Golf Betting - The Masters

The first major of the PGA betting season is the biggest. The 75th Masters tournament will tee off at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia on Thursday, pitting the finest golfers on the globe against each other.

In most years, the big story would be Tiger Woods’ pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 career major tournament wins. But this April, the media attention is being split between Woods and his diminished skills and Phil Mickelson’s try for back-to-back Masters titles and a fourth green jacket.

Just one look at the odds indicates the lack of faith in Woods’ chances this week. The once-automatic favorite is behind Mickelson in the Masters betting odds, sitting at +750 to Mickelson’s +600 price tag. It’s the first time Woods hasn’t topped the Masters betting board since 1999.

Woods played with a heavy conscience last year in the wake of his sex scandal and split from his wife. This time around, the former World’s No.1 appears to have put those transgressions in the past and is even making light of them on talk shows.

That approach may be paying off for Woods, who has shown flashes of greatness in recent events. He was in contention at the Arnold Palmer Invitational two weeks ago, after firing a second-round 68. However, the wheels fell off on the weekend, shooting a 74 and 72 to finish tied for 24th.

Woods got off to a great start at last year’s Masters, opening the tournament with a 4-under score of 68 – the first time he had cracked the 60s in an opening round at Augusta. He fell off the pace with twin 70s in the second and third rounds, and closed the 2010 Masters with a final-round 69 to place fourth at 11-under par. In 16 appearances at the Masters, Woods owns an average finish of just under ninth place, with four tournament wins and one missed cut, back in 1996.

While Woods’ history at Augusta must be respected by PGA bettors, it is Mickelson’s recent play that has him as the frontrunner. Lefty is coming off a tournament title at the Shell Houston Open this past weekend, finishing 20-under par with a 63 and a 65 in the final two rounds of the event. Those are very impressive scores for a golfer who was more worried about fine tuning for Augusta than winning the tournament.

Mickelson is the defending champ this week, shooting 7-under par with a score of 67 in the first, third and final rounds to claim his third Masters title in 2010. Since breaking his Augusta curse back in 2004, he has won three of the past seven Masters and can be the first player to win back-to-back green jackets since Woods took the tournament title in 2001 and 2002.

Mickelson and Woods are the overwhelming chalk heading into Thursday’s opening round, but here’s a look at two other golfers oddsmakers expect to compete at Augusta:

Lee Westwood +1,200

Westwood is just happy to be alive and well at Augusta after his private jet was forced to land following a fire in the cockpit. Westwood will try to swing his attention back to the Masters, where he finished second last April. Westwood finished 30th at the Houston Open this past week, bookending a 72 and 74 with 68s in the opening and final rounds. He will have renowned caddy Billy Foster at his side again this week. Westwood credits his recent success to Foster’s high golf IQ and motivation, which should help put his scary travel experience behind him.