The Masters

Welcome to the first Major! Welcome to one of the best tournaments to watch on TV! Welcome to one of the best fields of the year! LIV guys are here and several of them are in great form.

This is a week where your lineups will look stacked simply because of the quality of the field.

Augusta National is a course unlike most. Experience is more important in this Major than others and that is 90-99% because it’s the only one played on the same course every year. It’s also been a common thing that guys don’t necessarily have to be playing well coming into Augusta – that is as long as they have a good track record AT AUGUSTA!

With the greens, outside of experience, an excellent short game is a high requirement – if not mandatory. Fairways aren’t the key factor. Ball-striking and approach game are. Now, don’t get me wrong. If you spray it into the trees and pine straw on a regular basis, you won’t have much fun. Outside of that, you better be able to put well or, if you normally suck at putting, you better be putting well currently.

Cue the Music!

Highlights: Augusta National

Par 72 – 7,545 yards

Wide fairways and fast greens with a lot of undulation

NOTE: The cut this week is the same as last year. TOP 50 AND TIES!!! I remember when it also included anyone within 10 strokes of the lead, but alas, we are probably now cutting 40% of the field come Saturday.

NOTE: All pricing is based on DraftKings

** are my favorites in each category – could be pricing or the fact I think they play best.

$10,000 and Above

Five guys!

Scottie “Lock and Load in 2024” Scheffler ($12,400) – #1 ranked player and playing great, but I don’t think he’s playing better than everyone. He’s never been outside of the Top 20 at Augusta and won in 2022 and 2024. Rory is playing better than he is right now mainly because he’s winning. I’m definitely not fading him!

Rory McIlroy ($11,100) – he has missed two cuts here recently – 2021 and 2023. However, his form is superb at this point. He’s still trying to get the Career Slam and is only missing this one. If Rory can ignore the focus on that, he’s going to win. If not, I still think he’s Top 10.

Jon Rahm ($10,400) – one of the major reasons I don’t like the LIV Tour is that you can’t really watch these guys play. Since it’s also only 3 rounds, it’s a little hard to gauge if four rounds will be a mental thing. Still, Rahm is playing some really good golf right now based on his finishes. I’m not ignoring him by any means.

Collin Morikawa ($10,500) – Top 10 here the last 3 years! T10-2nd-T17-T17 in the events he’s played this season. Again, cannot rule him out!
Ludvig Aberg ($10,800) – he’s my emotional favorite. I really want him to win because I like his game, his demeanor, and his apparent lag of a huge ego. I need him to put 4 solid rounds together, but a runner-up finish last year is encouraging.

It’s hard to exclude any of these guys and, if you play multiple lineups, it may not be a bad idea to start one lineup with each of them. I think weeks like this are tougher because the variance is higher due to the pressure at Majors and, the field is so strong it’s hard to “exclude” anyone. It’s tough to play two of these guys in one lineup but not impossible. Don’t be afraid to go with your gut!

$9,000 to $9,900 (Ranking all the guys in my order of preference)

Xander Schauffele ($9,700) – think he’s good coming back from injury.

Bryson DeChambeau ($9,900) – I think he figured it out last year

Tommy Fleetwood ($9, 100) – I feel like he has a better chance than every to win this week. Yes, it’s a gut feeling but he is a guy that should be able to win here.

Brooks Koepka ($9,400) – It’s a Major! Nothing else needs said!

Justin Thomas ($9,600) – struggled here the last two years. Four Top 10s (two Top 5s) in seven events this season. Hopefully, he’s back to pre-2023 form at Augusta.

Joaquin Niemann ($9,300) – he’s probably playing as well or better than anyone on LIV right now. T22 and T16 here in the last two years.

Viktor Hovland ($9,200) – if I thought it would make sense to list a $9,200 guy as a longshot, I would. Up until a few weeks ago, he was, frankly, PLAYING LIKE SHIT!! Then, he wins. He hasn’t played since so let’s hope it continues.

Hideki Matsuyama ($9,500) – with his history here, you can’t rule him out. Still, I don’t like the way he is playing coming in but, as noted above, that doesn’t always matter.

Jordan Spieth ($9,000) – four or five years ago, he’s a “set it and forget it” bet for The Masters. However, I no longer get that warm and fuzzy feeling playing Jordan – even in Majors. Still, Augusta is one of his favorite places!

$8,000 to $8,900

Cameron Smith ($8,200)** – Great price for him!

Will Zalatoris ($8,300) – one of my favorite players and he’s never finished outside of the Top 10 here outside of an injury WD in 2023.

Patrick Cantlay ($8,700) – Other than weeks like this, you won’t get him in the $8K range.

Tyrrell Hatton ($8,600) – bulldog! He’ll stay in the zone even if he struggles at some point.

Russell Henley ($8,400) – even though he isn’t one of my favorite picks, you can’t ignore how well he is playing right now.
Shane Lowry ($8,800) – excellent price for a guy that, typically, plays well here. If his recent play is any indication, it’s going to happen again!

$7,000 to $7,900

Sepp Straka ($7,600)** – Load up the truck for salary savings with this guy! I am predicting Top 15 – at the worst!

Patrick Reed ($7,300)** – Look, not a LIV fan, but I’m not stupid either! Way too cheap for a guy that ALWAYS seems to play well here. LIV Tour or not (and he’s playing good golf there), you need $7k guys for lineups unless you go pure balanced. Here you go!

Daniel Berger ($7,100) – Hasn’t played here since 2022 but also hasn’t been healthy and in good form since then either. T30 last week was his worst finish in two months.

Corey Conners ($7,900) – Playing as well as anyone outside of the $10K guys. For this price, you’re good!

Matthew Fitzpatrick ($7,400) – playing like absolute dogshit right now! However, here: T22-T10-T14-T34-T46-T21-T38-32nd-T7! Never missed a cut!

Sahith Theegala ($7,700)
Jason Day ($7,600)

Under $7,000 (Or maybe EXACTLY $7,000)

Brian Harman ($6,800)** – missed three straight cuts at Augusta. Won last week when some dumbass forgot to write him up after thinking his price was too low! Guess what, it’s lower this week!

Keegan Bradley ($7,000)

Nicolai Hojgaard ($6,700) – my hesitation? He’s done nothing in the past few weeks but purposely try to piss me off (at least that’s my theory). T16 last year.

Lucas Glover ($6,600)

Denny McCarthy ($6,500) – T45 last year and, damn he’s playing good this year!
Harris English ($6,500)

Longshot(s)

Laurie Canter ($6,600) – first time players hardly ever win here! He won’t either! Still, he was at The Players and missed the cut because he blew up in the 2nd round. Prior to that, on the World Tour, he was 2nd-T35-Win-3rd! Folks, making a cut at this price will benefit you if for no other reason than it saves you salary for the other spots!

Robert Macintyre ($8,000) – Top 25 both times he played here. T9-9th-T11 in his last three events. Lefties can (and have) won here – see Phil!

Cameron Young ($7,000) – Fitzpatrick may be the only name playing worse than him. That is, until last week! T18 last week plus T9-T7 here in 2024 and 2023 respectively. I’m in this week if I need a “scrub.”

Scottie Scheffler is a CORE in every way possible. So is Rory! However, you can’t get them all in a lineup. Still, as an example:

Rory McIlroy ($11,100)
Scottie Scheffler ($12,400)

Leaves you $6,625 per golfer (RISKY!!)

Ludvig Aberg ($10,800)

John Rahm ($10,400)

Leaves you $7,200 – less stressful!

Ask questions on Discord if you have them. Make sure to tag me so I don’t miss it!

GOOD LUCK!!

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