2021 Masters Preview WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT FOR POSSIBLY THE MOST ICONIC MAJOR OF THEM ALL AND WHO HAS A CHANCE TO WIN THIS YEAR? - Golfbetsgold
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2021 Masters Preview WHAT ALL THE FUSS IS ABOUT FOR POSSIBLY THE MOST ICONIC MAJOR OF THEM ALL AND WHO HAS A CHANCE TO WIN THIS YEAR? A comprehensive look at the first major of the year by Martin Colwell. March 2021
Introduction
It's only ve months since the 2020 Masters took place without
spectators, 2021 is set to see the event return to its original date of the
8th to the 11th of April after last year's event was delayed because of
the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike last year, the 2021 Masters hopes to
have a limited attendance of spectators at the Augusta National Golf
Course as the best players in the world compete for one of golf's most
notorious majors.
Last year's Masters saw world number one Dustin Johnson put on an
incredible performance as he nished on 20 under par and ve shots
clear of second placed Cameron Smith and Sung-Jae Im. Johnson will
be looking to win back-to-back Masters, but the wealth of talent he will
be competing against means this task is not straight forward. Plus, it is
exceedingly rare to see a player win consecutive green jackets. Only 3
players have ever won back-to-back Masters, the last player to do so
was of course Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002.
Tiger will not be present this year. Apart from his recent serious car
accident that may end his playing career, he has recently had back
surgery which made him very doubtful for The Masters anyway.
However, all the other big names in the game should be present. The
Augusta course will be in full bloom in April and the course should play
as it normally does, as opposed to in November 2020 when the colder
autumn weather played a signicant part in how it played and how the
greens changed.
The course has been one for 'horses for courses' in the past and certain
golfers tend to do well here most years. Such as Bubba Watson and Phil
Mickelsen, who have won here before and will be teeing up again. The
tournament can be won by outsiders… but that is a fairly rare
occurrence.
We look forward to play getting underway on the Thursday morning on
the 8th April. Read on to get a feel for the history of the competition and
see which of the eld we feel are seriously in the running to put on the
famous green jacket…
2021 Masters Preview Page 1
The history of The Masters
The Masters Tournament is a golf competition that was established in 1934,
with Horton Smith winning the inaugural tournament. The Masters is the rst of
four major championships to be played each year, with the nal round of
the Masters always being scheduled for the second Sunday in April. The
Masters is the only one of the four majors to use the same course every year;
the Augusta National Golf Club. Masters champions are automatically
invited to play in the other three majors (the U.S. Open, the Open
Championship and the PGA Championship) for the next ve years, and earn
a lifetime invitation to the Masters. They also receive membership on the
PGA Tour for the following ve seasons and invitations to the Players
Championship for the ve years following their victory. The champion also
receives the "Green Jacket", the rst one being won by Sam Snead in 1949.
The champion takes the jacket home for a year and returns it thereafter. A
multiple champion will only have the one jacket unless his size changes
dramatically!
Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the most Masters victories, winning the
tournament six times during his career. Nicklaus is also the oldest winner of
the Masters: he was 46 years 82 days old when he won in 1986. Nicklaus, Nick
Faldo, and Tiger Woods co-hold the record for most consecutive victories
with two. Woods was the youngest winner of the Masters, 21 years 104 days
old when he won in 1997. Woods also set the record for the widest winning
margin (12 strokes). The lowest winning score, with 268 (-20) was Dustin
Johnson in 2020.
The highest winning score of 289 (+1) was originally set by Sam Snead in 1954,
it was equalled by Jack Burke Jr. in 1956, and Zach Johnson in 2007. Five
golfers have won the Masters wire-to-wire; Craig Wood in 1941, Arnold
Palmer in 1960, Nicklaus in 1972, Raymond Floyd in 1976, and Jordan Spieth
in 2015. Other players have led wire-to-wire if ties after a round are included,
most recently Trevor Immelman in the 2008 Masters.
