The Masters begins on Thursday, and I’ve got three first-round prop bets for the action.
The latest: Scottie Scheffler is looking for a third green jacket and should start his title defence on the right foot. I’m backing him and Justin Rose to finish inside the top 20 after Round 1 and am also taking Harris English to beat Taylor Pendrith in an 18-hole matchup.
Check out my Masters prop bets for Round 1 of the major championship on April 10.
Masters prop bets
Best bet: English over Pendrith 18-hole matchup (+120)
As a Canadian, I would love to see Pendrith have a week in his Masters debut. But putting my bias aside, I just can’t see that happening.
Augusta is one of golf’s toughest tests, and players need a breadth of course knowledge to succeed.
Pendrith probably got some tips from the likes of Mike Weir and Corey Conners, though that won’t be enough to prepare him for the nuances of Augusta.
Players need an elite short game to navigate the green complexes, and Pendrith has lost strokes around the green in six straight starts. He’s also lost strokes putting in three of his last five starts, finishing outside of the top 30 in four of them (and missing two cuts).
English is flying under the radar, in my opinion, after winning the Farmers Invitational in February.
He’s also gaining a bunch of strokes with the flat stick and is near neutral around the greens.
Key stat: English has a respectable track record at Augusta, making four of five cuts with a T22 in his last start.
Quick picks
Scheffler top 20 after Round (-137): I don’t love these odds, but I do love Scheffler’s chances of starting hot.
The two-time champ has the best average strokes gained at Augusta of anyone in the field with more than one start (+3.25), per DataGolf.
He’s yet to win in 2025 but has finished inside the top 25 in every start. He’s also coming off a T2 at the Houston Open in March.
Why bet against the best player on the planet playing at his favourite course?
Rose top 20 after Round 1 (+250): You might remember Rose shooting a 7-under 65 to take the first round lead at the Masters four years ago.
The Englishman stalled from then on out, finishing at 5-under in a tie for seventh. At the time, it was his sixth top-10 and 10th top-20 at Augusta. He’s since added a T16 in 2023.
Rose knows his way around this place well and is live to post a low score on any day.
He’s been a bit volatile this year, but still posted a T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and a T3 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. I expect the veteran to be in the mix by Thursday evening.
Masters prop bets made at 3:00 p.m. on 04/09/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.