LADIES AND GENTLEMENNNNN…. ITTTTTTTTTTTT’S TIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.
It has felt like centuries, but after 360 days, the best weekend of the year has finally arrived. It’s what makes men out of boys. Brings families together. The brightest sight to sore eyes. It’s the only time of the year that my dad actually talks to me – just the best time of the year and most of all, a tradition unlike any other. I can’t fucking wait.
Before I get into the tournament, I have to say it in case you live under an absolute rock.. the King of Kings, Tiger Woods has returned. For the last 14 months, people said he could never get back and that he doesn’t have the will to make it, that this isn’t his time. You know what he said today? Fuck those people. On the day of the accident, everyone said it was over, but yours truly thought about it and decided Tiger would win the 2023 Masters. Stunningly, I might actually be wrong and it’ll be the 2022 Masters. The man even outperformed his biggest fan. Now that we got the big news out of the way let’s get into the best week of the year.
If you wanna watch the press conference and see some of Tiger’s dad jokes, link is here
Recap of Last Year
Last year was a unique one as we had consistent rain delays, and after the first day it almost felt like it could have been over with Justin Rose starting out so hot. All eyes were on him until the rain delay on Saturday, where seconds after Hideki’s career shot out of an absolute cannon and stole the show. Hideki finished the round with the lead and went on to maintain it in a roller coaster day on Sunday. It was an exceptional tournament, and seeing what it meant to Japan to get their first winner was incredible. The Masters lived up to every expectation and I don’t see that trend going away this year. Last year also gave us the photo of the year:
The Official Breakdown of the 2022 Masters
Before I dig into the odds and picks, let’s get into some things:
The Weather
Praying that the weathermen are right, which is always a dangerous game, the weather shouldn’t be TOO much of a factor. My prediction is that we get a good bit of rain on Wednesday and Thursday could be a score fest but then we see the rest of the weekend get more and more difficult. This brings me to my first bet on my radar, and I think it’s safe to follow the below:
- Current line for Winning Score at The Masters is -12 at -120
- If the line gets inflated to -14 or higher, put at least a unit on the under
The Field
As always, the field is the best of the best. Augusta will welcome 91 of the best players in the world, varying from previous champions to the most recent Amateur champion. It’s a major, so the field will always be the best possible.
The Purse
The purse is a total of $11.5 Million and will pay the winner out a whopping 2 mil. The money is just an extra when it comes to The Masters.. but overall a very solid purse. The biggest prize of The Masters is obviously the Green Jacket and lifetime membership.
So now, it’s time to decide who will be wearing that Green Jacket in 2022.
Odds for the Weekend
The odds are set and it’s time to break the tournament down.
- Coming in as the favorite is none other Jon Rahm who has placed top 10 the last four years.
- Very fair odds all things considered but something about taking the favorite here doesn’t sit right with me.
- Justin Thomas is the second favorite at +1300
- I really love JT here and I think he can do it, but a lot of people are on that take which is worrying me. Can’t blame anyone taking him, but I think I’m backing out this time
- Cam Smith comes in as the third overall favorite after winning The Players Championship
- Cam has a proven track record here with two top 5’s and a top 10 in the last four tournaments
- Hideki has worse odds than he did last year, now at +4400
- With an injury causing his withdrawal last week, I think there’s some fear in taking him but could be worth a shot if you believe in him going back to back
- Tiger Woods is returning and is +4800 to win
- It would be (again) one of the most remarkable comebacks in history. If anyone can do it, it’s Tiger.
THE PICKS
Winner – Jordan Spieth +2200 (DK)
Everyone seems to be counting Spieth out since he hasn’t been playing at the absolute top of his game, but I have little doubt that we won’t see Jordan’s name in the hunt on Sunday. Jordan has won this before; he has come in second twice and third twice. He has seen it all at Augusta, experiencing the highs and the lows, and it’s time for him to complete his redemption tour by taking home his second Green Jacket.
Longshot – Bubba Watson +8500
Maybe I’m getting pulled into this because I just recently watched the SportsScience of his playoff shot back in 2012 but I think 85-1 is a bit ridiculous for a guy that has won The Masters twice in his career. He looked good at The Players and I think he can pull something off here.
Fuck This Guy – Jason Kokrak to Miss the Cut +160
Kokrak has been on a pretty bad stretch for his career lately including getting cut last week. He got cut back in November 2020 and came in 48th last April. I think The Masters will be a bit too much for someone like him between bad form and bad past rounds here. I think he’ll have a hard time out there.
Prop of the Week – Xander Schauffele Hole in One +6500
Little story time… last year I jumped on Xander’s birdie train early on Sunday and was up pretty big throughout the day. I decided to put everything I won and more on him to birdie 16 since +150 felt so easy. I watched him say he flushed it and was on the verge of celebrating until I saw the ball barely reach the grass and bounce into the water instead. It cost me a bunch of money and it cost him the tournament. He has practiced this shot probably 1,000 times since then and it would be fitting to see redemption on the hole.
Mortal Lock – Tiger Woods to Make the Cut -112
Listen here, folks. Tiger Woods doesn’t leave his mansion in Jupiter for just anything. He doesn’t take his private jet to Augusta, GA to play a couple leisure rounds of golf. He flew out to this tournament with one thing on his mind — win this fucking tournament. He has his eyes on the prize and he wants to stare Jack dead in the eyes as he puts on his sixth Green Jacket and takes yet another step closer to smashing every record professional golf has to offer. The man WILL be in the hunt come Sunday and the fact that Vegas is giving these odds to make the cut is laughable.
Three Putt Bogeys 