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Golf tips, best bets and player reviews for the Masters in Augusta National, Georgia.
Where to look
Live at Sky Sports Main Event and Golf starting at 12.30 pm on Thursday
Best bets
Rory McIlroy
4 points each way 14-1 Hills
Justin thomas
4 points each way 12-1 Hills
Jason kokrak
1 st each way 80-1 Betfred, Betway
Cameron Champ
1 st each way 70-1 Ladbrokes
Bryson DeChambeau already has one arm slipped through the green jacket according to many observers, the US Open champion set to follow his runaway success Winged Foot by destroying Augusta National, but the publicity machine appears to be out of control and is the favorite of the short price. can be overlooked.
Yes, DeChambeau drives his ball further than anyone else on the circuit, but there are plenty of other great hitters not far behind him. Yes, he won the US Open by six shots, drawing on his strength from the rough and getting his strategy right, but the tough Augusta is a different animal. Precise close-up shots to the correct sections of diabolical dance floors have always been the key to the success of Masters and BDC is not impressive in this department.
DeChambeau averaged 37 feet, two inches from the hole proximity of his approaches last season, 157th in the PGA Tour standings, and finished 119th in shots won on approach. His driving has been impressive and he’s been getting solid, but can he be trusted to get close to Augusta’s small targets?
And maybe his putting will take a hit this week with his trusty green reading book knocked out of his hands. Green reading books are banned in Augusta, where the BDC has gone to great lengths on its previous visits, and ‘The Scientist’ might be uneasy.
DeChambeau is the sixth player in the world. He missed the cutoff at the Memorial by two shots in July. He finished 30 of 78 at the St Jude Invitational in early August. He missed the cut by three shots at the Northern Trust in late August, then was 50 of 69 in the BMW Championship. Only four players scored worse than him in the Tour Championship in September. Tied eighth at the low grade Shriners Open last time out. The idea that the sport is taking over is fanciful.
Steve Palmer’s Best Advice
Rory McIlroy 14-1
The DeChambeau circus of 400-yard runs, boastful Instagram posts, and discussions of how he’s going to turn Augusta into a pitch and putt is all sweet music to four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy, who for the first time in several years has arrived. at the Masters under the radar.
There is only one player on this course with immediate Grand Slam aspirations: McIlroy may join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as members of the most elite club in golf, but DeChambeau, his muscles and his plan of arrogant game. It is the preferred plot in the preparation of golf media. And that’s fine with McIlroy, who has expressed affection for the most unusual of the Masters: “less noise,” as he put it last month.
McIlroy has been unable to crack the code for an April Masters, with figures of 8-4-10-7-5-21 for the past six years, so a November concert is a welcome change. The pressure usually becomes overwhelming for him, knowing that failure would mean a 12-month wait for another shot at the title he desires most, but this time it’s only five months for another Masters. You will be delighted to take advantage of one of these opportunities.
While Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were at the Houston Open last week, trying to find some confidence on the eve of the Masters, McIlroy was resting in Florida with plenty of Augusta preparation under his belt. He left the Zozo Championship last time happy with the state of his game, having made 29 birdies on 72 holes at Sherwood Country Club, and the set-up at Augusta this week will delight him.
McIlroy carries his units enormous distances in the air and has always delighted in soft terrain. No one is more adept than he at hitting a long tee shot from right to left, the favorable shape for Augusta, and his eight-shot victory at the 2011 US Open in Congress is perhaps the best example of his power on wet grass. Mudlark McIlroy can have fun on the soggy streets of Georgia.
McIlroy’s latest victory came in November, the WGC-HSBC champions, and he has been successful at this time of year. He has won six times in the fall, three times in November, as opposed to never in April, and the satisfaction in his personal life is another cause for optimism. This Masters will be my first as a parent and the first as thirty-something. Daughter Poppy is attending her first golf tournament and she may see her father fulfill his destiny.
Next best bet
Justin Thomas 12-1
Bookmakers predict a shootout between DeChambeau and Johnson, but the odds against McIlroy and Justin Thomas are more attractive. Thomas, with power on the tap and one of the top five in the world in approach to greens, has progressive figures in Masters form of 39-22-17-12. His regulation greens stats from Augusta are superb and he has been disappointing, costing him the opportunity for a serious crack in the Green Jacket.
