The Masters 2025 Preview
- JN Value Betting
- Apr 9
- 4 min read
BEST BETS:
COLLIN MORIKAWA - 12/1 (BETFAIR) - 1PT E/W (12 PLACES)
COREY CONNERS - 33/1 (SKY BET) - 0.5PTS E/W (12 PLACES)
CAMERON SMITH - 35/1 (SKY BET) - 0.25PTS E/W (12 PLACES)
PATRICK REED - 50/1 (SKY BET) - 0.25PTS E/W (12 PLACES)
The best four days in golf get underway at Augusta National on Thursday afternoon, with 95 players set to battle it out for the fabled green jacket. For many, visiting the Masters is a bucket list item, and draws attention from all over the world. The perils of Amen Corner await each of the players, and those three holes could make or break any challenge for the title.
World Number One and defending champion Scottie Scheffler comes into this as the favourite, and deservedly so. His consistency hasn't been seen in the world of golf for many years, with Scheffler recording nineteen Top 10 finishes in his last twenty-five tournament appearances, recording seven wins in that time - including this tournament twelve months ago. He had a delayed start to the season missing both tournaments in January due to a severe cut to his hand sustained at home over Christmas, and he has just started to get a tune out of his clubs in recent weeks, finishing runner-up at Houston Open - a result which he achieved in 2024 before landing this prize. That being said, he did enter Augusta National last year on the back of two wins and a runner-up effort, whereas he has no wins to his name so far this year. It would surprise absolutely nobody should he get his hands on a third green jacket in four years. However, I am happy to look elsewhere at the prices.
One man who is yet to land the biggest major in golf is Rory McIlroy, despite landing the other three over ten years ago, he is still waiting to earn his lifetime invitation to the Masters. He did however, land the Players' Championship at TPC Sawgrass for the second time in his career just four weeks ago, that was a route that Scheffler took before guiding his way to glory in this last year, and McIlroy will be hoping to emulate that, given he finished tied twenty-first on his other appearance here following victory in the Players'. He comes here in great form winning two of his five tournaments this season, and with seven top ten finishes in his last eleven appearances here, he'll be popular amongst punters.
Aside from the two clear favourites, there is certainly juice in the price of many given the volatility of the Augusta National course. 2022 Champion Jon Rahm has five top ten finishes in his last seven appearances around here, but the two appearances outside of the top ten have come in two of the last three years. He did get his hands on his first green jacket in 2023, and notoriously first time winners have struggled in their next appearance here, and that could be the excuse for his forty-fifth placed finish last year. His 2025 form on the LIV tour has been solid, recording a top ten finish in all five of his tournament appearances. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see him land a second green jacket here. My eyes have been drawn to the price of COLLIN MORIKAWA who certainly knows his way around this course. A forty-fourth placed finish on his inaugural appearance here was drastically improved by Morikawa finishing eighteenth in 2021, and that has been followed by three consecutive top ten finishes in the last three years, culminating in a tie for third twelve months ago. He has certainly lost his way when it comes to landing the top prize, with his last win on the PGA Tour coming in October 2023. That hasn't come through a lack of effort with Morikawa recording two runner-up efforts in his five tournaments this year. Given the twelve places on offer, I am happy to take a swing on him at 12/1 given his record coming into this, and around here. He seems to improve year-on-year when turning up at Augusta, and this could be his year to claim the top prize.
At a much larger price, I am also keen to get Canadian COREY CONNERS onside. There is no doubting his ability to find the silky fairways here, and that will give him every chance of being in the mix coming into the final two days. His putting game has come to let him down from time to time. However, his form in 2025 has given me hope that he could land us a big priced winner. Conners has recorded four top ten finishes in his nine tournaments in 2025, with three of those coming in the last four. The month of February was one to forget for the Canadian, with him failing to trouble to top end of the leaderboard in all of his three starts, but has come roaring back to form ever since. This coupled with his solid record around here makes his price appealing, he has disappointed in the last two years here, missing the cut in 2023, before a thirty-fifth placed effort last year. However, he had a string of top ten finishes in the three years prior to that.
I am keen to stick with players with a good course record around Augusta National, and another of those is CAMERON SMITH. The 2020 runner-up has been out of sorts in 2025, with only one top ten finish on the LIV tour, however, that did come last weekend in Miami. His record on these shores is exemplary with him finishing in the top ten in four of the last five Masters tournaments. Whilst his 2025 form has been patchy, he seems to come alive around here, and at the prices, he is certainly worth an each-way poke. Another that presents another each-way case is 2018 Champion PATRICK REED, much like Smith, Reed hasn't been in red-hot form on the LIV tour this year, but does has a top ten finish in half of his eight starts since the turn of the year. Another similarity to Cameron Smith is that he recorded a top ten finish last weekend in Miami, and that should have him primed for another noteworthy effort around the greens of Augusta National. Reed has filled the places in five of his last seven appearances around here, and that makes the 50/1 on offer for him to continue that run appealing.