A Masters winner both etches his name in the history of golf and gets to host
the past champions dinner which takes place the following year on the eve
of the tournament, including choosing the menu to be served that evening.
Some recent choices of main course lack a bit of elegance, such as the
cottage pie served by Danny Willett and the hamburgers served by Tiger
Woods… to name but two!
2021 Masters Preview Page 2
Recent past champions
Ÿ 2011 Charl Schwartzel in 274 strokes.
Ÿ 2012 Bubba Watson in 278 strokes.
Ÿ 2013 Adam Scott in 279 strokes.
Ÿ 2014 Bubba Watson in 280 strokes.
Ÿ 2015 Jordan Speith in 270 strokes.
Ÿ 2016 Danny Willett in 283 strokes.
Ÿ 2017 Sergio Garcia in 279 strokes.
Ÿ 2018 Patrick Reed in 273 strokes.
Ÿ 2019 Tiger Woods in 275 strokes.
Ÿ 2020 Dustin Johnson in 268 strokes.
Multiple champions
Ÿ Jack Nicklaus on six occasions.
Ÿ Tiger Woods on ve occasions.
Ÿ Arnold Palmer on four occasions.
Ÿ Gary Player on three occasions.
Ÿ Jimmy Demaret on three occasions.
Ÿ Sam Snead of three occasions.
Ÿ Sir Nick Faldo on three occasions.
Ÿ Phil Mickelsen on three occasions.
2021 Masters Preview Page 3The Course
https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/masters-tournament/course.html
The above link takes you through the Augusta National course hole by
hole.
Course Information
Ÿ Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia: Designer: Dr Alister Mackenzie &
Bobby Jones 1933 (re-designs 2008).
Ÿ Course Type: Mid-Score, Classical
Ÿ Holes with Water Hazards In-Play: 5
Ÿ Fairways: Ryegrass; First Cut: Ryegrass 1.38″
Ÿ Greens: Bentgrass
Ÿ Difculty Rank 13 of 42 courses.
Augusta's iconic 12th hole
So, what do you need to know about Augusta National? The Augusta
National course (you can visit the ofcial Masters website here) has detailed
nuances which certain types of player thrive upon, whereas others struggle
with factors such as uneven fairway lies, swirling winds and crazily fast and
undulating Bentgrass greens. Naturally water comes into play much more
on the back nine, with 3 key holes around Amen Corner, plus the critical par-
5 15th and the par-3 16th both offering scoring opportunities.
2021 Masters Preview Page 4Since Augusta was re-modelled for the 2008 renewal, the course is always
quoted as a 7,475 yard, Par 72 – but don't believe that as all fairways are
traditionally mown against the hole direction to minimise driving distance,
effectively meaning it plays closer to 7,800 yards. So pure yardage is way
more important than creating the right angle into the ag.
Other challenges include huge and contoured Bentgrass putting surfaces
which can bamboozle the inexperienced and poor putters alike. Rating at
anything up to 14+ on the Stimpmeter, these sub-air fuelled beauties are like
little else the world's best golfers face across the rest of the season. Birdie
chances are restricted to the smallest of target areas, many of which are
only accessible by using the natural contours of the green. Difculty is also
ratcheted up by Augusta's infamous run-off areas which surround all green
complexes.
The lack of rough creates indecision when missing greens with scrambling
percentages suffering as a result. Too many options can confuse players, so
course experience and a patient outlook pays.
Augusta is a game of two halves. Attack all the 4 par-5s and several shorter
par-4s such as the 3rd, 9th, and the 14th. The rest of the course needs to be
played with maturity and patience. Chasing scores tends to yield bogeys
rather than birdies on these holes, so par golf across most holes is more than
acceptable.
To win a Green Jacket a player must be aggressive on the 4 par-5s and
minimise bogeys across the rest of the property via a mix of metronomic
greens in regulation, top-level scrambling and rock-solid short to medium
distance putting.
