Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2023 Masters  

Masters Fantasy Preview

Every year, the winner of the Texas Open secures one of sport’s great hall passes: a ticket to play in The Masters a week later.

That is, of course, if the champion hasn’t already qualified to tee it up at Augusta National….

Corey Conners pooped the party of Sam Stevens, Patrick Rodgers, Matt Kuchar and co by winning his second Texas Open title with a steely final round on Sunday.

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Rodgers had carried the leaderboard for much of the week, but his struggles on Sunday opened the door for others – rookie Stevens looked the most likely at times to walk through it as he made two eagles in an exceptional final 18 holes.

He rolled a birdie putt just wide on the 72nd hole, and as fate would have it that might have just secured him a playoff berth given that Conners dumped his second shot at the same hole in a greenside bunker, before duffing his chip out of the sand.

But the Canadian held firm, two-putted down a fast slope and ensured he heads to Augusta National with plenty of confidence.

It’s finally here, folks! The Masters means it’s out annual sojourn to golf’s most famous course for the first major of the year.

Last Event’s Fantasy Results

Rickie Fowler was the horse we rode through Texas last week and he ended up finishing T10. 

Along with Rickie, we notched another T10 out of Ben Martin and a T3 from Sam Ryder. 

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The Masters Field

Greats, goods, rookies, amateurs and legends – that just about covers The Masters field.

Barring late withdrawals, 88 plucky souls will tackle Augusta National, with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm headlining alongside a certain Tiger Woods.

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Scheffler will be hoping to get another Green Jacket to add to his collection, but he’ll have to see off a hell of a field that also includes Patrick Cantlay, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and pretty much any other star of the PGA TOUR you can think of.

LIV Golf are well represented, with former champion Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith, who many have previously pegged as a potential Masters winner, leading the charge.

There’s another chance to see legends like Bernhard Langer, Fred Couples and Vijay Singh have a couple of rounds (or more) at Augusta, while Sandy Lyle and Larry Mize have confirmed that this will be the last time they take advantage of their previous champions invite.

This Week’s Course Preview

From the social media shares of the drive down Magnolia Lane, you’d think that Augusta National was a place to unwind and enjoy a couple of hours of fresh air in beautiful surroundings.

However, this Bobby Jones and Alister McKenzie design has shown that it has plenty of teeth through the years.

For starters, this is a long 7,545 yard, Par 72 – long because the grass grows back towards the tee boxes, which reduces ball run. 

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There’s some almighty elevation changes, super-tight doglegs and thick tree lines which block out the approach shots of the most errant. 

But Augusta has long been a second-and-third shot course. Hitting accurate approaches into rapid Bentgrass greens, which house shelves, slopes and sharp run-off areas, is vital – those that do miss are often left with tricky up-and-downs to navigate.

Designed the best part of a century ago, Augusta still holds up against the modern-day player although some modifications have been made: ahead of the 2022 edition, the eleventh hole was lengthened by 15 yards and had its tee box moved to make the tee shot trickier, while the fifteenth was extended by 20 yards.

For the 2023 tournament, the thirteenth hole has had some 35 yards added – preventing shortcuts being taken by those able to cut off the corner and instead take a longer iron into the green, which is protected by that famous water hazard out front. Amen Corner should play even tougher this year….

Here’s a quick hole-by-hole overview of Augusta National:

Hole 1: Tea Olive (Par 4, 445 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.30

This is the classic Augusta dogleg, sweeping from left to right, with thick tree coverage protecting both sides of the fairway. Get a good tee shot away and the players are left with a mid-range iron into a green that slopes dramatically from back to front, with a break of some 8ft possible should you land in one of the tougher parts. With natural nerves at play on the first hole of a major, this is a pant-shredding way to start. 

Hole 2: Pink Dogwood (Par 5, 575 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.58

There aren’t many ‘gimmie’ birdie opportunities at Augusta, but this is one of them and the pressure is on to take advantage of the first longer hole on the course. This is the classic second shot hole, a roughly 250-yard approach into a green that slides quickly from left to right.

