With the 2024 Masters set to begin tomorrow, you might be on the lookout for good bets to win the tournament. Big names like Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Rory McIlroy find themselves at the top of the betting odds, and for good reason.
Scheffler’s been on fire of late, and if his wife doesn’t go into labor mid-tournament, his recent dominant play almost gives this edition of the Masters a “Scottie against the field” feel we really haven’t seen since Tiger’s zenith. As the defending champion and a recent convert to LIV, Rahm provides plenty of intrigue. And of course McIlroy’s always a popular pick, mixing strong play and his outspoken nature with the possibility of completing the career Grand Slam.
But what about the dark horses? Who figures to have a more challenging road to Augusta supremacy, and what makes me think they could possibly pull off the upset?
Akshay Bhatia
Why he can’t win: No first-time participant has won a Green Jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. For Bhatia to accomplish the feat at the 2024 Masters, he’ll have to overcome a shoulder that popped out of its socket when he celebrated too hard in the midst of winning the Valero Texas Open last week.
Why he can win: Bhatia showed he has ice in his veins by winning his second career PGA Tour tournament. He withstood an epic comeback attempt from Denny McCarthy, matching McCarthy’s birdie putt on the eighteenth to force a playoff, then managed to hit his approach shot over water on the first playoff hole in the aftermath of getting treatment for that shoulder. In case you’re dismissing the difficulty of this task, remember that McCarthy couldn’t manage it with two good shoulders. Talk about pressure!
Sergio Garcia
Why he can’t win: Since joining the initial wave of PGA players who defected to LIV, Sergio’s game hasn’t inspired much confidence. He hasn’t won since joining the upstart tour, and his Masters win, registered in 2017, is starting to seem like a more distant memory than the intervening years would suggest. He’s missed the cut at Augusta four times since winning the tournament.
Why he can win: Sergio’s coming off his second runner up finish of the year at Mayakoba—he also finished second in Miami. He’s got a fiery personality, and no LIV golfer would relish flexing the might of their tour with a win at the 2024 Masters more than him.
Tiger Woods
Why he can’t win: I know, I know. It seems sacrilegious to suggest that Tiger Woods could ever be incapable of winning a tournament unless he wasn’t playing in it. But the GOAT’s been dealing with a plethora of health issues the last few years and hasn’t played much competitive golf recently. Like Sergio, his record at Augusta since winning the Masters in 2019 leaves a lot to be desired. Is there anything to suggest the 2024 Masters will be any different?
Why he can win: He’s Tiger freaking Woods. Bhatia finished last week’s tournament with one good shoulder. Remember when Tiger won that US Open on one good leg?
Neal Shipley
Why he can’t win: No amateur has ever won the Green Jacket. Shipley is in the field at the 2024 Masters for the first time by virtue of making the final of the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club. So, if Shipley were to win, he would be the first amateur winner ever, and the first first-timer to win in over forty years.
Why he can win: Why not? Maybe this is the year of the amateur. After all, the golfer Shipley lost to in that U.S. Amateur, Nick Dunlap, has already turned professional, largely on the strength of his win at The American Express in January. Dunlap’s victory snapped a thirty-plus year streak without an amateur winner on tour. Perhaps some more history-breaking is in order for what has already been a historic season.
Who's Your Dark Horse at the 2024 Masters?
It’s a deep and talented field; be sure to let us know who else we shouldn’t be sleeping on in the 2024 Masters!
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