When the world’s best golfers get set to tee off, viewers and bettors will follow. A signature, like the annual Masters Tournament, is no exception.
The world’s best golfers converge on Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club for an incredibly exciting four days of action. The prestige and tradition of the event are well documented, and there are plenty of fans who view this as the best golf tournament of the year.
There are a whole host of twists and turns throughout the tournament, thrilling viewers. Even better, you can bet on what’s going down every step of the way. We’re going to show you how you can do so right here.
It’s now completely legal and safe to bet on golf in several states across the US, including right here in Michigan. In this complete how to bet on the Masters guide, we’ll tell you how to get started, explain what you can bet on, and share some tips you can use right away. Read on.
| Sportsbook | Launch Date |
|---|---|
| BetMGM Sportsbook | January 2021 |
| FanDuel | January 2021 |
| PointsBet | January 2021 |
| DraftKings | January 2021 |
| Golden Nugget | January 2021 |
Betting on golf is that much easier when you have a reliable and safe place to go. Check out our top sportsbook recommendations up above. They have all of the bells and whistles you need to get down to business, and signing up couldn’t be easier.
To begin, click through on our links, and you’ll get access to exclusive bonus offers. Next, enter a few pieces of info and complete the process. Then, download the app for your device from the site. Once you log in on mobile, you’ll have a live sportsbook on the go.
It’s completely legal and safe to bet on golf in Michigan, but that hasn’t always been the case. If we rewind to May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States teed up the legality of sports betting to the individual states.
A number have taken the ball since then, and the result is that they have thriving sports betting industries for their residents to enjoy. Here in Michigan, lawmakers passed legislation in late 2019, and sportsbooks opened for business the following year.
You can get started with betting on golf and other sports right away, but it’s a good idea to get a handle on how it all works first. Let’s walk through what you need to know, starting with how to read and understand the odds.
There are many different ways for you to bet on the Masters golf tournament, and each of them will have odds attached. We’ll run through all of the options in a bit. For now, let’s stick to the two most common odds listings you’ll come across for the tournament.
First up is the odds to win the whole thing. There’s an active futures market for this, which we’ll run through in a bit, but the odds will be more front and center come tournament time. Here’s what the listing might look like for a handful of favorites:
There will be odds listed for all golfers scheduled to compete, ranging from the favorites at the top of the board to the longshots down on the bottom. Naturally, the idea is to pick the winner, but you’ll also want to try to find them at the most appealing prices.
To that end, you can shop around and check the odds at multiple books. There could be shifts here and there based on market action, and little ticks of difference can have an impact on the bottom line.
Beyond the tournament winner, another popular facet of the odds board is for head-to-head matchups. Sportsbooks will pair up golfers and place odds on both sides. The job for handicappers is to pick which one will perform the best. Here’s what one listing might look like:
As you can see, this is just like what you would find for a moneyline bet on a team-based sport. You can dig into this matchup in full detail and figure out which side will win. There will be several different pairings to consider, so study up and focus on the most intriguing ones.
When the Masters is on tap, it’s a big deal in the world of sports betting, so choices will abound. Betting on the Masters golf tournament goes a lot further than just picking the winner. Here are the most popular types of bets that you’ll find Masters odds for:
The offerings are vast for Masters golf betting, but you don’t have to master them all at once. You can zero in on the types of bets that you like the best and work towards getting them down. We’ll cover some handicapping tips you can use to help you bet on the Masters golf tournament in a bit.
Beyond the standard wagers, you can keep the excitement ratcheted up throughout the Masters by partaking in some live betting. These are bets you can place in real-time as the action unfolds on the course. It’s lots of fun and potentially profitable, but things move quickly.
A sports betting app is a fantastic way to stay on top of things as the tournament plays out. Masters odds and offerings will vary and be based on what’s going on, but here’s a peek at what you might see.
Live betting is yet another way that you can put your golf betting knowledge to the test, and hopefully, turn a profit for your efforts. However, a few notes of caution apply. The markets move quickly, so use patience and zero in on the offerings you like best. Also, approach live-betting with a clear budget in mind and stick to it like glue.
The winner of the next Masters Tournament is an ongoing debate. You can weigh in and make the call on how you think things will shake out whenever you like. The golf futures market stays active all year round, and interest is very high for the four Majors on the docket.