Hole 3: Flowering Peach (Par 4, 350 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.05

The easiest of the Par 4s, the key defence of the shortest ‘standard’ hole on the course is the small L-shaped green, which is protected by bunkers and shaved run-off areas that will shove errant approaches miles away from the pin. 

Hole 4: Flowering Crab Apple (Par 3, 240 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 3.25

A hole where Augusta really bares its teeth, the players are greeted with a 220-yard carry over bunkers protecting the front and flanks of the green, and depending on pin placement shorter hitters might even have to take a rescue club into it. Devilish. 

Hole 5: Magnolia (Par 4, 495 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.33

An uphill, doglegging Par 4 with two deep bunkers sat practically on the fairway, the fifth is all about getting a good drive away. The tiered green is another nuisance to overcome, and in 2021 the birdie-to-bogey ratio was around 1:15.  

Hole 6: Juniper (Par 3, 180 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 3.15

You might think that a 180-yard Par 3 is food-and-drink to these players, but that’s before you seen the green complex which features three separate tiers. If the pin is placed back right than they will also have to overcome the dramatic slope which feeds to the front left.

Hole 7: Pampas (Par 4, 450 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.15

The tough stretch continues with what is the narrowest fairway on the golf course, with a sight-line of thick Georgian pines providing the classic ‘tunnel’ look and feel. Even with a good drive, this is a contoured green protected almost 360° by five bunkers.

Hole 8: Yellow Jasmine (Par 5, 570 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.73

Get a good tee shot away and you might be in business on the eighth, although the elevated green does not mean that GIR is a given. Shorter hitters may lay up, while the longer bombers can be caught out by the bunker on the right-hand side of the fairway.

Hole 9: Carolina Cherry (Par 4, 460 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.01

The front nine concludes with a hole where a long and accurate tee shot is essential; anything other than a good hit down the right side can lead to approaches being blocked out by the trees. Two big bunkers protect the front of the green, as does a run-off area which will reject any balls that land upon it.

Hole 10: Camellia (Par 4, 495 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.23 

The scene of Bubba’s famous hooked approach on his way to the 2012 triumph, thick trees line the fairways and the green slopes conclusively from right to left. Big drives have the advantage of being bounded down the fairway if they catch the slope.

Hole 11: White Dogwood (Par 4, 520 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.47

And so Amen Corner begins with arguably the toughest hole on the course – and one that has been further lengthened ahead of the 2022 edition. It’s a hole where players almost give up on birdie by laying up to a safe section of fairway directly to the right of the green, rather than attacking the small surface which is protected by a large pond. As if that wasn’t problematic enough, this is one of the tightest landing areas off the tee on the course. 

Hole 12: Golden Bell (Par 3, 155 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 3.23

This may be the shortest hole on the course, but the players aren’t let off lightly by a tiny green that is protected by bunkers front and back and Rae’s Creek running ominously along the front as well. A notorious cross wind only adds to the drama. 

Hole 13: Azalea (Par 5, 545 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.85

Amen Corner is swiftly followed by the easiest hole on the course. The green is protected by a thin water hazard and a series of bunkers, but if the players can get a good tee shot away they will be confident of setting up an eagle putt; birdie, of which there were 128 here in 2018, is far more likely. 

Hole 14: Chinese Fir (Par 4, 440 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.04

This is perhaps the easiest tee shot on the course with no sand to worry about, but the approach is a different matter altogether, with a heavily-tiered green the key defence based upon pin placement.

Hole 15: Firethorn (Par 5, 550 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.93

One of the easiest holes on the layout, Augusta officials will look to rectify that somewhat by adding 15 yards to it. That will make the decision of either taking on the green in two, or laying up, more difficult to make. Take on the green in two or lay up? Longer hitters are able to find the dancefloor in two if they are accurate off the tee, but they must avoid the pond prowling at the front of the green. Shorter hitters will lay up, but a red number could still be on the cards here nonetheless.

