Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. Image: The Masters

The Masters betting odds: It’s Scheffler vs McIlroy

Well, it’s going to be a Masters shootout between defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy according to the local bookmakers.

by Wade Pretorius

04-04-2023 19:58

in Golf

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods. Image: The Masters

Well, it’s going to be a Masters shootout between defending champion Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy according to the local bookmakers.

Hollywoodbets have priced the pair up as favourites.

Jon Rahm is closely followed in the third with Americans Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas the next best.

The Masters betting odds: It’s Scheffler vs McIlroy (and Rahm)

The odds of the Masters winner according to Hollywoodbets. Image: Hollywoodbets

MCILROY CHASING THE GRAND SLAM

Rory McIlroy needs to win the Masters to claim the career slam. He has finished in the top 10 six times in his previous eight trips around Augusta National, with a lone missed cut in 2021.

Last year, he had a dramatic bunker hole-out on the final hole has made every highlight reel around the world, and his closing 64 tied for the lowest final-round score in Masters history. It was too little, too late, however, as Scottie Scheffler didn’t open the door to his chasers in 2022.

SCOTTIE TRYING TO COPY TIGER

Scheffler arrives as the only player other than Woods and Jack Nicklaus to hold the Masters and THE PLAYERS titles concurrently. And he is on a similar streak to the one he was on entering last year’s Masters. He successfully defended his title at the WM Phoenix Open and almost did so at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard (T4). Then he won THE PLAYERS and, in his title defense at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, he advanced to the semifinals.

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Just as he did last year, Scheffler will arrive at the Masters as the No. 1 player in the world.

The last person to defend The Masters? Tiger back in 2001/2002.

LIV golf players Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel will lead the South African threat at the Masters this year with only one other player in the mix.

And that other player is none other than leading amateur Aldrich Potgieter.

TIGER WOODS IN DEMAND

Four-time champion Tiger Woods will be grouped with Viktor Hovland and Xander Schauffele at 10:18 a.m. Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, Max Homa and U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett go at 1:36 p.m.

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Other notable tee times throughout Thursday’s first round include: 10:42 a.m., Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Cameron Young; 12:24 p.m., three-time champion Phil Mickelson, Tom Hoge and Si Woo Kim; 1:48 p.m., Tom Kim, Rory McIlroy and Sam Burns; and 2 p.m. (the day’s final tee time), 2015 champion Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood and Tony Finau.

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The defending champion is traditionally grouped with the U.S. Amateur champion for the first two rounds.

The groupings for Friday’s second round remain the same with starting times changed. Pairings (two players) will be used during weekend play.