Masters 2023 Tips, Preview, Odds & Tee Times

'Living your best life' is a phrase coined by modern day instragammers (or whatever they call themselves) and a select group of eighteen golfers teeing it up this week still think they are doing just that despite this being the last Masters for many of them for the near and probably distant future.

It's almost certain though that someone will be living that life a good shade better come Sunday evening as the prospect of a non PGA Tour winner here looks extremely unlikely.

Aside from the obvious trends and pointers towards who may contend here it is important to look at individual games and how suited they are to the tournament test this week. Ball striking is absolutely key at Augusta and if you stray off line consistently each round then you'll stand no chance of competing at the business end come Sunday evening.

As pointed out in my early pieces last week short game around the greens is crucial, and probably more important than approach play. The recent rain and forecast throughout the week may make things more difficult for those who were hoping to separate themselves from the field with their short game. Work around the greens will inevitably become slightly easier with less firmer conditions.

Nevertheless, undulations here require imagination around the greens and those not proficient enough in that department will struggle. Very few winners here down the years haven't shown plenty of fight in big events previous and that is evident with no winner bigger than 50/1 in the last 10 years. 

Rory McIlroy at 7/1 (Eight Places)

I have searched deep within myself to find reasons to leave McIlroy off the staking plan, but the only reason that could be argued against it (the price) isn't enough to dissuade me. It is sure to materialise that if you steer clear of the front three in the betting, at some stage you'll be regretting not backing one of them.

It has remained prudent to avoid defending champions here and despite Scheffler looking like a different beast to many former winners here I can't help but feel it's the right decision to look elsewhere. Rahm certainly hasn't had the perfect preparation this past month and his invincibility that he displayed earlier this season looks increasingly shady before his arrival this week.

Either is capable but Scheffler's 16/1 here last year was an opportunity missed, and should he win this year the 7/1 chance passed up won't leave me crestfallen.

McIlroy looks to have had the perfect preparation and having entered this week before with plenty of question marks surrounding his game, and or his mental state, he has answered all questions this past year. It started here in April 2022 with that sparkling final round and he was no doubt unlucky not to land another major last term.

This year we have seen him struggle at some stages with both driver and putter. In not so typical McIlroy fashion, those problems have been ironed out pretty quickly with a change in equipment in both departments and in particular the driver looked mighty impressive at the Match Play in Austin. Since June last year McIlroy has averaged a victory in every 4.5 events, and it's the one in Dubai that was most striking.

Not only do winners of that event have a tremendous record at Augusta (lately Garcia and Willett winning both in succession) but the manner in which he won spoke volumes as to how determined he is to get over this hurdle of landing another major. That Monday finish felt like as close to a major as possible after the Reed debacle earlier that week on the range and the fact he watched Reed in the group ahead pull out all the stops he still managed to land the knockout punch to win the fight.

The evidence in the majors in 2022 was enough to suggest he'd have every chance at Augusta this time, but the manner in which he has went about business early this year also must indicate he is in one of the best place both with his game and his head to capitalise on this chance. He has made the top 10 here seven of his last nine efforts and I can't see a scenario where that trend doesn't continue. I sincerely hope the wait is over and he rates the best chance of the top three in my book.

5pts each-way R.McIlroy 7/1 (1/5 8) General

Justin Thomas at 20/1 (Eight Places)

Justin Thomas, like McIlroy is another nearly man here at Augusta without quite hitting the heights that the Irishman has around this course. He remains a potent force in Major Championships as was evident by his gritty victory at Southern Hills. Augusta remains a puzzle he is yet to solve but there have been many moments here where he has looked capable of slaying the ghost.

An opening round of 72 had him behind the eight-ball last year before shooting the round of the day on Friday and eventually finishing inside the top 10. Despite finishing nine shots off Scheffler the winner only managed to beat Thomas by two shots over the final three rounds. A handful of other good positions have been spurned also but there is every reason to believe his game is more suited to this course than any other competitor in the field.

