It is almost time for the world’s best golfers to hit the Augusta course and compete for the title of 2020 US Masters champion.
The 2020 Masters was originally scheduled to take place between April 9-12 but the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic put paid to those plans. Organizers reschedule the epic tournament for November 12-15, meaning one of golf’s four major championship events is right around the corner. The latest Masters vegas odds are in and it may surprise you who the early favorite is.
What is the Masters Tournament?
The Masters Tournament, which is usually called simply The Masters, or the U.S. Masters outside North America, is one of the four major golf championships. It was first played 86 years ago in 1934 and is an official money event of the world famous PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus loved playing The Masters. Nicklaus won six such titles during his career and was 46 years, 82 days old when he won his sixth and final Masters title in 1986. That made Nicklaus the oldest winner of the Masters.
Nicklaus is also the record holder for the most top 10 finishes with 22 such places. He also made the cut on 37 occasions, again, more than any other golfer in history.
The iconic Tiger Woods is the youngest-ever Masters champion. Woods was only 21 years and 104 days old when he triumphed in 1997. He’s since won another four times, the last being in 2019, making Woods the reigning champion.
Woods is +3000 in the latest Las Vegas Masters odds to retain his title, making him one of many talented outsiders.
Bryson DeChambeau is the Current Masters Favourite
California’s Bryson DeChambeau is the current +850 favorite to win the 2020 Masters, according to the latest Vegas Masters odds. The man nicknamed “The Scientist” is officially the longest driver in the world and that will come in handy during this competition.
DeChambeau doesn’t have a good record at the Masters despite being installed as the tournament’s favorite. He missed the cut in 2015 and 2017 and finished tied for 29th place in 2019. Fifteenth is the deepest DeChambeau has gone at the Masters. He achieved that back in 2016.
That only tells part of the story, however, because DeChambeau is in red hot form. He won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in July, beating Matthew Wolff by three strokes after finishing 23 under par. DeChambeau followed up that impressive victory with the U.S. Open title in September 2020, again, resigning Wolff to a runner-up finish.
Victory in the Masters would be DeChambeau’s 10th win of his professional career. Whoever finishes above DeChambeau at the 2020 Masters won’t be far of becoming the champion.
There’s Little To Separate The Chasing Pack
Spain’s John Rahm is the second-favorite in the Masters betting odds with a +1000 price on his head. Rahm is fresh off a victory in the BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup playoff event. Ram needed a playoff to defeat Dustin Johnson but he got the job done.
The Spaniard has played the Masters three times and made the cut all three times. His last two masters tournaments have resulted in top 10 finishes. Rahm finished fourth in 2018 and tied for ninth place last year. Can he make it a trio of consecutive top 10 finishes?
Don’t write off Dustin Johnson’s chances of 2020 Masters glory either. His Vegas odds are +1200 and that’s great value considering Johnson’s history in this championship event. Johnson has made the cut eight out of the nine times he’s competed, 2014 being his only missed cut. His last four results in the Masters are T6, T4, T10, and T2, which is phenomenal. This could be the year Johnson wins his first Masters title; it would be his fourth victory of the year.
Another player who you can’t underestimate is Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy. Ten cuts from 11 events, nine Top 25 finishers, five top 10 and two top five finishes are results that speak for themselves. Last year saw McIlroy tie for 21stplace, which was quite disappointing. McIlroy’s recent form isn’t the best but he has the ability to turn on the style in golf’s majors. +1100 seems like a good price for such a seasoned professional.