Scottie Scheffler goes for a repeat, Rory McIlroy tries to remember the good times, Jordan Spieth gets on the rollercoaster, and more. Welcome to the Masters edition of Action Network's betting primer.
All data, stats, and trends are updated as of Monday, April 7 at 9 p.m. ET.
Beam Me Up
Scheffler Goes For History
Scottie Scheffler won The Masters last year, entering the tournament at 5-1 odds and the favorite and the only player listed under 10-1. Tiger Woods is the last golfer to win The Masters in consecutive years, doing so in 2001 and 2002.
Last year, Scheffler became the first betting favorite to win the Masters since Woods in 2005. The Masters hasn’t been won by a golfer under 10-1 odds in back-to-back years since 2005-06, with Phil Mickelson and Woods.
Golfers to win Masters back-to-back:
Jack Nicklaus – 1965 & 1966
Nick Faldo – 1989 & 1990
Tiger Woods – 2001 & 2002
The Trio
Tigers and Sharks
Scheffler will enter 2025 as the betting favorite, just like he did in 2024 and he is hoping for the same success. In the last 40 years, only Woods in 2001 and 2002 won The Masters in consecutive years, both times as the betting favorite at +200 and +150 odds.
Masters Betting Favorites to Win Tournament Since 1985:
2024 — Scottie Scheffler, +500
2005 — Tiger Woods, +350
2002 — Tiger Woods, +200
2001 — Tiger Woods, +150
1997 — Tiger Woods, +800
1992 — Fred Couples, +500
Scheffler, Woods, and Greg Norman share some Masters company, too.
In that same span, only Woods and Norman have finished top-5 in consecutive Masters, both as the betting favorite. A list Scheffler will try to join this year.
In 2023 (co-favorite) and 2024, Scheffler closed as the betting favorite and looks to make it three years in a row in 2025. A feat only Norman (1988-90) and Woods (2000-10) have accomplished since 1985.
Overall, Scheffler will join Norman, Woods, Nick Faldo and Rory McIlroy as the only golfers to be favored in at least three Masters in the last 40 years.
The other story for Scheffler could be his closing odds. Currently fluctuating between +450 and +500, if he closes under 5-1 he would join Woods, Norman and Seve Ballesteros as the only golfers to be listed under 5-1 to win any major 3-plus times since '84. Since 2006, this feat has been done 19 times in any major (not counting '25 Scheffler) — twice by Scheffler and 17 times by Woods.
One More
Rory's Quest
Second in odds this week is McIlroy, who is +650 behind Scheffler. This is the lowest price McIlroy has entered the Masters with since 2015 and tied for his 2nd-lowest price of his career (+600 in 2012).
The last piece to McIlroy's trophy case is the Masters to complete the career grand slam.
PGA Championship (X2): 2014 (6-1), 2012 (18-1)
U.S. Open: 2011 (20-1)
Open Championship: 2014 (12-1)
Here is the list of players to accomplish the feat: Nicklaus, Woods, Hogan, Player, Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones.
Rory is playing his 17th Masters this week. Only one player has won their first Masters title in their 17th start or later – Sergio Garcia, who did it in his 19th start at 30-1 odds in 2017.
Also, a great note from the great Justin Ray:
Only 4 players in Masters history have more top-10 finishes without a win – Rory has 7
Tom Kite, 12
Lloyd Mangrum, 12
Greg Norman, 9
Gene Littler, 8
The Big Gamble
Masters Longshots
We have plenty of longshots in the field this week, they will be looking to make this list of the longest odds to win The Masters. Only four players have won the green jacket with 100-1 odds or higher and it all happened in a 5-year span between 2007 and 2011.
Longest Odds to Win Masters Last 40 Years:
2008 — Trevor Immelman, 150-1
2009 — Angel Cabrera, 125-1
2007 — Zach Johnson, 125-1
2011 — Charl Schwartzel, 100-1
2021 — Hideki Matsuyama, 60-1
Ups and Downs
Spieth Back at Augusta
The rollercoaster makes his way back to Augusta this week. In Jordan Spieth's first five starts at the Masters, he finished T2, Won, T2, T11 and 3rd in 2018, including shooting the lights out on the last day at Augusta, tying the lowest score ever (64) in the final round at The Masters in 2018.