2021 Masters Preview Page 5Players to Watch
The Masters always has a few unexpected front runners amongst the most
recognisable faces of the game and given the difference in conditions to
last year's event, the course will have a totally different feel to it.
Previous winner Patrick Reed had a top ten placing last November and if it
was not for a few key missed putts he may well have put a little more pressure
on the runaway leader. Four-time major winner Rory McIlroy is still in search
for his rst green jacket and knows more than anyone that this is the missing
major that has haunted him for so long, with a player of McIlroy's ability you
must say that it is surely a matter of time before he can add a win at The
Masters to his wonderful career.
You can expect many of the top ten players to be in with a shout and the
usual big names to be in contention on Sunday afternoon such as Jon
Rahm, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele and Webb Simpson. The likes of
Bryson DeChambeau and Tyrrell Hatton are also in the top ten places but
have not had their best showing at the previous Masters but will they will not
make the same mistakes they made only a few months ago? Both
DeChambeau and Hatton nished well down the leader board which
came as a surprise to many. However, they have shown previous examples
of brilliant golf and I would not rule them out despite a miserable time last
November.
It is hard to look past the brilliant Dustin Johnson at this year's Masters, who
has been playing in such ne form over the past year or so. Several other
American's are in ne form, Brooks Koepka who recently won the Phoenix
Open and 2015 World Number 1 Jordan Spieth who has at last managed to
halt his spectacular fall from grace and is in at last in good hot form in 2021. It
will certainly be an interesting watch him with a huge year of golf ahead,
can a fourth consecutive Masters be won by an American in their homeland
or will an imposter from overseas cause an upset?
2021 Masters Preview Page 6What about the European challenge?
On world rankings Jon Rahm heads the European challenge. However, he
and his wife are expecting their rst child around Masters time and so his
mind may be somewhere else or he may not play at all. Rahm has said that if
his wife goes into labour during the tournament he will leave there and then
to attend the birth.
Sergio Garcia, the winner in 2017, will be out to win for a second time and
continue the Spanish tradition in the masters. Following in the footsteps of
the late great two-time winner Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.
Sergio has shown he has the ball striking skills, but his putting often lets him
down.
Viktor Hovland has been in great recent form. Viktor from Norway is a
product of the U.S. collegiate system and speaks with an American accent.
Aged 23 he can challenge for his rst major in April and has the type of
game that should be suited by Augusta.
The UK challenge is a strong one in 2021. Tyrrell Hatton is the highest world
ranked Brit at present at number 7. Hatton had a particularly good end to
2020 and he has been in decent form so far in 2021. If his temperament holds
up over the four days, he can challenge for a green jacket. Matt Fitzpatrick
is also going very well. A winner at the end of 2020 of the concluding Race to
Dubai tournament, he has progressed in 2021 to contend on the USPGA
Tour. Paul Casey is another Brit in good form and has the game to go well on
the course.
Old stagers from the UK such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Graeme
McDowell and Padraig Harrington will also be teeing it up this year at
Augusta. Their best days are likely behind them, but they could sparkle at
some time during the week.
And of course, there is Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who is trying to
complete his Major collection with a green jacket. Rory's game has
improved in 2021 so far from what it was in 2020. He has gone well at Augusta
in the past. However, he has not yet solved his issues in opening rounds and
closing on Sundays yet. His putting also lets him down at times.
2021 Masters Preview Page 7The Rest of the world challenge
Former winners from this group include Gary Player, Trevor Immelman, Charl
Schwartzel, Greg Norman and Adam Scott. Schwartzel and Scott will be
teeing it up this year again. Indeed, Adam Scott may have a reasonable
chance of going well if his broom handle putter behaves?
South Africa will also have strong representation from Louis Oosthuizen,
Branden Grace, Erik Van Rooyen and Christian Bezuidenhout among
others. Oosthuizen is good at raising his game for majors and often plays a
part in them on the Sunday. His only previous major win was in The Open. But
he does have decent course form at Augusta and cannot be discounted.
