level Media ()