The weather wasn’t as bad as expected at Augusta National on Thursday, which means the majority of Round 1 at The Masters was completed. Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Scottie Scheffler is the overwhelming favorite to win the Green Jacket.
Scheffler is the stunning +140 favorite per The Masters odds after shooting a 6-under 66 on Thursday. But that’s not the low score as he trails LIV member Bryson DeChambeau by a stroke.
So, let’s turn our attention to Day 2 where we will find out who makes the cut. I break down the action and bring you my Round 2 Masters picks for Friday's action.
Best Masters Round 2 picks
Will Zalatoris - Outright (+4,000 at FanDuel)
This is one of the best stats I have seen in regard to a Masters winner following Round 1:
It's day 1 of #TheMasters
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) April 11, 2024
The last 10 champions have a first round scoring average of 68.1.
Each of the last 18 winners were T-11 or better after round 1.
Now, Round 1 isn’t officially in the books yet, but we’ve got a pretty good idea of what we’re looking for in a winner at this point. I think this generally means you can look at anyone 2-under or better heading into Round 2 to win the tournament.
Following these criteria, my favorite value on the board heading into Friday is Will Zalatoris at +4,000.
The 27-year-old looks fully recovered from the back injury that cost him most of the 2023 season. Zalatoris has two Top 5 finishes already this season and has the Masters experience required to be a contender on Sunday, with a solo second in 2021 and a T6 in 2022.
Plus, he has the game to be successful at Augusta National. He is solid off the tee and is one of the best iron players in the world and we saw some of that in action on Thursday.
Zalatoris finished his round Thursday shooting a 2-under 70, which could have been better if not for bogeys on the final two holes. But he absolutely crushed the Par 5s sinking three birdies and an eagle. If he can limit the mistakes and his putter gets hot, you could easily see his name near the top of the leaderboard come Sunday.
Pick: Will Zalatoris - Outright (+4,000 at FanDuel)
Tony Finau - Top 10 (+320 at DraftKings)
It always feels like, if Tony Finau put it all together the major championship he’d have the best shot at winning would be the Masters. He’s strong off the tee, an elite ball striker, and is excellent around the green.
The only thing holding Finau back? His putter.
The 34-year-old doesn’t have a win yet on Tour this season, but the numbers say he was playing well. Finau ranks 43rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, seventh in Strokes Gained: Approach, and sixth in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green. He also put together his best four rounds of the season to finish second at the Houston Open just last week.
The putter though. It ranks 153rd in terms of strokes gained. Thursday at Augusta pretty much played out exactly that way.
Finau was second in the field in SG: Approach but struggled with the putter. He went 3-under on the Par 5s and finished the day shooting a 1-under 71. The way Tony is hitting the ball if he can get anything out of his putter this weekend he’ll have a shot to move up the leaderboard. He already has three Top 10 in six starts at Augusta. Why not one more?
Pick: Tony Finau - Top 10 (+320 at DraftKings)
Tyrrell Hatton 3-Ball Round 2 vs. Bradley/Pavon (+125 at FanDuel)
Tyrrell Hatton is another guy who fits the Augusta mold, in theory. Hatton is an iron player and not too shabby with the driver. But he tends to stay off my betting card because he is usually one of the more, um, emotional golfers these days. And the ups and downs that come with playing at The Masters usually rewards those who can keep those emotions in check.
That said, I don’t hate this 3-ball bet for him on Friday. Hatton was 3-under par through 14 holes when play was suspended Thursday and finished the day Top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee, Approach, and Total heading into Friday.
Which is great. But what I really like about this bet is his competition. Hatton will just have to beat out Keegan Bradley and Matthieu Pavon.
The 37-year-old Bradley has not been playing well lately, missing the cut in three of his last four starts, and ranks 95th on Tour in Strokes Gained: Total. He was 3-over par and 75th in total strokes gained when play came to a close Thursday.
While Matthieu Pavon, who seemingly came out of nowhere to win the Famers Insurance Open back in January is playing at The Masters for the first time. He’s 2-under heading into Friday, but Hatton is the better ball striker with more experience.
Pick: Tyrrell Hatton 3-Ball Round 2 vs. Bradley/Pavon (+125 at FanDuel)
Latest Masters odds
- Scottie Scheffler (+140)
- Bryson DeChambeau (+550)
- Max Homa (+1,600)
- Rory McIlroy (+1,800)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2,200)
- Tyrrell Hatton (+2,500)
- Brooks Koepka (+2,800)
- Joquin Niemann (+3,300)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+3,300)
- Nicolai Hojgaard (+4,000)
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
