Masters Betting Advice: How To Punt On The Major Golf Tournament

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Masters Betting Advice: How To Punt On The Major Golf Tournament
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You have a wealth of exciting options at your disposal if you decide to bet on the Masters at Augusta this year.

Betting sites offer odds on which player will win the coveted green jacket, but there are loads of additional markets to consider.

This guide rounds up some of the most interesting golf betting options for anyone hoping to earn a profit while watching the action unfold in Georgia.

Each-Way Betting

The world’s best golfers will descend upon Augusta to vie for glory in the first major of the year, so it is naturally difficult to pick the winner.

You might find each-way betting more appealing, as it ensures you still receive a payout if your chosen golfer narrowly misses out.

It is actually two separate bets:

  • A bet on a golfer to win the Masters.
  • A bet on a golfer to place in the Masters.

For that reason, if you bet AU$10 each-way on a golfer at the Masters, your total stake will be AU$20.

If he wins the tournament, both parts of the each-way bet will pay out, ensuring you receive the maximum potential payout.

If he only places, the win part of the bet will be settled as a loser, but the place part of the bet will be settled as a winner, ensuring you still receive an overall profit.

Placing simply means finishing near the top of the leaderboard, but the place terms can differ from one betting site to the next.

For example, Bet365 will give you a quarter of the odds if your chosen golfer finishes in the top five.

By contrast, Unibet will give you a fifth of the odds the player you back finishes in the top six.

That means your chances of success are better at William Hill, but you have to accept a lower potential payout.

Each-Way Example

As an example, let’s say you bet AU$10 each-way on a player to win the tournament at 21.0 with Ladbrokes.

If he wins the green jacket, both parts of the bet will pay out:

  • AU$10 on the win at 21.0, resulting in a profit of AU$200.
  • AU$10 on the place at 6.0, resulting in a profit of AU$50.

That means your total profit would be of AU$250. You get your AU$20 stake back, resulting in a total return of AU$270.

Now let’s imagine your chosen golfer only finishes third, meaning the win part of the bet loses and the place part succeeds.

That means you would receive a profit of AU$50, plus your AU$10 stake from the place back, leaving a total return of AU$60 stake.

Even though your chosen golfer did not win the tournament, you still treble your money, which highlights why each-way betting is so popular.

Top Five, Top 10 Or Top 20 Finish

Backing a golfer to finish inside the top five, the top 10 or the top 20 in the US Masters betting is a simple, compelling alternative to an each-way bet.

If you back a player to finish in the top five, you will receive the same payout regardless of whether he finishes first, second, third, fourth or fifth.

You make it easier for yourself by backing a player to finish in the top five as opposed to winning the tournament, so your payout will be a little smaller if you guess correctly.

Augusta National

Your payout will then be even smaller if you back him to finish in the top 10, as you are increasing your probability of success.

However, you can still earn very healthy profits by backing a golfer to finish in the top five, top 10 or top 20 at the Masters – especially if you go for a long shot.

This is the only major that takes place at the same course each year - Augusta National in Georgia - so you can look for trends, identifying players that regularly finish inside the top 10 here, such as Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners.

Match Ups

This is a straightforward bet that ring-fences two specific players and allows you to predict who will shoot a lower score.

All you need to do is guess which golfer will come out on top over the course of an 18-hole round or for the entire tournament.

The rest of the field is irrelevant when you place a match ups punt on golf betting sites.. 

Your player could finish the round with the second-worst score, but if he beats the player he is up against, you get paid out.

This is a popular in-play market too, as it allows you to watch the opening holes, get a feel for how well each golfer is shaping up and then place live bets from a position of strength.

You may also find handicap match ups, whereby one player is deemed to be superior to his opponent, and he is given a handicap.

For example, you could bet on Rory McIlroy -1.5 vs. Tyrell Hatton, or Hatton +1.5 vs. McIlroy. 

That means McIlroy would need to win by at least two strokes, whereas Hatton could either win, finish level with his opponent or lose by one stroke.

3 Balls and Groups

A 3 ball match up is a similar concept, as it groups three specific players together and allows you to predict who will finish with the lowest score.

These bets normally apply to a particular round, but you can find 3 ball bets on the overall tournament too at most Australia betting sites.

Adding a third player into the mix makes it harder, but you will enjoy a larger payout if you guess correctly.

To take it one step further, you can check out groups betting, whereby four golfers are listed and you need to guess who will prevail.

Special Betting Markets

You will also find a wide range of special betting markets, which can add a great deal of excitement to the US Masters.

For example, you can bet on options such as:

  • Will there be a first time winner?
  • Will there be a hole in one?
  • Will there be an albatross?
  • Who will be the top American?
  • Who will be the top Aussie?
  • Who will be the top player from the rest of the world?
  • What will the winning nationality be?
  • Who will be the first round, second round or third round leader?
  • Will there be a wire-to-wire winner?

The top betting sites also offer markets on whether a specific golfer will make or miss the cut at the Masters.

You can find over/under markets on the number of pars, birdies, eagles or bogeys a player will manage in a particular round too, so there are dozens of different options to choose from.