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Pick 'Em Preview: Masters Tournament

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PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Matthew Fitzpatrick of England walks from the first tee during the final round of the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 20, 2022 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA - MARCH 20: Matthew Fitzpatrick of England walks from the first tee during the final round of the Valspar Championship on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club on March 20, 2022 in Palm Harbor, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)



    The 86th edition of the Masters begins on Thursday. That hasn’t changed, but a special week demands special attention. It’s why we’re coming to you a day earlier than usual!

    If you’ve never bet on golf, the Masters can be both the best and the worst of times.

    Because it’s the Masters, you could spend hours upon hours glaring at and getting saturated by the possibilities. Options are as plentiful as it gets. In contrast, consider that PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live was dark for the Corales Puntacana Championship because there weren’t enough bets on the board to play the game as intended. It’s the full spectrum in a short period of time.

    To maximize the positive impact for the Masters, stay in control of your learning curve and dismiss anything that feels like a heavy lift, for those experiences can wait. There’s never a reason to rush into any wagering.

    Once you’ve settled into a rhythm, go ahead and lean into the confidence that this tournament rewards course history and experience more than any other to which you’ll attach emotion and units. It’s a bit like an opposite of THE PLAYERS Championship and The Open Championship, as both tend to be crapshoots.

    Rob and Glass are filing their usual staples of preview material. That also hasn’t changed.

    Register for PGA TOUR Pick ‘Em Live here. and monitor Rob’s and Glass’ progress as Influencers.

    For a broader explanation of the format and FAQs, click here.

    WEEKLONG

    Outright

    RobMatt Fitzpatrick (+5000)

    If you circled the sixth tournament during which Glass and I would tie for the first time, you win. Don't know why you'd have made such a quick call, much less having a guess at all, because I'd have taken the DNP, as in never, as in I’d have presented an over-under of ½ of it happening and instructed you to take the under. Nevertheless, here I am leading off the Masters after escaping the Valero Texas Open with a halve with my homie, 759-759.

    For an invitational, the season's first major is as wide open as it's been in a minute. Most of the usual suspects are in the field, but only a small handful present strongly to qualify as a worthy outright. The depth smushes overall value, so there's motivation to reach, just as long as you adhere to the context of what always works at Augusta National -- prior experience.

    Fitzpatrick is a non-winner on the PGA TOUR, but that didn't stop a cadre of internationals from breaking through for their coronations in a major. No doubt there's the connection of the extreme talent among the planet’s best, but there's also the through line that the TOUR doesn't operate any of them. At what point does coincidence become commonplace? It happens in majors.

    Fitzpatrick has plenty of experience and his form has been terrific for months. The bonus as it concerns the Brit is that his last victory on the DP World Tour was in October at Valderrama, which often is used as a comp, visually and otherwise, to Augusta National.

    GlassAdam Scott (+6000)

    Tied? We tied? There are 15 scenarios weekly and we tied?

    This event annually surprises for many reasons, but the one consistent I'll default to is guys who can move it tee to green. As you mentioned above, EXPERIENCE is also a major factor, so I'll ride a guy who's won this in the last decade and cashed in his last 12 visits.

    Current form shows he's pocketed top-10 paychecks from his seven events worldwide, so I'm not begging him to find form on 7,510 yards. If the weather shows up as blustery and cool on the weekend, his ball-striking amplifies. So does his overall experience.

    As always with this action, if it falls apart, don't forget to WALK (no running at Augusta National Golf Club, folks) to the homepage and RELOAD.

    Top 10

    GlassTony Finau (+450)

    The big hitter has played this event three times in spring and his worst finish is T10. He's posted a round of 66 or better in each of those three paydays as he eats up greens in regulation and par 5s.

    Now for the UNSETTLING NEWS. His best finish in 2022 is T19 at Sentry, and his last top 10 was winning the BMW Championship in the 2021 FedExCup Playoffs. On a difficult track last week, he led the field in scrambling and was T4 in GIR. Let's ride the wave down Magnolia Lane!

    RobWebb Simpson (+550)

    He's not in my Power Rankings, and that's kind of the point.

    In a robust field of chalk, which he has been at the Masters, but with him still short of a performance otherwise worthy of our trust, it's THE PERFECT TIME to be the contrarian and jump in at longer odds than his history deserves.

