The 2021 edition of the Masters Tournament comes with the shortest break between tournaments ever, but the excitement is all the same. The game is in a great spot at the moment, with 2021’s tournaments to this point chock-full of intrigue and strong performances.
Former Masters champion Patrick Reed picked up a win in January at the Farmers Insurance Open in Torrey Pines, Calif. Wunderkind Collin Morikawa followed up his 2020 PGA Championship win with a victory at the World Golf Championship’s contest at The Concession in Florida in February. And the most interesting man in golf right now, Bryson DeChambeau finished first and third in consecutive weeks at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and THE PLAYERS Championship, respectively.
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2020 Masters champ Dustin Johnson has been off his game of late, coming off a 48th and a 54th leading into Augusta. Those are serviceable marks, but a far cry from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR)’s #1-ranked player’s run in 2020 of 6th-2nd-1st at the U.S. Open, Vivint Houston Open, and Masters Tournament win in the span of three weeks.
OWGR #2, Justin Thomas, picked up a win at The Players. Jon Rahm is expecting the birth of his first child any day now and may have to withdraw from the Masters altogether, and Rory McIlroy, Green Jacket still eluding him, has looked all out of sorts for weeks now.
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Tons of hungry players in good form and a couple of question marks around the perennial heavy hitters make for a wide open tournament this year.
Staff Picks
Rory McIlroy (16-1, per Draftkings Sportsbook)
It would be so poetic for McIlroy finally to beat his Augusta demons for the elusive career grand slam. Struggling off the tee and struggling with mentality– for the Northern Irishman to come out of nowhere, relative to his recent results, and win it– it would be the best redemption story at the Masters since… well, Tiger in 2019, but you get the point.
Even still, McIlroy has always performed well at Augusta (finished T5 in 2020, and had results of T21, T5, T7, T10, and 4 over the last few years), but never been able to seal the deal. Coming off poor results and doubt– this would be a great time to seal it.
Abraham Ancer (66-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook)
The young Mexican clearly has the skillset to win at Augusta. In his first ever appearance in 2020, he played in the final group with Johnson, but struggled to a +4 day and finished in the ‘teens. Course history? Check. Recent form? Ancer has finished in the top 25 in eight of his last 10 events, including events with stacked fields like The Players and WGC-Concession. Check. Sign me up for a player like that at such long odds.
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Cameron Champ (150-1, per Draftkings Sportsbook)
Another sophomore at Augusta, Champ is a long bomber off the tee, much like Dustin Johnson. Finishing second only to Bryson DeChambeau in Strokes Gained (SG): Off the Tee in 2020 and ninth so far this year, the 25-year-old Champ hits it long and hits it straight. Getting into advantageous situations for the second shot at Augusta is paramount, and Champ is one of the best at doing that.
Champ is an awful putter (dead last (#217) in SG: Putting so far in 2021) and while putting is random and volatile on a grand scale, it’s historically been good putters that win at Augusta. Just ask the best putter in 2021 based on SG: Putting, Patrick Reed. However, at 150-1 odds, just throw the putting stats out the window and hope Champ can utilize his prowess off the tee to make putting matter less.
Guest Picks
– Stephen Hennessey, DeputyManaging Editor at GolfDigest.com –
Jon Rahm (10-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook)
The Spaniard’s last three Masters starts: T-7, T-9, fourth-place. He shared the 36-hole lead last year— and without his adventure at the eighth hole Saturday— he might’ve challenged Dustin Johnson a bit more. Ten of his past 11 rounds at Augusta have been under-par. To me, with DJ’s game a bit of a question mark, Rahm or Jordan Spieth is the guy to beat… and you can still get Rahm at a fair number.
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Sergio Garcia (45-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook)
Sergio’s fantastic ball-striking at The Players was no surprise. His improved putting, though, at the WGC-Match Play was a definite surprise. And if Sergio’s confident with the putter, that’s dangerous. Sergio’s draw off the tee suits him well at Augusta National— and at these odds, you’re getting value on someone who should be a factor on the weekend.
– Brandon Gdula, Managing Editor at NumberFire.com –
Xander Schauffele (22-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook)
Xander’s odds are finally drifting, but they’re based more on his results than his underlying data. Schauffele is every bit as good as the elite when he’s on, and he has a runner-up at Augusta already.
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Cameron Smith (40-1, per DraftKings Sportsbook)
The runner-up here in November wasn’t really a fluke, as Smith has two top-fives at Augusta. He enters with better form than he has had in any of his four prior tries here, as well.
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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