McIlroy Remains Clear Favourite for November Masters Tournament

While fans lamenting the fact that the Masters has been moved to November can console themselves with the fact that there will be two August...

While fans lamenting the fact that the Masters has been moved to November can console themselves with the fact that there will be two Augusta tournaments in just five months, a penny for Rory McIlroy’s thoughts about the schedule change.

The Northern Irishman spent much of 2020 doing his best to save the future of golf as we know it, but also finding some of the best form of his career.

That whole “form” thing is fairly important in golf, but particularly to McIlroy who is as streaky as it gets. Rory was certainly on the upward curve in late 2019 and early 2020, hurtling back into the world No.1 spot and playing with a consistency we have not seen for quite some time. Of all players, one would expect postponement to have hit him the hardest.

McIlroy tops odds for November Classic

He might console himself with the fact that he still leads the latest golf betting odds set out for the fall tournament, coming in at 13/2 with 888sport. That’s quite the vote of confidence for the player from sportsbooks, considering he hasn’t won a major in six years. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that he is not up there on merit.

A selection of other big names and betting market leaders:
John Rahm – 10/1
Brooks Koepka – 12/1
Justin Thomas – 12/1
Tiger Woods – 14/1
Dustin Johnson – 16/1

But with all due respect to McIlroy – and some of us believe he deserves the Green Jacket due to his talent and being a decent human being – there are arguably better value bets to be made between now and November.

DeChambeau working on power

Bryson DeChambeau, priced at 28/1, is one such example.

DeChambeau has been on something of a crusade to build his strength to be a big hitter. He recently demonstrated 203 mph ball speed in a charity video, and it seems the American is really putting some effort into improving his power game and temperament. Yes, he has failed to deliver at majors in the past, but he has been ultra-consistent in other events and is young enough to change his game. We really could see him come roaring out of the blocks when golf restarts.

Another who might be worth a look in the each-way markets is 66/1 shot, Collin Morikawa.

The 23-year-old looks to have a fine career ahead of him. Yes, Augusta does not treat rookies well, but Morikawa is fearless and, with a little work on his short game during this sabbatical from golf, he could bother the top spots in November. Viktor Hovland (80/1) and Matthew Wolff (125/1) offer similar temptation at big prices.

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