Masters Field 2020: Best Odds, Picks for Augusta Sleepers and Favorites
The Masters will have a much different feel this time around.
Traditionally, the April date brings with it the usual spring splendor of Augusta National. The azalea flowers are in full bloom, and golf fans flock to Georgia for "a tradition unlike any other," so the tagline goes.
Of course, this year's tournament is being held in November, with the blooming flowers and buds replaced by fall foliage and early sunsets. Whereas The Masters is usually the first major championship on the docket, it will be the last of the 2020 calendar year.
Nevertheless, winning the coveted green jacket is still every bit as important to the players as ever. Just ask Rory McIlroy, who said over the weekend he is excited for a different kind of environment on the grounds at Augusta this time around.
In actuality, the 2021 PGA Tour season is technically just beginning. But The Masters will serve as a perfect curtain call to what has been one of the strangest and most riveting years in golf.
The question is: Who will emerge victorious? Here are three golfers with some of the most favorable odds in the field.
Brooks Koepka
1 of 3
Brooks Koepka's major championship resume likely does not need re-telling.
The four-time major winner has not only been one of the winningest major players in the last few years, he has also been one of the most successful even when he has failed to capture a title. For example, Koepka had runner-up finishes at last year's Masters and the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
But 2020 has not brought about the same success for Koepka. He raced out to a fast start at the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, only to limp home with a final-round 74 that was also marked by frequent scenes of Koepka needing the trainer to stretch him out.
These little knocks and injuries have seemingly plagued Koepka all year, enough that he felt the need to withdraw from the U.S. Open in September.
Still, Koepka's history in majors is a far more appealing backdrop when considering he is being given the seventh-best odds to win at +1700 (bet $100 to win $1,700), per DraftKings. Moreover, the 30-year-old looked good in his tuneup at the Vivint Houston Open, carding a 65 in each of the final two rounds and finishing in a tie for fifth.
Bryson DeChambeau has become the talk of the golf world with his overpowering style of play, and Koepka's old friend Dustin Johnson is coming off a season where he won the FedEx Cup.
Those things have to eat at Koepka, who will be out to prove he is still as good as anyone in the world.
Matthew Wolff
2 of 3
Nobody was going to beat DeChambeau at Winged Foot, but Wolff sure gave it his all.
The 21-year-old finished second and even entered the final round with the lead after a third-round 65, a pretty remarkable feat for someone who essentially only turned professional in 2019.
Wolff's final-round 75 at the U.S. Open might have seemed like a collapse. But he is still very young. Consider, for example, Wolff also finished in a tie for fourth at the PGA Championship.
Plus, Augusta sets up pretty well for the former Oklahoma State star.
Wolff ranked 12th in strokes gained off the tee during the 2020 season, and ninth in driving percentage. If length will give DeChambeau an advantage, it should be just as advantageous to Wolff.
Granted, Wolff has yet to show he is anywhere close to the same level as DeChambeau with the flat stick. But he did rank 35th putting inside of 10 feet in 2020, and players can heat up in a hurry if they start rolling it at Augusta.
Wolff is a +4500 favorite to win, per DraftKings, the same odds as 2019 Masters champion Tiger Woods. But whereas Tiger has hardly played and was not in contention in either of the first two majors this year, Wolff has played quite a bit, and is now well accustomed to being in the thick of things on Sunday.
This could be a huge opportunity for the California kid to finally make the leap and win his first major.
Paul Casey
3 of 3
Casey has had something of a career resurgence in the last five years.
The Englishman has finished in the top five in the FedEx Cup standings twice in that span and has also had his share of outstanding performances in majors. That includes this year's PGA Championship.
Casey nearly captured the Wanamaker Trophy at Harding Park, carding a final-round 66 to finish just two shots back of champion Collin Morikawa. He then managed a top-20 finish at the U.S. Open despite shooting 76 in the opening round, arguably the friendliest scoring day of the entire tournament.
In any case, the 43-year-old has played good golf. He also has a lengthy history at Augusta. Casey's first Masters came in 2004, and he finished no worse than a tie for sixth between 2015 and 2017.
Although Casey has struggled in his last two showings, there is still reason to feel optimistic about his chances.
Casey has made himself a much stronger driver of the golf ball, and he remains one of the better iron players on tour. The former Arizona State product ranked 15th in strokes gained off the tee during the 2020 season, and ninth in strokes gained in approach play. Much like Wolff, he has every chance to win the tournament if the putter gets going.
DraftKings has Casey as a +8000 favorite to win, in addition to a +1200 favorite to finish top five and a +550 favorite to finish top 10. Those are enticing odds for a player of Casey's stature and caliber, particularly at Augusta.
All stats courtesy of PGATour.com, unless otherwise noted.
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