After the current year’s event is official, Masters odds for the next edition will be released soon thereafter. The board will include all golfers expected to compete. It’s usually listed in descending order with the favorites on top, followed by the mid-range plays, and longshots on the bottom. Here’s what the top of the list might look like upon release:
Bets will begin coming in right away, and that can lead the odds to move based on how the money flows. If the three favorites see a good deal of interest, then the odds could wind up looking like this.
You’ll also want to check the prices at various sportsbooks as the odds can be different. The goal is to find the golfers you like at the best prices, so line shopping is a good idea. It’s also super simple in the current environment with legal online sportsbooks and mobile books there as needed.
There are several ways you can approach betting in the futures market. For example, you can place bets soon after the initial release and take a long-range view, or stay engaged all year round and look for line moves that you can pounce on.
No matter how you plan to bet on the Masters — outright winner, special bets, head-to-head, among others — you naturally want to put yourself in the best position possible to make your calls. Handicapping can help you get there, and there’s plenty of information to consider.
While working through the process, here are some helpful tips for betting on the Masters Tournament you can use to your advantage.
Research and handicapping don’t work for everyone, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of different ways to get to the same endpoint, including leaning on the research of sources you trust.
You won’t have a tough time finding breakdowns of the event and picking golfers who may excel. There are also picks of the paid variety to consider, but use caution and only do business with those who can back up their claims with demonstrable results.
The Masters Tournament was first established in 1934. There have been 83 annual editions since then except for three years amid World War II. Horton Smith won the inaugural event with a two-stroke victory over Craig Woods.
Here are some of the notable facts about one of the best golf tournaments on the calendar:
Interest is always through the roof for the Masters, and it only seems to be increasing with each passing year. Here’s a look at how the last 10 editions of this signature event have played out:
| Year | Winner | To Par | Runner-Up | To Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Tiger Woods | -13 | D Johnson, B Koepka, X Schauffele | -12 |
| 2018 | Patrick Reed | -15 | Rickie Fowler | -14 |
| 2017 | Sergio Garcia | -9 | Justin Rose (Lost playoff) | -9 |
| 2016 | Danny Willett | -5 | J. Spieth, L. Westwood | -2 |
| 2015 | Jordan Spieth | -18 | P. Mickelson, J. Rose | -14 |
| 2014 | Bubba Watson | -8 | J. Blixt, J. Spieth | -5 |
| 2013 | Adam Scott | -9 | A Cabrera (Lost playoff) | -9 |
| 2012 | Bubba Watson | -10 | L. Oosthuizen (Lost playoff) | -10 |
| 2011 | Charl Schwartzel | -14 | J. Day, A. Scott | -12 |
| 2010 | Phil Mickelson | -16 | Lee Westwood | -13 |
A playoff has been needed three times over the past decade to decide the winner of the Masters. Last time around, Woods pulled out a thrilling one-stroke victory to win his fifth green jacket and first since 2005.
We’ll patiently wait and see what this year’s event brings, but we can say one thing for certain: the field will be loaded as we get set to enjoy four days of golf at one of the best venues the sport has to offer.
Yes, this has happened only three times in the history of the Masters. Here are the golfers who managed to pull it off:
Woods has won it all at Augusta five times with the last of his victories coming in 2019. It was the first time he won the Masters since 2005. The victory set the mark for the longest span between green jacket wins at 14 years. He’s second on the all-time list for Masters victories behind Jack Nicklaus, who won the event six times.
Tiger Woods set the all-time mark with a 12-stroke victory over runner-up Tom Kite in 1997. Woods also set the mark for the youngest golfer to win the event that year. Jack Nicklaus is second on the margin of the victory list. In 1965, he won the Masters by nine strokes over second-place finishers Arnold Palmer and Gary Player.
This has happened 17 times in Masters history, the last three of which occurred over the past decade. The most recent time was in 2017 when Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose were tied at the end of regulation. Garcia would go on to win the playoff round.
This is a pretty lengthy list as 17 golfers have won the Masters multiple times. Only three of them were able to pull it off in consecutive years: Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. Here are the players atop the all-time leaderboard for wins at the Masters: