Uncertainty surrounding the Masters market leaders has fuelled a swell of support for a host of European contenders ahead of Thursday’s opening round at Augusta.
World number one Scottie Scheffler heads the betting at 5/1, but has been easy to back in recent weeks having not been seen on the fairways since The Players Championship at Sawgrass last month. Rory McIlroy will have to overcome a poor record for defending champions as well as a recent lack of competitive action as he looks set to tee it up only fourth favourite at odds of 10/1 with Boyle Sports.
In contrast, Bryson DeChambeau has surged into 9/1 second favourite (from 14/1) following back-to-back victories on the LIV Golf Tour.
However European hopes are gathering pace, with Jon Rahm spearheading a cluster of contenders from across the continent at 9/1. In-form English duo Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood are both into 16/1 shots following consistent streaks of recent form, while Sweden’s Ludvig Åberg (12/1) continues to stand out as a likely green jacket contender following two strong previous showings at the famous Georgia track.
With Boyle Sports offering 10 places for each-way backers, Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre is another attracting attention at 20/1 (from 28/1) having gone close to victory at last week’s Valero Texas Open.
Lawrence Lyons, spokesperson for Boyle Sports, said: “It’s shaping up to be a fascinating Masters, especially with a degree of uncertainty around Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Plenty believe the door is open and the European contingent are surging in the betting, with the likes of Ludvig Åberg, Tommy Fleetwood and Bob MacIntrye expected to make a serious push for a major breakthrough.”
Masters – E/W 1/5 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
5/1 S Scheffler
9/1 B DeChambeau
9/1 J Rahm
10/1 R McIlroy
11/1 X Schauffele
12/1 L Aberg
16/1 T Fleetwood
16/1 M Fitzpatrick
16/1 C Young
20/1 R MacIntyre
22/1 J Rose
25/1 bar
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