Apart from Adam Scott the Australian challenge will be boosted by Mark
Leishmann, Cameron Davis and Cameron Smith. Not the most consistent of
golfers but they can be incredibly good on a going week.
The South Korean contingent is strong. Sung Jae Im and See Woo Kim are
winners on the USPGA Tour and are still only in their early twenties. Kyoung
Hoon Lee has recently joined the tour and has put in some good challenges.
Japan as always will be represented by Hideki Matsuyama. A winner on the
USPGA Tour who has struggled lately to pull together four top rounds but has
scored well at Augusta in the past.
The Latin American challenge will be headed up by Abraham Ancer and
Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, Sebastian Munoz of Colombia and Joachin
Niemann of Chile. They are all in their twenties or thirties and have shown
that they can get it done at the highest level. Angel Cabrera of Argentina is
a two-time winner of the Masters but he may not be able to attend in 2021,
due to having to face tax evasion issues in his home country.
I do see a challenge emerging from both Asia and Latin America and likely
a major win from a golfer from those parts of the world is not far away.
2021 Masters Preview Page 8The latest betting
In the week of the tournament the bookmakers and exchanges will be
offering enhancements on odds, places (I expect one to pay 10 places!)
and any number of specialty markets. It does not look something to get
involved in ante post markets because of this.
The top of the current market is as follows:
Ÿ Dustin Johnson is favourite at 13/2.
Ÿ Rory McIlroy is 10/1.
Ÿ Jon Rahm is 11/1.
Ÿ Brooks Koepka is 12/1.
Ÿ Bryson DeChambeau is 12/1.
Ÿ Justin Thomas is 12/1.
Ÿ Jordan Speith is 16/1.
Ÿ Patrick Cantlay is 22/1.
Ÿ Collin Morikawa is 25/1.
Ÿ Patrick Reed is 25/1.
Ÿ Tyrrell Hatton is 28/1.
Ÿ Tony Finau is 28/1.
There will also be betting markets on rst round leader; top golfer from a
particular country or part of the world; tournament match bets; two and
three ball match ups on all days and other exotic markets. These markets will
be available in the week of the tournament.
Who do we like at this stage?
Dustin Johnson has had a mega last six months, albeit it has tailed off lately.
He defends the title he won ve months ago and is a worthy favourite in 2021.
DJ needs to get his best form back before we get under way on the
Thursday. He will be working hard on that and is likely having his blip at the
right time.
2021 Masters Preview Page 9I do not like Jon Rahm because of his rst child being due around the week of
the Masters. If he does play, he will be distracted and is not value to me at
11/1.
I do like Brooks Koepka if he is free from his neck spasm and back injury issues.
We will not know that until the week of the tournament. Who knows whether
he can put it together for four rounds? The 10/1 is not great value to me
either.
Bryson DeChambeau does have the game for Augusta if he plays the right
shots at the correct time. At 12/1 he is about the right price but it's not
generous.
Justin Thomas has been off his game lately due to issues he has had with his
course behaviour and the loss of his grandfather. His putting also goes
missing on a regular basis. I cannot be with him pre-tournament at 12/1 at
this stage.
Jordan Speith won here in 2015 when he was at his pomp. His form has got
better in recent weeks and there is no reason why he cannot contend
again.
I like Collin Morikawa at 25/1. He has already won a major and was a winner
recently at The Concession. He is an excellent ball striker and if he can get his
putting going on the Augusta greens he must go well.
I also like Patrick Reed to contend at 25/1. A recent previous winner and a
contender in several majors in the past. His form is in and out, but Patrick is
good at turning up in good form in the big ones.
Whatever happens it looks set up for an exciting Masters, with the top golfers
in the world's best golfers battling out over four tension lled days.
Good luck… Martin.
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