Masters Betting Odds

Jordan Spieth: 6-1

Rory McILroy: 8-1

Dustin Johnson: 9-1

Jason Day: 12-1

Hideki Matsuyama: 14-1

Rickie Fowler: 22-1

Adam Scott: 22-1

Justin Thomas: 25-1

Phil Mickelson: 25-1

Justin Rose: 25-1

Masters Pairings and Tee Times: Round One

Three time Masters champion Phil Mickelson will be paired with Ernie Els and Justin Rose.

Here are notable Masters pairings and tee times for Thursday.

9:13 am (Angel Cabrera, Gary Woodland, Ian Poulter)

9:35 am (Graeme McDowell, Rickie Fowler, Jimmy Walker)

9:57 am (Zach Johnson, KJ Choi, Steve Stricker)

10:41 am (Adam Scott, Jason Dufner, Matt Fitzpatrick)

10:52 am (Jordan Spieth, Rory McILroy, Top Five Reed)

12:20 pm (Matt Kuchar, Louis Oosthuizen, T. Jaidee)

1:04 pm (Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Henrik Stenson)

1:15 pm (Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Luke Donald)

1:37 pm (Keegan Bradley, Victor Dubuisson, Peter Hanson)

1:48 pm (Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Justin Rose)

1:59 pm (Harris English, Lee Westwood, Russell Henley)

Masters Prop Bets

Jason Day is a favorite to win the Masters in 2014

With the Masters beginning this Thursday, here are a few examples of prop bets that can be made.

Will there be a course record set at the Masters? (62 or lower)

Will there be a left handed winner this year at the Masters? (In the last decade, Mickelson has won three, Bubba Watson and Mike Weir have one each)

Will there be a playoff at the Masters?

Will there be an albatross at the Masters?

Will there be a hole in one at the Masters?

Will Jason Day make a hole in one at the Masters?

What will Phil Mickelson score on the first hole of the Masters?

Betting Odds: Favorites to win the Masters
Betting Odds: Longshots to win the Masters

Masters Betting Odds 2014: Favorites to win

Rory McILroy at Augusta National

Masters Betting Odds: Favorites to win

Rory McILroy: 7-1
Adam Scott: 9-1
Phil Mickelson: 12-1
Jason Day: 14-1
Dustin Johnson: 16-1
Henrik Stenson: 18-1
Bubba Watson: 20-1
Matt Kuchar: 20-1
Jordan Spieth: 25-1
Justin Rose: 25-1
Zack Johnson: 25-1
Keegan Bradley: 28-1
Sergio Garcia: 28-1
Charl Schwartzel: 40-1
Hunter Mahan: 40-1
Jason Dufner: 40-1
Angel Cabrera: 50-1
Graeme McDowell: 50-1
Harris English: 50-1
Patrick Reed: 50-1
Jimmy Walker: 55-1

Longshots to win

Masters Betting Odds 2014: Longshots to win

Ernie Els

Masters betting odds to win:

K.J. Choi: 100-1
Marc Leishman: 100-1
Ernie Els: 125-1
Martin Kaymer: 125-1
Matteo Manassero: 125-1
Billy Horschel: 125-1
Fred Couples: 150-1
Tim Clark: 200-1
Kevin Stadler: 200-1
Stewart Cink: 250-1
Vijay Singh: 250-1
Y.E. Yang: 250-1
Steven Bowditch: 300-1
Darren Clarke: 400-1
Mike Weir: 500-1
Bernard Langer: 500-1
Tom Watson: 1000-1
Sandy Lyle: 2000-1

Adam Scott makes putt to win 2013 Masters in playoff

Tiger Woods gets screwed by hitting pin at 2013 Masters

Tiger Woods wins Masters in 1997

Tiger Woods chips in at 16th Hole at Masters in 2005

Phil Mickelson hits shot through the trees during 2010 Masters

Louis Oosthuizen makes albatross at 2012 Masters

Tiger Woods out of Masters after back surgery

Tiger Woods announced on his website that he has withdrawn from the Masters after undergoing back surgery earlier in the week. He will miss the Masters for the first time in his career and his chase of the record books will have to wait.

"It's tough right now, but I'm absolutely optimistic about the future," Woods said. "There are a couple of records by two outstanding individuals and players that I hope one day to break. As I've said many times, Sam and Jack reached their milestones over an entire career. I plan to have a lot of years left in mine."

His target date to attempt to return will most likely be the U.S. Open at Pinehurst beginning on June 12th. 

Augusta National Golf Course Flyover Video

A flyover of Augusta National (Holes 1-18) with the classic Masters music.

What does the winner of the Masters get?

The winner of the Masters receives a lifetime invitation to future Masters, as well as five year exemptions to the U.S. Open, the British Open, and the PGA Championship. The player also receives a five year membership to the PGA Tour as well as a five year exemption for the Players Championship. The champion also of course gets the green jacket.