Spieth's win in 2015 at 21 years, 8 months and 16 days was the youngest since Woods in 1997.
Since then, he has simply been inconsistent here, but with flashes of greatness: T21 in 2019, T46 in 2020, T3 in 2021, MC in 2022, T4 in 2023 and MC in 2024.
Spieth has 35-1 odds to win the Masters entering the week as of now, that would be his 2nd-highest mark in his career at Augusta.
Jordan Spieth Longest Masters Odds
2020, 100-1 (T-46)
2025, 35-1
2014, 30-1 (T-2)
2024, 25-1 (MC)
2023, 20-1 (T-4)
Low, Low, Low
Masters Record
If you are looking for odds on records for Augusta. Here are the lowest scores ever at The Masters.
Lowest winning score:
Dustin Johnson – 2020, 65-70-65-68=268 (-20)
Tiger Woods – 1997, 70-66-65-69 = 270 (-18)
Jordan Spieth – 2015, 64-66-70-70=270 (-18)
Jack Nicklaus – 1965, 67-71-64-69 = 271 (-17)
Debutant Dream
First Time, Long Time
Historically, being a rookie at Augusta has been a tough road to winning a green jacket.
In 2025, we have 21 golfers making their first start at the Masters. Here are the ones with the lowest odds to break the streak:
120-1: Davis Thompson
150-1: Maverick McNealy, Taylor Pendrith, Aaron Rai
170-1: Thomas Detry
No Masters rookie has won the tournament since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Three first-timers have won the Masters: Horton Smith in 1934, Gene Sarazen in 1935 and Zoeller in 1979. Last year, Ludvig Aberg finished second in his debut. In 2014, Jordan Spieth tied for second in his first start before winning the Masters at 21 years old the next year.
Not only that, it isn't easy to win early in your career playing here. Only 3 golfers since 1980 have won in their first two Masters starts: 2016 Danny Willett (50-1), 2015 Spieth (10-1), 2011 Charl Schwartzel (100-1).
Rank 'Em
In Good Form
The Official World Golf Rankings have been a decent indicator of Masters success and wearing the green jacket.
The lowest OWGR to win the Masters was Angel Cabrera back in 2009, who was 69th entering the week.
Every Masters winner since 2010 — the last 15 — has been T-30 in OWGR entering the week. 2009 Cabrera was the last outside the T-30.
It's Early
Coming From Behind
How far is too far back at end of Round 1? In 2005, Woods was T-33 at end of Round 1. Since then, all 19 winners have been T-11 at end of Round 1 (Woods in 2019 was T-11, take out Woods, all T-10s since 2005).
Top-5: 14 of 19
Top-10: 18 of 19
Since 1999, 25 of 26 eventual winners were T-15 at the end of round 1 and 18 of the last 19 winners of Masters were at/within 4 shots of the lead after the first round.
The Comeback
Entering Final Round
How far is too far back entering Sunday?
4 of the last 5 winners were leading entering Sunday (Rahm was behind Koepka). 6 of the last 8 and 8 of the last 11 winners were at least tied for the lead entering Sunday.
Over the last 20 years, Charl Schwartzel in 2011 had the biggest comeback entering the final round, overcoming a 4-shot deficit over the leader Rory McIlroy to win 2-shots clear of the field. The last time we saw someone come from 3-plus shots back was Danny Willett in 2016.