Hole 16: Redbud (Par 3, 170 yards) 

Stroke Average in 2022: 3.00

The green slopes dramatically from right to left here, with upper and lower shelves affecting the level of difficulty based on pin position. If the flag is on the lower shelf at the back of the green, the players are faced with a tough approach.

Hole 17: Nandina (Par 4, 440 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.20

Sadly, the famous Eisenhower tree did not survive a storm and had to be removed a few years back, which makes driving a whole lot easier. A left-to-right tee shot gives a good angle to attack a small green that is often said to be one of the quickest on the course. 

Hole 18: Holly (Par 4, 465 yards)

Stroke Average in 2022: 4.38

With the Green Jacket in your midst, the leader will have to hit a nerve-less drive to a fairway flanked by sand left and trees right. The tiered green is protected by two deep bunkers, and with the pressure on all sorts of danger can be found on eighteen.

Weather Forecast for Augusta, GA

There has been plenty of rain around in Augusta ahead of Masters week, and it will be interesting to see how much that has softened (and lengthened) this already-long layout.

The early forecast suggests that there could be more rain showers to come throughout the week, with predictions suggesting an 80% chance of precipitation on both Saturday and Sunday.

The opening two days might see the best of things, although cloudy spells will keep things cool even with the wind relatively benign.

And then we have the weekend. The early forecast suggests Saturday could see rain, winds of 12mph or more and top temperatures of a gruesomely-low 53˚F.

Things may improve somewhat on Sunday, but the outlook is not one for sun worshippers to savour. 

AUGUSTA WEATHER

Last Year’s Results from the Masters

At one point, Scottie Scheffler looked up at the huge leaderboard on Augusta’s green curves and saw that he had opened up a mammoth seven-shot lead.

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That afforded him an understandable wobble as he looked to close out his first major victory, which came on the very last hole – he incredibly managed to four-putt from 40ft as brain-freeze kicked in, and yet Scheffler still won by four shots.

Cameron Smith fell away after being well placed on Sunday – he was one shot adrift of the leader at one point, while the fast-finishing Rory McIlroy was able to get close but not close enough to Scheffler, who showed the serene confidence you would expect of a young man who was closing out his fourth win in little over three months.

Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the Masters this Week

It goes without saying that the key DFS sites are going in strong with their Masters slates, so here’s a couple of contests you can enter that offer the potential of huge reward from a conservative outlay:

• PGA $4m Fantasy Millionaire: The big daddy of them all serves up a $4 million prize fund with your entry costing $15 a time – the winner trousering $1 million. Finish in the top 115 places and you’ll bank a minimum of $1,000, too.

• PGA $800k Drive the Green: If you want to have a couple of cracks at a big prize, this $5 entry contest still pays out a rather handsome $100k to the winner, plus a stack of consolation prizes that will sweep you into the rest of the season with a healthy bankroll.

This Week’s Fantasy Notes

The Masters is one of the rare times that players can be errant off the tee and get away with it – the fairways are wide by any measure, and the pine straw – which acts as ‘rough’ in lieu of thick grass – is forgiving to play from.

But there’s nowhere to hide with your second shot, and while the greens may be somewhat receptive thanks to the rain in Augusta, that’s not to say they will be slowed down to a sluggish pace.

Soft ground and lower-than-expected temperatures at the weekend could also see the course playing longer, as far as the players feel it to be, and so only those that give it a bump off the tee can be expected to grind out a winning score over 72 holes.

The emphasis is on quality approach players at yardages of 175 yards and further, while quality of scrambling and getting up-and-down is also a key weapon in any Masters champion’s armory. 

And we make our first shift of the calendar year to Bentgrass greens, which aren’t actually all that common on the PGA TOUR these days. There’s certainly value in seeking out those with a strong record of putting on the surface.

You can take a look for correlating courses if you want – Bay Hill, TPC Sawgrass and Riviera are about as good as its going to get when balancing design characteristics and strength of field – but Augusta is very much operating on a unique plain as far as elite golf is concerned.

Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the Masters   

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