A very respectable effort recently from tee to green at Sawgrass was offset by a really poor putter, and a top 10 at the Valspar would also have been much improved had the flat stick behaved. His long game remains in really good nick although maybe not quite in the same form he was leading into last year's PGA. However, that is why he has drifted to a backable mark around 20/1 and with his ability around this course unquestionable it is difficult to leave the double major winner off the list.

2pts each-way J.Thomas 20/1 (1/5 8) Skybet, Betfred

Viktor Hovland at 40/1 (Eight Places)

Viktor Hovland has been the one man for the past month that I was certain would be in the staking plan and I'm quietly delighted at his low key preparation. A two-shot victory at the Hero World Challenge in December beating Scheffler and Young into 2nd and 3rd continued his ever increasing impressive record outside the States. Since the turn of the year his long game has been consistently good ranking high in the ball striking statistics in each event.

This has resulted in top 20s at Kapalua, Pebble Beach and Riviera whilst 10th at Bay Hill and 3rd at Sawgrass give further proof that the Norwegian can't be too far off producing some of his best stuff. 5th at Sawgrass, 12th at Bayhill and 18th at Riviera all on approach play tell us all we need to know about his recent iron play. In deep fields it is more than holding it's own and on a venue that demands a great deal of accuracy with the irons Hovland should be among the leading contenders in that department.

His putting has been part of the reason why he hasn't managed a win this season but as I pointed out in my stats piece last week grace is granted here on the greens and it is the least important aspect of the game needed to contend here. In three attempts around here 32nd is his worst effort but the slight concern remains that he is yet to break 70 in those appearances.

Nevertheless I believe he is better equipped this year following his effort at the Open in 2022. Critics will quite rightly point out his deficiency around the greens but in the last nine majors where SG has been recorded he has only lost to the field in that department twice. That aspect is key around Augusta but the same questions were raised at St Andrews, a venue where numerous shots are played from inside 50 yards daily around that course.

He passed that test with flying colours and the final group experience with McIlroy on Sunday there should provide him with all the tools he'll need should he land in the same position on the final day of the first major in 2023. The rain that has fallen recently certainly helps his cause with his chipping.

2pts each-way V.Hovland 40/1 (1/5 8) Bet365

Jordan Spieth owes us nothing with recent efforts of late and I have toyed with the idea of having him on the staking plan. The Golden Child landed in Georgia last year a troubled soul having not landed a top 20 in any of his previous six and missing a handful of cuts. He didn't make the weekend here last year which was his first missed cut in nine appearances.

It would be extremely surprising should similar play out this year as Spieth has been lighting it up on the tour of late only to let down his legion of fans right at the death each time. Wayward drives at 15 and 16 at Bay Hill undoubtedly cost him a shot on each hole even though the four and five footers missed on those greens made the headlines.

The putter is reasonably consistent considering his tumultuous relationship with the club but it is his driver that is causing him the issues at the business end of events. The same played out at Copperhead where a wayward drive on 16 cost him the tournament there also despite a miraculous bogey being saved on the hole.

Augusta will be a welcome venue for him with space granted off the tee and his increased swing speed should help cover more distance this time around also. When he does find trouble among the pines off the tee here there is none better better equipped imagination wise to manage a route to saving par.

His 'talkative parrot' routine in contention is a big worry though and the narrative around him being slightly mentally weak may play out here once again and we'll maybe wait for a better opportunity to back Spieth when he's shown some grit getting over the line once again. 

Collin Morikawa has the explosive capability of stealing a march in any big championship such as this and he is another difficult to leave off the staking plan. The Californian may have burst onto the scene quickly winning the PGA on only his second major start but having won the Open the following year he has quietly landed another two top five finishes in Majors since, one being the 2022 Masters.

He was romping clear with the Sentry in Kapalua before a back nine disaster with his short game ensued and opened the door for Rahm. He ranked 3rd on approach at Torrey Pines in January then he was comfortably the best iron player in the field less than four weeks ago at Sawgrass. A poor short game display cost him in Arizona whilst an off week from the tee at Bay Hill contributed to his missed cut there.

