Off Topic The Masters

The Masters, Augusta National

So, the first big golfing tournament is nearly upon us so I thought id start a thread as I know a few of us like the game and also having a little flutter on it too...

The course and whole event is good for stats and you need to take note of a few of them when picking your man...
1) You have to score well on the par 5's... It goes without saying but the top 5 of the past 10 or so Masters have all scored heavy on these holes...
2) Your putting must be solid... Last years winner, all be it in September last year, was no.1 in the putting stats, plus he hits a big ball on the Par 5's, so it was no surprise he won here...
3) Course knowledge... You need to know your way around this course, not many first timers win this, or even get in to the top 10. So someone who can get out of trouble when it some, to planning their escape out of a bad situation to basically know when to attack and when to back off. It will all help come the end...
4) Greens in Regulation... Of the past 5 winners, 3 of them had the number 1 spot for GIR, which ultimately keeps those bogeys off your card...

So who have I gone with...??
Patrick Reed @ 33/1
Past winner, high in the stats for birdies gained, eagles and par 5 scoring, plus knows his way around the course obviously...
Cory Connors @ 66/1
Has high stats in Strokes gained and ball striking, just the experience that might do for him, but well worth a shot at the top 10...
Brian Harman @ 100/1
Having a great start to the season with 2 recent top 10's, tied 3rd at the 5th Major, The Players, has good form going in to the tournament. Deffo worth a punt at the price he's at...

All done with PadPow Top e/w to a 10 finish

Others I like the look of but have not burdened them with my money are...
Cameron Smith @ 30/1
He hit 4 rounds in the 60's last time he played here...
Ryan Palmer @ 150/1
He's had a mixed bag this season but has scored well here in the past. Gets it all together then top 10 is well within his reach...
Zach Johnson @ 225/1
He's having a good year with the putter and has won here and knows his way around. You just never know...

 

Great write ups mate.
Patrick Reed & Niemann ew for me. Skybet going 11 places. Good luck with yours

 

Sungae Im and Victor Perez for me. 30/1 and 100/1 10 places

 

Xander Schaufelle 20/1 ew 11 places. Have also done him 25/1 on the 'hotshots' market with sky bet. £5 on that and get £1 free bet for every birdy he shoots in the first round. Adds a bit more interest.

Also had a silly £1 ew on Vijay Singh at 1000/1 also 11 places but I think I could have 111 places and still lose that one.

 

Good luck Red
I backed Cameron Smith but I got 40/1 about him, is that all gone?
Others carrying my dosh are DJ (9/1) Jon Rahm (12/1) and Justin Rose (80/1)

One certainty I can tell you is that there will be a whole lot of swearing when inevitably my box buffers repeatedly!

 

What’s the best chance of a British winner ?

 

Have backed Jon Rahm

Too good a player not to win a major in his career

Each Way @ 12-1 (William Hill) 9 places

 

There's only one man worth focusing on this week and that's Lee Westwood. He's tearing up the gallop at home and eating all his oats.

Congrats to your 2021 Masters champion, Mr. Lee Westwood.

 

Winning Nationality
English 17/2
Irish 14/1
Scottish 100/1

Winning Region
USA 8/15
GB&I 9/2
Rest of the World 5/1
Continental Europe 13/2

I'll be backing Shane Lowry 60/1
Tony Finau 28/1
Sungae Im 35/1

 

Wee Lestwood won't make the cut even, too much oats eaten I'd say.

The golfing markets make me sick nowadays, bookies have the system sewn up by the balls, 6 and 7 lads at 8 and 9/1 and then luring in the mugs with 10 places on 1/5 of the odds with the constricted odds. Used to love a good bet on the golf over the years but it has lost all its appeal from a punting point of view for the last 3 or 4 years. Get back to 1/4 the odds, 6 places and give the punters the correct pricing instead of the heavily favoured system they use now. Rory McIlroy 14/1 for the Masters on form he should be 33/1. Golf wins are almost all about "trending" and that is just once example of a players price being totally wrong. I could go on and on but I'll just relax now and get back to watching

Best of luck those who have had a wager though, my old man loves it, he only bets on the 4 majors and on almost always the same lads, to some success I might add.

I can't wait to actually be allowed back to play golf again. Lockdown

 

You're right about the betting, they do a similar thing with Woods, I remember when Nick Faldo was in his prime, you'd get him at 10 /1 and he was the favourite!

 

To say nothing about the 9/2 favourite in the National......oh and dont get me started on first goalscorer odds!

 

Justin Bloomin Rose...
I didn't watch it all but from what I could see ole Rosey-boy was having a laugh on his way round to posting a 4 shot lead at -7 under round, obviously playing under no pressure whatsoever... Good pick Stick my man, hope he gets you a good run for your money from here on in, especially @ 80/1...!!

From my picks Reed is right in the mix, and so is Brian Harman who is sat very nicely as the best of the rest at -3 under, with Cory Connors sat at +1 over... So far so good...

I did take the 100/1 on Mark Leishman before the start after finding he has the best/lowest scoring on the par 5's for the last 5 years of the Master. At one stage he was -3 under going in to the back 9, but the wheels fell off a bit and goes in to the 2nd round at Level Par...

Good luck to us all then...

 

Im was looking good around scratch and then took 9 strokes at the par 5 15... ouch!

 

i'm pleased i took the 70/1 ew available on Justin Rose soon after I posted this

 

Wouldn't get too excited just yet with 54 holes to go,if he can pick up a few shots or even level par today then he's a serious contender.

 

Very pleased with how Rosey played yesterday, looked to be on a different golf course to the others. It does feel though like he is leading the National by ten lengths but after only jumping Bechers on the first circuit!

 

Great recovery from Rose on the back nine today. Thats the stuff that champions are made of.

 

'attaboy Rosie, as Butch Harmon would say.

Gonna be more twists and turns than in Alton Towers over the weekend though.

 

Day 2 produced more twists n turns once again, Alton Towers indeed STH...!! If only Rose could have managed to get 1 or 2 under par for his round, as most of the chasing pack all scored well yesterday, it would have helped him massively towards getting hold of that Green Jacket...

Anyway, he leads, and his gonna fight to stay there. Coming back from +3 over for the front 9 gave us plenty of info as to where his game is and mind is, he'll be tough to pass...

Don't know much about the Zalatoris lad, sounds like some dodgy centre half from Greece to me, but he's got game... Harman & Leishman give me hope of getting some return for top 10 finishes as Patrick Reed fell away some from the top table...

Of the players who should be playing at the weekend but arnt we say goodbye to Rory, Sergio, last years winner Johnson & Lee Westwood... Don't know what's going on in Rory's head at the moment but his short game is just bloomin awful and he just looks lost at the moment as to what he's attempting to do as to actually playing it... I havnt read up on any stats for the reigning champion missing the cut the following year but ole Dusty was more Springfield than cleaning up like Johnsons this weekend, a poor return indeed... Looks like it was a round too far for Westy but he's probably got both eyes on his racing now (has he got any runners out at Aintree today...??) but he's still a legend despite not winning a Major isnt he...

Ah well, bring it on, Moving Saturday, always a good watch...