Generally, it’s the big names who win the Masters.
Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Hideki Matsuyama, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods have won the last five Green Jackets, so it’s been a while since we’ve seen a true shock winner at Augusta.
Danny Willett in 2016 was surely a surprise, but he was odds-on at 66/1 in the first round, and Patrick Reed qualified when he won the green jacket in 2011.
And even though it was a long time ago, it was part of a period where we regularly saw dark horses win at Augusta.
Zach Johnson, Trevor Immelman and Angel Cabrera won in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively, and they had odds over 100/1.
It would be truly astounding if a triple-digit long shot could shake up this field, but Augusta National is a place where magical things can happen and this has been the year of the long shot in golf, so why not throw in a few… some. darts this week?
Best long-term Masters bets
Sungjae Im (125/1, Caesars)
It’s been a tough year for Sungjae Im and his 10-man performance at the Valspar Championship in late March seemed like a defining moment for the 26-year-old.
And while it’s never fun to back a player in that kind of form, the formula changes a bit when you get a player with Im’s ceiling at that price.
And it definitely becomes more acceptable when you consider Im’s history at Augusta National.
The South Korean has played at the Masters four times and already has a second place, a T8 and a T16 under his belt.
Maybe this is where Sungjae gets back on track.
Sergio Garcia (150/1, FanDuel)
There are always one or two surprising names at the top of the rankings at the end of each Masters and I wouldn’t be shocked if Sergio Garcia ticked that box this year.
The Spaniard is coming off a runner-up finish at LIV Miami last week and is a past winner at Augusta, so you don’t need to do too much work to find the logic in a punt on Garcia at this price.
Nick Taylor (250/1, FanDuel)
Most people want to back players with a lot of experience at Augusta National, but Nick Taylor may be the exception at this price.
The Winnipeg native is a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and has demonstrated an innate ability to stay calm in big moments.
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Taylor won a triple-digit distance shot at Waste Management – another tournament with a monster field – in February and it was the second time he lifted a trophy after the playoffs.
This bodes well in a tournament that usually comes down to keeping your cool in big situations.
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