Thomas won’t want to know the November conditions: Jeff Knox, father of his friend Lee, is the record holder for Augusta’s field outside of the member’s tees (61). McIlroy and Thomas have both won the FedEx Cup in Georgia, and Thomas has often informed his Twitter followers that Augusta is his favorite Major League venue.
After the lockout, Thomas won the WGC in Memphis, finished second three times and looked menacing throughout. Four of his 13 wins on the PGA Tour came in late October or early November. He is already a Major Champion and is blessed with bottle packs.
Other selections
Jason Kokrak 80-1
Cameron Champ 70-1
Big investments in McIlroy and Thomas, backed by smaller ones in two power-packed debutants is the betting plan. The switch to November could mean Augusta beginners are more successful than usual, especially with the rain set to make the design easier.
Cameron Champ, averaging just 0.1 yards less than DeChambeau from the tee last season, is the second-longest driver on the field and has much better value than the favorite. Champ, who finished strong in eighth place at the Zozo last time, is a two-time PGA Tour winner at the age of 25 and is full of potential. He finished 10th in the US PGA in August, playing alongside a triumphant Collin Morikawa in the fourth round, and this time it may be Champ’s turn to make a breakthrough.
Jason Kokrak is putting on better than ever and feeling more confident than ever, so his Augusta debut has come at a great time. A lagged advancement from the PGA Tour reached the CJ Cup last month, when he fought back against Xander Schauffele, and this strong forward is riding the crest of a wave.
Kokrak’s caddy David Robinson is recognized as an ace green reader, so he can help the newcomer adjust. Kokrak finished first on greens in regulation and first on putt when winning the CJ Cup.
Augusta National Course Guide
Course Augusta National, Georgia
Prize money $ 11.5 million ($ 2.07 million for the winner)
Length 7,475 yards
Through 72
Field 92
Course records – 72 holes 270 Tiger Woods (1997), Jordan Spieth (2015) 18 holes 63 Nick Price (1986), Greg Norman (1996)
The cut The top 50 players (most draws) qualify for the last 36 holes
Winning participants of the course Bernhard Langer (twice), Larry Mize, Sandy Lyle, Fred Couples, Tiger Woods (five times), Jose Maria Olazabal (twice), Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Phil Mickelson (three times), Zach Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Bubba Watson (twice), Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Danny Willett, Patrick Reed
When to bet At 12.30 pm on Thursday
When to watch Live at Sky Sports Main Event and Golf starting at 12.30 pm on Thursday
Time difference Georgia is five hours behind the UK and Ireland
Last week – Houston Open 1 C Ortiz (150-1), T2 H Matsuyama (20-1), D Johnson (15-2), 4 T Gooch (80-1), T5 B Koepka (22-1), S Straka (140-1 )
Course summary Home to the Masters since 1934, Augusta is the only main venue used each season, usually in the spring. The yards were increased in the early 1990s in an attempt to combat technological advances. In 2001, the field measured 6,925 yards from the championship tees, but had stretched to 7,270 yards in 2002, reaching 7,445 yards in 2006. This is the first time the Masters has been held in November. Generous fairways and symbolic rough (known only as the ‘second cut’ to Augusta officials) encourage aggressive driving, but the course demands precise iron shots from the fastest greens in golf. Avoiding all three putts on the dance floors is a big challenge given the pace and severity of the ripples. Good course management is required to find the easiest places to putt from. The two shorts par five on the back-nine, 13 and 15, are classic risk-reward holes where the Masters is often won or lost. Eagles are achievable, but green side water hazards are lurking to punish mishit approaches.
History of the past year Tiger Woods produced a vintage iron play performance to claim his fifth Masters title and his 15th Major victory. Longtime leader Francesco Molinari encountered the green-side water hazard on his approach to the 12th hole on Sunday, and Woods took advantage of it. He topped the greens in the week’s regulation stats on his way to a one-shot hit over Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson.
Weather forecast Stormy showers Tuesday and Wednesday will drench the field, and more storms are expected on Thursday, when suspensions in play seem inevitable. Clear conditions are anticipated for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with only light breezes throughout the event.
Type of player adapted to the challenge The length from the tee is a significant advantage, particularly with extremely smooth fairways for this edition. Only two of the last 19 Masters have been won by a shortstop (Mike Weir in 2003 and Zach Johnson in 2007). Power plants can attack small targets with loft in hand. Precise approaches are the key to success.
Key attribute Accuracy
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FIRST POST 8:46 AM, NOVEMBER 10, 2020
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