The 2022 Masters field has more thoroughbreds than the Kentucky Derby.
From red hot Scottie Scheffler, who is winning everything in sight, to Rahm, D.J. and Morikawa, the top heavy line-up will indeed provide the ultimate horserace on the back stretch (nine) on Sunday.
Secretariat, err Tiger Woods, will tee off at 11:04 ET on Thursday alongside Louis Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann. Most sports books have Tiger’s Masters 2022 odds of winning at +5000.
Here are my Top 5 Picks:
Scottie Scheffler (+1600)
He’s humming along like a sweet running Lamborghini. Registering his third win in the last five weeks, Scottie Scheffler moved up to #1 in the OWGR, and saw his pre-tournament Masters odds shorten from +2500 to +1600 this according to SportsBettingDime.com. Nobody is playing better golf than Scheffler. He’s also #1 in the FedEx Cup rankings and his recent victories at the WM Phoenix Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational and World Golf Championships – Dell Technologies Match play displayed an impressive maturity in his game. What about Majors? Scheffler has finished inside the top 20 in both of his Masters appearances (T18 in 2021 and T19 in 2020) and in 2021 posted top 10s in the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and The Open.
Jon Rahm (+1000)
Scottie Scheffler may have overtaken him as No. 1 in the OWGR, but Rahm is still at the peak of his powers and this could be his time to put on a Green Jacket. Year after year the spectacular Spaniard edges closer to slipping on the Green Jacket at Butler Cabin. Rahm finished T5 in 2021, T7 in 2020, T9 in 2019 and 4 in 2018. He was built to perform in Majors. Last season, Rahm was the only player to finish in the top 10 in all four majors plus the Players Championship. He ranks first on TOUR in strokes gained off-the-tee and fourth in strokes gained tee-to-green. Combine all these impressive numbers and Rahm’s Seve-like confidence and there’s a reason he’s the consensus favorite to win the 2022 Masters.
Colin Morikawa (+2000)
Currently ranked No. 3 in OWGR, Morikawa has the complete game that suggests he’ll be wearing Green sooner rather than later. With two majors to his credit (2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship), Morikawa knows how to perform on golf’s biggest stages. Best of all, he consistently goes low. He’s 2nd on TOUR in eagles and 6th in birdies. If he’s in contention on the back nine on Sunday, this could be his year
Jordan Spieth (+2000)
Spieth’s meltdown in the 2016 Masters, for whatever reason, seems to dominate his legacy among the azaleas. It shouldn’t. The 2015 Masters Champion flat out performs there just about every time he tees up. He finished T3 last year at Augusta National and was top ranked in strokes gained tee-to-green. His run from 2014 to 2018 was phenomenal (T2, 1, T2, T11, 3). My favorite stat is one provided by CBS’s Kyle Porter: In the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2021 Masters, Spieth beat or tied 447 of 453 competitors (98.7%).
Dustin Johnson (+1600)
To say D.J. can go low at Augusta National is a laughable understatement. My gosh, in this victory he set the 72-hole scoring record of 20 under (268) in the November 2020 Masters. He’s making his 12th Masters appearance after missing the cut in 2021. Johnson’s best Masters finishes besides his victory were T2 in 2019, T4 in 2016 and T6 in 2015. D.J. has 24 TOUR victories and also won the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
Others to Watch:
Cameron Smith (+1600)
Smith had a scintillating performance in his triumph at this year’s PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP. Don’t let his mullet haircut and laid back surfer attitude mislead you into thinking he’s not a fierce competitor. This Aussie has serious game and it definitely translates well to Augusta National. At the November Masters 2020 he became the first golfer in the 84-year history of the Masters to shoot four rounds in the 60s. He finished T10 at the 2021 Masters at -3. Most impressive about his stellar play this year is his 69.274 scoring average, and 1.64 putts per hole, which lead the PGA TOUR.
Justin Thomas (+1400)
J.T. is playing well going into the Masters and he desperately wants to win a Green Jacket for his legacy, of course, but also so he can always attend the Champions dinner on Tuesday night of Masters Week with his buddy Tiger Woods. Thomas is second on Tour this year in Top 10 finishes with 5 (only one behind Scottie Scheffler) and ranks fourth in putts-per-hole at 1.68.
Patrick Cantlay (+2000)
Patty Ice is kick butt on the moss. The guy put on an unbelievable putting display last year which helped him collect four Tour wins, the FedEx Cup title and the Jack Nicklaus Award for PGA TOUR Player of the Year. Cantlay currently ranks T2 in putts-per-hole on TOUR. He missed the cut at last year’s Masters and his performance among the azaleas has been spotty. His best finishes have been a T9 in 2019 and T17 in 2020.
Rory McIlroy (+1800)
Rors hasn’t really set the world on fire with his mediocre play this year – his highest finish is 10th at the Genesis Invitational. The pressure keeps building for him to finally win the Masters and complete the career Grand Slam. He missed the cut last year, but was T5 in 2020. So, there is chance. There is a chance.
Brooks Koepka (+2000)
Brooksie missed the cut at last year’s Masters, but he’s played well in previous years. He was T2 in 2019, T7 in 2020 and T11 in 2017. So far, his performance on Tour in 2022 has been up and down with a 3rd place at the WM Phoenix Open and an MC at THE PLAYERS.
Legitimate Longshots:
Will Zalatoris +2800
Sam Burns +3500
Bryson DeChambeau +3500
Hideki Mastsuyama +4000
Corey Conners +4000
Joaquin Niemann +4500
Tiger Woods +5000
