Now that we have covered some of the favorites and longshots, it’s time to dig into a few of the best bets available for you to make a little extra coin while tuning in to the Masters.
(Note: all prices below as of Tuesday afternoon.)
Made Cut Parlay: Adam Scott & Corey Conners -118 (via Fanduel)
This is Adam Scott’s 23rd Masters. The last time he missed a cut here was 2009, when Angel Cabrera won in a playoff over Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. (Yes, that was 15 years ago!) Scott has been his consistent self of late, finishing inside the top 20 in eight of his last 10 starts worldwide. That includes finishing 14th at Valero last week.
Corey Conners’s last missed cut came at the 2023 US Open. He is an elite ball-striker, which obviously sets him up for success at Augusta National. He has made four out of five cuts at the Masters, including three top-10 finishes.
If you don’t have access to Fanduel to parlay these players, I am fine with betting each player individually, as long as the price is -300 or less.
Top South Korean: Si Woo Kim +175
There are four South Korean players in this field: Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, and Ben An. Let’s dig into why I see value at +180 on Si Woo Kim.
Sungjae Im has been struggling with swing changes for all of 2024. His best finish over his last eight events was 18th at Bay Hill against a smaller field. His ball-striking metrics have decreased significantly compared to prior years.
Ben An is normally a very consistent player. But he’s struggled of late, missing the cut at both the Players and the Valero. In his four Masters appearances, he has made the cut just once, finishing 33rd.
Tom Kim has been dealing with nagging injuries, illnesses, and swing changes throughout 2024. He missed the cut at the Valero and withdrew from the Players. His best finish in nine events in 2024 is a 17th at the WM Phoenix Open.
Si Woo Kim, on the other hand (and as mentioned in the longshot article, has been a model of consistency. That’s both in terms of 2024 form and historically at Augusta. He has finished 44th or better in all eight events in 2024 and has finished top 40 in each of the last six Masters. Take Si Woo at +180 to be low South Korean
Low Senior: Phil Mickelson -120 (Fanduel)
We have a very small senior contingent this year at Augusta: Mickelson, Singh, Olazabal, Weir, Couples. Vijay Singh hasn’t broken 75 in a round at Augusta since 2018. Jose Maria Olazabal has finished better than 50th only once since 2007, missing the cut all but three times. Fred Couples, normally an Augusta darling, is dealing with a pretty bad back injury that has forced him to withdraw from multiple Champions Tour events of late. This injury has impacted his distance, which makes it really hard for him to succeed here. Mike Weir has only made the cut in two of his last 13 Masters appearances with a best finish of 44th in that timeframe. Now, Phil Mickelson obviously isn’t the player that he was 20 years ago. But he is in great shape and in solid enough form to be able to cash this bet for us. Mickelson is a different animal at Augusta, making the cut in 27 of his 30 appearances. This includes making the cut in his last six appearances (including 2nd place in 2023), many of which came with him in similar or worse form to what he is right now.
If you do not have access to this Top Senior market, I would suggest taking Phil Mickelson at +120 to make the cut (any price +100 or better is valuable).
Low Amateur: Christo Lamprecht +175
As mentioned in the longshots piece, I was assuming we would be getting a good enough price to bet Lamprecht, and we did. It’s in part because we have a smaller than normal amateur contingent (thanks, Nick Dunlap.) Lamprecht is the best amateur in this field and also has the most upside of any amateur due to his elite power. After all, he did lead the 2023 Open Championship after the first round. The other four amateurs in the field are Stubbs, De La Fuente, Shipley, and Hagestad. I would expect Stubbs, De La Fuente, and Shipley to all struggle under the bright lights of Augusta, as they aren’t in the same top tier of elite amateur players that we often see in the Masters. No offense to them, but Lamprecht is just in a whole other tier. Lamprecht rates out similarly to Dunlap, who turned pro after winning earlier this season. That leaves us with the veteran mid-am Stewart Hagestad. He is a very solid player who made the cut here in one of his two previous appearances. I just have a hard time not backing Lamprecht at +175 in what should basically be a two horse race here.