Furthest Back on Leaderboard Entering Sunday – Win Masters Since 1960:
1978 Gary Player, T-10
1989 Nick Faldo, T-9
1986 Jack Nicklaus, T-9
2016 Danny Willet, T-5
1987 Larry Mize, T-5
1973 Tommy Aaron, T-5
Since 2010, only two golfers have won the Masters with odds of 10-1 or higher entering the final round: 2014 Danny Willett (+2000), 2011 Charl Schwartzl (+1400)
Since 1990, 32 of 35 winners were top 3 entering the final round. Here are outliers:
2007 — Zach Johnson, T-4 (125-1 odds pre-tournament)
2012 — Bubba Watson, 4th (50-1 odds)
2016 — Danny Willet, T-5 (50-1 odds)
A 4+ stroke lead has only been lost four times after 54 holes at the Masters…
6 strokes, Greg Norman (2), 1996
5 strokes, Ed Sneed (T-2), 1979
4 strokes, Ken Venturi (2), 1956
4 strokes, Rory McIlroy (T-15), 2011
Finally, if we are just talking comebacks. Here are the largest in history.
After 18 Holes
– 7 strokes, Nick Faldo, 1990
– 7 strokes, Tiger Woods, 2005
After 36 Holes
– 8 strokes, Jack Burke Jr., 1956
After 54 Holes
– 8 strokes, Jack Burke Jr., 1956
By Stroke
– 8 strokes, Jack Burke Jr., 1956 (final round)
– 7 strokes, Gary Player, 1978 (final round)
– 6 strokes, Nick Faldo, 1996 (final round)
– 5 strokes, Art Wall, 1959 (with 7 holes to play)
– 5 strokes, Danny Willett, 2016 (with 6 holes to play)
– 3 strokes, Fuzzy Zoeller, 1979 (with 3 holes to play)
– 3 strokes, Nick Faldo, 1989 (with 3 holes to play)
Keep It Going
Off Great Year
2024 was a glorious year for Bryson DeChambeau at majors. He finished top-6 in three of the four majors after finishing top-6 in just 4 of his career 29 major starts before 2024, including finishing top-6 at the Masters, which was the best finish of his career.
At the moment, Bryson is sitting around 16-1 to win at Augusta this week. In his major career, Bryson has only closed below 16-1 twice and they both have come here at the Masters. In 2020, he was +700 and the favorite to win the event and in 2021 he closed +1000, with him finishing T-34 and T-46 in both events.
Recent Form
Best at the Masters Lately
Let's look at who has performed well at the Masters over the last few years.
Active Top Finish Streaks at Masters — Last 5 Years
Top-10: Scottie Scheffler (3), Collin Morikawa (3), Will Zalatoris (3, incl. DNP), Cam Young (2), Xander Schauffele (2)
Top-20: Scottie Scheffler (5), Collin Morikawa (4), Patrick Reed (2), Xander Schauffele (2), Cam Young (2)
Pedigree Matters
Top of the Top
Since Tiger Woods won the Masters in 1997, every winner since, including Woods himself had at least a top-20 finish at a major before winning at Augusta.
In fact, all but these six winners since Woods's first had a top-20 finish at the Masters before their first win:
2018 — Patrick Reed
2016 — Danny Willett
2011 — Charl Schwartzel
2007 — Zach Johnson
2003 — Mike Weir
1997 — Tiger Woods
Brooks Was Here
Koepka Goes For 6th Major
Brooks Koepka has five major titles but has never won either the Masters or the Open Championship. At Augusta, he has finished tied for 2nd twice but hasn't been able to break through. Another top-2 finish here without a win would have him join this list, with Tom Kite, Johnny Miller and Tom Weiskopf for 3+ top-2's without a win at the Masters.
Not just that, Koepka has led or was tied atop the leaderboard after 18, 36 or 54 holes a combined five times (in 2019, 2023) and has converted none of those to green jackets, the most in history.
Great Scott
A Cut Above
Making the cut at the Masters is an accomplishment all in itself. Doing it 15 straight times is on another level.
The active leader for consecutive cuts made at Augusta belongs to Adam Scott, who has made the cut in 15 straight Masters between 2010 and 2024. If Scott makes the cut this year, he would move into a tie for the 8th-longest streak of cuts made at Augusta, tying Phil Mickelson on the list.
On the other side, one golfer that hasn't had much luck lately. Since Sergio Garcia won the green jacket in 2017 he's played the Masters six times and he's failed to make the cut in five of those tournaments, finishing T-23 in the one he finished.