Augusta is a course where you can get away with an ordinary week on the greens and his iron play is as potent as anyone else in the field. His stats around the greens have improved since the mishap in Hawaii and only for stronger displays on the greens his form would look a lot prettier.

The recent rain will not have played into his hands though and we needed a firmer golf course for him to come into his own. With the fairways mown towards the tee boxes and the soft conditions underfoot I just can't see this going to someone who doesn't hit the ball far enough.

Jason Day at 25/1 (Eight Places)

One can be fooled into overthinking this event, and that was certainly the case last year when anyone (including me) turned down the price about Scottie Scheffler. With nowhere near the success of Scheffler but equally eye catching form Jason Day has to be included at anything around the 25/1 mark with the places on offer. The one big negative is that he hasn't won since this return to form and how he'd cope in the cauldron of a Sunday battle here may be debatable.

What isn't up for debate is how good he is playing, and importantly throughout the bag. Here we have somebody who has been lighting it up tee to green ranking 7th in that department in the field for the last three months. The Aussie has played seven events this year and his worst finish is 19th at Sawgrass.

That form alone makes him a must bet here with the enhanced place terms and despite the small fear that an injury or an allergy may flare up his recent form is just too good to ignore. He has a 2nd and a 3rd here posted during his career and I fully expect him to put his best foot forward this week and show once again his fondness for this course.

2pts each-way J.Day 25/1 (1/5 8) General

Min Woo Lee is certainly an interesting runner following his impressive run at Sawgrass last month. He has the pedigree to do really well around here with a sparkling short game. He finished 14th on debut here last year largely down to a great week on the greens.

His lack of elite approach play worries me a little though and if you don't rank inside the top 20 on approach play here this week you'll find it difficult to win. He'll be a fair each way bet for many but the worry about his iron play is too much for me to overcome. 

Xander Schauffele at 25/1 (Eight Places)

The narrative surrounding Max Homa is that he'll be suited by the majors in California and there is no disputing that. I believe he is a backable price this week but the lack of contention in majors is a real worry and a lack of form around Augusta is another reason to suggest the best decision is to steer clear until we see him battle one of these out.

Instead at 25/1 I favour Xander Schauffele who has been producing consistent golf for a long time now to suggest a major tilt is just around the corner. You have to go back to the Masters last year to see his last missed cut. He has won twice in his last 16 starts and has gained strokes on the field in every tournament he has finished since the Masters.

He hasn't been the most accurate from the tee lately but a shade more room here will give him ample chance to showcase the rest of his game. His approach play ranks in each of his last six strokeplay events this year read 31st, 52nd, 6th, 5th, 11th, 23rd. Combine that with a short game that is firing on both accounts and you have someone whose game is slightly underrated landing at Augusta this week.

He is usually all the rage in the betting market, and often much shorter in the majors. 25/1 is very fair for someone in this form and who hasn't been outside the top 15 in his last three majors.

2pts each-way X.Schauffele 25/1 (1/5 8) Bet365, Skybet

Cameron Champ at 250/1 (Eight Places)

Outsiders rarely get into this but a few look worthy of consideration. One outsider I'm leaving off the list a shade reluctantly is Harris English. He didn't make last year's Masters but was 21st back in 2021 and either side of that effort he has two top 5s in the 2020 and 2021 US Opens. He has produced some great golf lately also, 12th at Riviera and runner up at Bay Hill.

The putter was the biggest contributor to those efforts and had the course been firmer and played slightly shorter he would have made the grade. Instead I'll go with one of the biggest bombers in the shape of Cameron Champ. The Californian is arriving at Augusta off the back of his best ball striking effort since Autumn 2022. It still resulted in a missed cut in Texas as his short game woes continued.

His irons were improved however and they were much better than his approach play last year at Texas (another MC) when he then managed a top 10 at Augusta the following week. That's three Augusta appearances of 10-26-19 and the 250/1 on offer means he must be played following his long game improvement last week. 

0.75pt each-way C.Champ 250/1 (1/5 8) General