The Masters

The big dance, one of the real golf weeks, the Masters held as usual at Augusta National, the brainchild of Robert Tyre Jones, the immortal. The facts.

The course was designed on an old large nursery of beautiful trees, rhododendrons, azaleas and other exotic flowers on an extremely hilly site featuring Rae’s Creek running through the lower portions which were used to create “Amen corner” perhaps the most dramatic holes on the course which has defined many winners and losers over the past 89 years.

The course designers were immortals, Alister Mackenzie designer of Royal Melbourne, Kingston Heath, Cypress Point, Alwoodley and Titirangi and Jones himself.

Measuring 7475 yards (6835m) after purchasing a neighbouring golf club, the course rating is a stiff 78.1 but a benign Slope of 137 which demonstrates Mackenzies mantra “that the course should be playable for all, but challenging for the best. Slippery fast greens measuring up to 14 on the stump meter and steep slopes test the very best putters. Traditionally certain players cannot win at the Masters, the great Lee Trevino stated he couldn’t win there because of a low fade as his preferred shot. The course strangely favours strong left handed players, important holes dogleft left and the small greens favour high soft shots the fade provides. Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelsen have won multiple times. Mickelsen  however has dumped on the tour and Augusta have not invited him!!

Highball hitters have generally won, but Ben Hogan and Zach Johnson, but Johnson won in slow wet conditions favouring slightly shorter accurate hitters.

Players who traditionally do well here include Patrick Cantlay, Dustin Johnston, Bubba, Marc Leishman and his Australian partner Cameron Smith who on form should be equal favourite with D.Johnson and Scottie Sheffler.

The elephant in the room is however a Tiger.

He has the best record won here two years ago, but after a crippling car accident one would think he was out of it. However Ben Hogan was hit by a bus before coming back and winning all three majors he contested in 1953, so definitely don’t count Tiger out he’s possibly the best ever.

On Wednesday, I’ll project my bets at the value odds, but there won’t be the normal number of roughies tipped, but an analysis of the value amongst the probables with a few value bets thrown in.

On JJ Spauns win in the Texas Open, I’ve tipped him almost every second week for a year. This week I didn’t. If you listen hard, you’ll here the muffled shot???️‍♂️

Back these to win on the Masters

On Bet365

Mark Leishman-$71 each way

Hideki Matsuyama-$41 each way

On Betfair

Tiger Woods-$95

Bubba Watson-$120

Gary Woodland-$140

Talor Gooch-$180

Cameron Young-$190

JJ Spaun-$410

Lucas Herbert-$420

Mackenzie Hughes-$440

Min Woo Lee-$800

Garrick Higgo-$900

K.H Lee-$920

Hudson Swafford-$1000

Takumi Kanaya-$1000

Harry Higgs-$1000