Masters Tournament Records

 

Masters Tournament Records:

Most wins:
Jack Nicklaus (6)
Tiger Woods (4)
Arnold Palmer (4)

Most runner up finishes:
Jack Nicklaus (4)
Ben Hogan (4)
Tom Weiskopf (4)

Most top 5 finishes:
Jack Nicklaus (15)
Tiger Woods (11)

Most consecutive years played:
Arnold Palmer (50) 1955-2004

Lowest score front nine: (30)
Johnny Miller, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, KJ Choi

Lowest score back nine:  (29)
David Toms, Mark Calcavecchia

Lowest score: (63)
Greg Norman, Nick Price

Lowest score 72 Holes: 270
Tiger Woods (1997)

Most career eagles: 24
Jack Nicklaus

Most career birdies: 506
Jack Nicklaus

Most birdies in a round: 11
Anthony Kim (2009)

Most consecutive birdies: 7
Tiger Woods, Steve Pate

Largest margin of victory: 12
Tiger Woods (1997)

Highest score on one hole: 13
Tom Weiskopf (hole 12), Tommy Nakijima (hole 13)

The Course Design of Augusta National

Augusta National Golf Club was originally a 365-acre indigo plantation. By 1857 it had become a plant nursery. At the height of the Depression the property was purchased by Bobby Jones, the brilliant amateur, and a friend of his named Clifford Roberts. Together they hired a Scottish golf architect, Alister MacKenzie, to design a course. There were American architects they could have hired, but Bobby Jones didn't want an American course - he felt they were too prescriptive. He wanted MacKenzie to design a golf course where every hole presented a problem or a puzzle for players.

Bobby Jones also wanted a course like St. Andrews in Scotland, with wide fairways, undulating greens, and bunkers that came into play only if a shot was mishit. He wanted each hole to look wide-open from the tee, and playable for any high handicapper, a hole that was a hard par and a difficult birdie.

Jones also borrowed ideas from Sara Bay in Sarasota, Florida, a course built by the American golf architect, Donald Ross, with elevated greens that required pinpoint approach shots on the slopes and crowns.

Together, Jones and MacKenzie created what today is called the Doctrine of Deception. Rather than holes where it seems clear what a player needs to do, they built holes where golfers think they have two or three chances, and therefore try a shot that is above their ability. And that's why the Masters tournament is so thrilling. The winner is always the player who can pull off the impossible shot. And playing the impossible shot is the only way to win the green jacket at the Masters.

Excerpt from the book The Caddie who won the Masters by John Coyne:

Augusta National Hole by Hole Names

Each hole at Augusta National is named after a flower or tree.

Masters Past Champions

Adam Scott wins the 2013 Masters in a playoff.

The past 20 Masters Champions:

2013: Adam Scott
2012: Bubba Watson
2011: Charl Schwartzel
2010: Phil Mickelson
2009: Angel Cabrera
2008: Trevor Immelman
2007: Zach Johnson
2006: Phil Mickelson
2005: Tiger Woods
2004: Phil Mickelson
2003: Mike Weir
2002: Tiger Woods
2001: Tiger Woods
2000: Vijay Singh
1999: Jose Maria Olazabal
1998: Mark O'Meara
1997: Tiger Woods
1996: Nick Faldo
1995: Ben Crenshaw
1994: Jose Maria Olazabal

Complete List of Champions

Masters Champions: By the Numbers

Yes sir!

Players with the most Masters victories:
Jack Nicklaus: 6
Tiger Woods: 4
Arnold Palmer: 4
Phil Mickelson: 3
Sam Snead: 3
Gary Player: 3
Nick Faldo: 3
Jimmy Demaret: 3

First champion: Horton Smith (1934)
Most recent champion: Adam Scott (2013)
Youngest champion: Tiger Woods (1997) age 21
Oldest champion: Jack Nicklaus (1986) age 46

Wins by Nationality:
United States: 57
South Africa: 5
Spain: 4
England: 3
Germany: 2
Scotland, Wales, Fiji, Canada, Argentina, Australia: 1

Number of playoffs in Masters history: 16

Masters History and Traditions

Adam Scott of Australia with the Green Jacket after winning the Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

The Masters began in 1934 at Augusta National, designed by Bobby Jones and Alistair Mackenzie. The tournament is scheduled for the beginning of April and is the only major played at the same course every year.

A green jacket is awarded to the winner, a tradition which began in 1949. The champions dinner, held each Tuesday of tournament week, was started by Ben Hogan and is only open to former champions and certain board members.

On each Wednesday, there is a par-3 tournament at a par-3 course at Augusta with many of the player's kids caddying for them.

Each tournament begins with an honorary tee shot, performed in the past by golf legends Nicklaus, Palmer, Snead, and Sarazen, among others.

The winner of the Masters receives a lifetime exemption into the tournament, plus a five year exemption on the PGA Tour, as well as a five year exemption into the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship, and the Player's Championship.

Jack Nicklaus has won the most green jackets with six while Arnold Palmer and Tiger Wood have four wins each. Phil Mickelson most recently won in 2010 and has three. The defending champion is Adam Scott, who won in a playoff over Angel Cabrera and became the first Australian to win the Masters.