Table of Contents
By Alex Lauzon from the “Course of Life” podcast
The Masters in Prop Bets
It’s golf’s Super Bowl week, and while we’ve got eyes on who will be next to don the green jacket in Butler Cabin, there’s an assortment of exotic bets on the market that are sure to get any casual golf or sports fan geared towards watching golf this week. The first major of the year in Augusta, GA always yields record ratings, unparalleled drama, and second-to-none beauty on display for golfers and golf fans alike.
You can play it optimistically and place a wager on the biggest of all roars to occur at Augusta, or you can also live on the dark side and start tallying up water balls on the 12th hole for an over/under bet. From good to evil, let’s break down some unique angles for action that can be wagered on to make Masters Week a profitable one.
Betting on Roars
Will there be a hole-in-one? The most electric roar in golf is a roar for an ace, and if it happens at longshot odds this week, it’s most likely going to come at the famous par 3 16th hole. You know, the hole where Tiger did “the chip” and the ball seems to willfully funnel itself towards the cup with great frequency. There’s been an ace at #16 in 5 of the last 7 playings so the probability has soared in recent years – this is a flier that I am absolutely here for and approve of.
Alex’s Play: YES (+500)
Will there be an albatross? This is where my brain does turn on and give me pause with a prop bet. While the absurd +1200 payday is elusive and tempting for prop bet antics, I can’t endorse the shot in golf that is statistically a million times harder to execute. The last albatross (double eagle) came in 2012 courtesy of Louis Oosthuizen at the par-five 2nd hole. Couple that nugget with Augusta being devoid of any driveable par fours and a lengthened par 5 13th hole, and you have a stay away for me.
Alex’s Play: NO (no bet)
Will there be a course record? The lowest tally around golf’s most famous 18 holes is 63, done by Nick Price and Greg Norman back in the day. It’s been sniffed in recent years, and I have to say this week it is tempting. As I look ahead to the weather in Augusta later this week, there is rain in the forecast (but not too much) that could soften things up nicely for lower scoring. The conditions could be out there, but you know if anyone sniffs it on Thursday or Friday, Augusta will make sure it doesn’t happen on the weekend.
Alex’s Play: NO
BETTING ON CARNAGE
How many balls in the water at hole #12? The par three 12th hole haunts many of the world’s best golfers to this day, specifically Jordan Spieth in recent years. It’s a quaint little 150 some odd yard shot with one of the most famous backdrops in the game as your view – it must be a distraction. Hole 12 is pure carnage at Augusta and you can place a wager on the number of balls that find agua this week between Thursday and Sunday. The mark is sure to end in the high double digits, and whether you take the weeklong over or just an over with your buddies watching this weekend, it’s a fun watch. Pro golfers – they’re just like us sometimes!
Alex’s Play: OVER
Most strokes on a single hole? This is the “sit around and wait for an implosion” bet – the golf hole where you typically pick up your ball before you reach the green. That’s frowned upon at The Masters, so the question bears asking – how large will the biggest one-hole score be? If you think about the fact that there are some aging past champions in the field that may have a hard time breaking 80, it does bring some potentially crooked numbers into play on the scorecard. Will we see a single-hole score in the double digits by an old fogie defending champion? Quite likely on Thursday or Friday, not on the weekend.
Alex’s Play: OVER 9.5 strokes
RANDOM ANGLES
Winning Score? In each of the last five playings of The Masters, the winning score has been AT LEAST -10 for the week. Dustin Johnson’s fall 2020 Masters victory total of -20 will stand as the record score for a bit as that course played decisively easier in the autumn month. As for what is being forecasted this week, the over/under for the winning score for the week is clocking in at 277.5, aka “10.5 under par.” What this tells me is that Vegas likes for the course to play as tough to tougher than in recent years. I’m still taking my chances on the pros going low and “defeating” the course.
Alex’s Play: Under 277.5
Top American: If it’s country pride you’re after this week, there are great breakdowns of country and continent-based bets to create tournaments within the tournament. As for the odds on who the top American finisher will be, it’s led by the usual cast of characters you see regularly on tour – I’ll take a couple of fliers on guys not named Scottie Scheffler here.
Alex’s Plays: Justin Thomas +1100, Collin Morikawa +1500
Top European Player: Stepping outside of the U.S. Golfers, I am looking at a couple of familiar faces in the top Euro category, one is due to win while the other is bound to contend based on recent play:
Alex’s Plays: Jon Rahm +250, Justin Rose +1600
May your Masters week be filled with winning prop bets!
Golf FAQs
How do PGA Golf Majors Pools work?
In PGA Golf Majors Pools, member select six golfers to compete on a roster over the course of an event. The member with the best combined score from the six golfers wins.
Can you include all four majors into one pool?
Yes, but your commissioner can also customize these setting with RunYourPool. Pools can include up to all four majors, repicking golfers each time or adding bonus points for finishing positions
How do I assemble a roster?
Golfers are broken up in to six tiers, as members select one golfer per tier to be on their Major roster.
What happens to golfers who miss the cut?
Any PGA Player who does not make the cut will be given the highest score of Round 3 and Round 4, respectively.
What are the four golf majors?
The Masters is the first major of the season, in April. The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open follow, with the British Open ending as the final major.
How do PGA One and Dones work?
Members in a pool select one golfer to win a tournament, but can't pick that golfer again for the rest of the season. The member with the best score at the end of the season wins.
What is a PGA One and Done pool?
A PGA One-and-Done Pool is a contest similar to Survivor Pools, in which members can only select a golfer one time per season for events.
Which tournaments are played for PGA One and Dones?
Pool commissioners can set up the season for as many or as few tournaments as desired. Go crazy and do all of them! Or dial it back for the major events. As commissioner of a RunYourPool contest, you decide which events to play in!
How to run a weekly golf pool?
In order to run a golf pool, you must first crown yourself as Pool Commissioner. Begin by picking a game type like One and Done or Pick-X Pools. You'll want to establish rules before inviting friends, family, and colleagues to join. As commissioner, you make the rules and also need to enforce them equally and fairly.
How do golf Pick-X Pools work?
Members select a certain number of golfers per tournament, set by the pool commissioner. The member earns the total winnings that their selected golfer won for the tournament. Whichever member earns the most winnings over the duration of the season wins.
What is a golf Pick-X Pool?
A Pick-X Golf Pool calculates tournament winnings rather than strokes gained when deciding a winner. This amplifies the big name events that feature a higher prize purse.
How to run a golf pool?
How you decide to run a golf pool varies greatly depending on the game type. In each case, however, you'll want to determine the rules and settings before you begin inviting members to join you. You'll want to clearly establish how score will be kept, how tiebreakers work, and how winners are decided before anything else.
What is a prop bet?
Prop bets are any sort of pick or wager on a game that has nothing to do with the score or the final score outcome. Props can range from game types, to team types and even player types - such as who will score the game's first and last touchdowns? Other props, such as novelty or exotic, feature bets on things such as the coin flip or the Super Bowl Halftime Show.
How do Masters Prop Bets Pools work?
Pool members simply fill out a wide range of prop questions, each question worth a different value. Commissioners decide on the point value for each question, along with the amount of questions. Whichever member earns the most points based on corret answers wins the pool.
When is the Masters?
The Masters is typically in April and the first major of the golf season. The 2023 Masters is set for Thursday, April 6 and will run until Sunday, April 9.
Where is the Masters played?
The Masters is annually held at the Augusta National Golf Club located in Augusta, Georgia, USA.