    Since 2018 -- and when presumably healthier upon arrival, or certainly sharper -- he's finished a respective T20, T5, T10 and T12.

    No, I'm not in love with the pick, but even if I hated it, it's a smart play because we get to change it.

    Top 20

    RobStewart Cink (+850)

    In Pick 'Em Live, we are motivated to start at the bottom of the board and scroll/swipe up. No … pass … nope … annnd stop. Whoa.

    I get it, he's almost 49 years of age, but so? Phil Mickelson was 50 when he won the PGA Championship last year. Cink finished T12 here, also in 2021. He also finished T7 in his last start at Copperhead three weeks ago.

    Cink has learn to leverage his power, and he's remained among the most accurate on approach, both in terms of frequency and precision. Augusta National rewards his profile of contributing factors considerably, and it doesn't discriminate against age. On the contrary, it rewards wisdom.

    GlassKevin Kisner (+450)

    Should be a bit more comfortable than others as he'll spend nights at home early in the week at his home in Aiken, South Carolina.

    Yeah, it's too much course, yeah, he's probably not going to win, but he's answered this question for us already: They pay pretty well (on TOUR) for 20th place.

    If the wind blows on the weekend, and if the course dries out, Zach Johnson 2007 could be reincarnated.

    Not many can wedge, chip, putt and survive, but that's Kisner’s angle this week. He’s also NEVER short of confidence.

    R1

    Leader

    GlassJordan Spieth (+3000)

    He's held this honor already three times in his eight visits, so his nose won't bleed being that high on the leaderboard Thursday afternoon. Spieth has been hitting it great, but the flatstick has let him down. That should change, as it usually does, once he steps on the property.

    This bet is contingent on tee times and the weather forecast, so make sure you have another holstered just in case. (Finau at +5000 qualifies.)

    This week everyone will start on No. 1 tee, and the first group will get the purest of the pure, but it should favor early birds as usual.

    RobBrooks Koepka (+2500)

    Glass’ capsule on Spieth figures to age well. If I didn't want to be somewhat helpful, I'd just second his pick FOR THE TIE.

    But I play to win.

    Koepka is the No. 1 in my Power Rankings for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that he's on the prowl again. This is poised to be another monster major season for the 31-year-old.

    The odds for the FRL at the Masters have little influence, but 625 coins would serve as a proper start. He shared the R1 lead in 2019 (with, who else, Bryson DeChambeau). Koepka also connected 10 red numbers at Augusta National stretching from the back half of a T11 in 2017 through the co-runner-up in 2019 and a T7 in the November edition in 2020.

    Bogey-Free

    Glass ... Brooks Koepka (+1200)

    Mother Nature will have her say in course set up as she wreaks havoc Tuesday afternoon and possibly Wednesday. The wetter the better for the power players and Koepka easily qualifies. With fairways possibly expanding if wet the targets become bigger for the bombers.

    Opening with a bogey free 66 in 2019, Koepka has posted the last bogey free round on Thursday.

    Oh and he's No. 1 in Rob's Power Rankings.

    Rob ... Justin Thomas (+1200)

    See what I’m sayin’ (at the top)! Leave it to the Masters as this is the first time that we’ve been handed this prop.

    Because it’s unlikely to pay off for but a few users, if any – there were zero blemish-free cards in R1 and R2 last year. and there were only two post-cut – so while there’s an argument to throw a dart, I’m taking the opposite approach.

    JT has been performing consistently strong again. He’s not just a board favorite to contend (because the house never loses), but he’s also a legitimate threat to prevail. He’s gone bogey-free around Augusta National before and he leads the PGA TOUR in bogey avoidance.

    Make the Cut

    GlassTiger Woods (-110)

    He's cashed 22 of 23 in his career on this track, so if he's in the field, I'll gladly take my chances. I'm a believer that he's entering this week because he has a chance to win, not just to compete. He's not going to show up and just "try." He's not wired that way.

    RobStewart Cink (-115)

    Given my affinity for him to record a top 20, this is a no-brainer. If he and Woods both make the cut, and if Glass nips me by a lousy coin, this is where I’ll feel it, 23-22. Not that I’ll lose any sleep, of course.

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