Masters week is finally upon us after the tournament was pushed back to November from its customary April date following the tour stoppage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though there haven’t been a ton of players testing positive for coronavirus, there have been a few cases. Positive tests have led to 2017 Masters champ Sergio Garcia and Chile’s Joaquin Niemann having to withdraw from this week’s tournament.

Tiger Woods returns as defending champion, looking to join Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to slip into six green jackets in their career.

Bulked up Bryson DeChambeau is the betting favourite to win outright after winning the previous major at the U.S. Open.

Dustin Johnson, who has been dynamite in his last six starts, with two victories, three runner-ups and a T-6 at the U.S. Open sees his odds slightly longer than the DeChambeau to earn his first career green jacket.

Rory McIlroy will attempt yet again to make history and become the sixth male golfer to win the career grand slam, having not tasted victory in 11 previous attempts at Augusta National.

Four Canadians are teeing it up, each of them considered a long shot to claim the title on Sunday.

Corey Conners has the shortest odds at +15000 to claim his first major championship.

Adam Hadwin is next at +30000 to find the winner’s circle followed by 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am champion Nick Taylor at +40000.

Finally, 2003 Masters winner Mike Weir finds himself a massive +100000 darkhorse to win his second green jacket.

Here is our first look at the field for the 84th Masters tournament.

Betting Odds To Win Masters Tournament – Top-20

Bryson DeChambeau +800
Dustin Johnson +900
Jon Rahm +1000
Justin Thomas +1100
Rory McIlroy +1200
Xander Schauffele +1400
Brooks Koepka +1600
Patrick Cantlay +2500
Bubba Watson +2800
Patrick Reed +2800
Hideki Matsuyama +2800
Tyrrell Hatton +2800
Tony Finau +2800
Jason Day +3300
Collin Morikawa +3300
Webb Simpson +3300
Tiger Woods +4000
Matthew Wolff +4000
Adam Scott +5000
Louis Oosthuizen +5000

DeChambeau searching for back-to-back majors

Coming into the Masters well-rested is Bryson DeChambeau, who hasn’t played a tour event in the last month.

The “Mad Scientist” has taken the time off to bulk up even more and is ready to unleash his prodigious drives on Augusta National.

In his only start following his U.S. Open triumph, he had a very respectable T-8 showing in Las Vegas, though a tough Saturday contributed to him losing a chance at victory.

Last year, DeChambeau raced out to the first round co-lead along with Brooks Koepka at the Masters, but he cooled off, finishing T-29.

In his three career trips down Magnolia Lane, he’s had pedestrian results, with T-21 (as an amateur) in 2016, T-29 last year and T-38 in 2018.

 

This was the year DeChambeau started to show up at the majors, having posted zero top-10 results in his first 14 attempts in the grand slam events.

Not only did he win the 2020 U.S. Open, but also was tied for fourth at the PGA Championship.

With his and Dustin Johnson’s odds almost virtually identical, leaning towards DJ might but the prudent move.

In the last 24 rounds on tour, Bryson is 54th in strokes gained: approach and 42nd in SG: around the green.

Johnson is first and 11th in those same categories.

Johnson has been on a tear

Dustin Johnson has had more opportunities to tee it up at this track and knows the course better than DeChambeau, leading to DJ having greater success at this venue.

In his last four times competing at Augusta National, Johnson has put together top-10’s in each of them, culminating in his best finish last year, a tie for second showing.

He also finished T-2 last week seemingly in his sleep at the Vivint Houston Open and has shown no ill effects from having to withdraw from two tournaments because of a positive COVID-19 test.

With a spectacular record in his last six starts, Johnson’s primed to get that second career major championship.

His lack of multiple titles in the major championships is startling given his amazing talent and it is baffling that he only has the 2016 U.S. Open to his credit.

He’s in fine form, has been T-2, T-4, T-6 and T-10 in his last four Masters, and has been striking the ball better than DeChambeau. Looking at the two titans in golf, his value is stronger.

Past Five Winners of the Masters

2019: Tiger Woods             -13
2018: Patrick Reed             -15
2017: Sergio Garcia             -9 (playoff)
2016: Danny Willett           -5
2015: Jordan Spieth            -18

FORE YOUR INFORMATION

Trending Up

Matthew Wolff +4000

Though no rookie has won the Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller took the title way back in 1979, Matthew Wolff looks poised to potentially snap that streak.

In the two majors this season, the 21-year-old phenom has been in the mix in both of them, also in his tournament debuts for those events.

At the PGA Championship, Wolff netted a strong T-4 finish.

He did even better at the U.S. Open, where he held the 54-hole lead before eventually finishing runner-up to DeChambeau.

In just his first full season on the PGA Tour, Wolff has turned heads with his unique swing and phenomenal game.

He’s already won once, taking the 3M Open in 2019, and has three second-place finishes in 2020.

Wolff has not been afraid of the moment, gaining nearly 30 strokes combined on the field in the first two majors of 2020, and he could find himself deep into contention this week.

Horse for this course

Justin Rose +6000

Justin Rose has come oh-so-close to joining the illustrious list of Masters champions in his career, having lost in a playoff to Garcia in 2017 and also was tied for second in 2015.

Those two strong results were part of five career top-10 finishes at Augusta National.

He’s usually money in the bank at the Masters, with last year’s shocking missed cut the first time he’s failed to make the weekend in 14 trips.

While he hasn’t been his characteristic consistent self, Rose did finish ninth at the PGA Championship in August and in his last event he was T-17.

Even though he hasn’t been dynamite of late, his comfort level on this track plus his pedigree as the 2013 U.S. Open championship could result in a green jacket for the Englishman come Sunday evening.