The Masters Tournament was first held in 1934, making the Masters 2024 the 90-year anniversary of the inaugural event. Much has changed since that first tournament, including bigger fields and larger prize pools, but what hasn’t changed is the location. The 2024 Masters will be held at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., as it’s been every year since opening one year earlier in 1933. The 2024 Masters Tournament features Jon Rahm as the defending champion, and the Spaniard will be one of 18 past winners in the 2024 Masters field.
The first round tees off on Thursday, April 11. Rahm is No. 3 in the Official World Golf Ranking and third in the 2024 Masters odds at 19-2. He trails only the top two players in the world, No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (15-2) and No. 2 Rory McIlroy (15-2). Other 2024 Masters contenders that figure to be popular in 2024 Masters bets include Brooks Koepka (19-1) and Collin Morikawa (25-1). Before locking in any 2024 Masters picks of your own, be sure to see the 2024 Masters golf predictions and projected leaderboard from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, has been red-hot since the PGA Tour resumed in June 2020. In fact, the model is up more than $9,000 on its best bets since the restart, nailing tournament after tournament.
McClure’s model predicted Jon Rahm would finish on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions and The American Express. At the 2023 Masters, the model was all over Rahm’s second career major victory heading into the weekend. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the third round, but the model still projected him as the winner. It was the second straight Masters win for the model, which also nailed Scottie Scheffler’s 2022 victory.
In addition, the model included Nick Taylor in its best bets to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open. That bet hit at 70-1, and for the entire tournament, McClure’s best bets returned nearly $1,900. McClure’s best bets also included Jason Day (17-1) winning outright at the 2023 AT&T Byron Nelson and Rickie Fowler (14-1) finishing on top of the leaderboard at the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
This same model has also nailed a whopping 10 majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.
Now that the Masters 2024 field is taking shape, SportsLine simulated the tournament 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard.
Top 2024 Masters predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2024 Masters: Rory McIlroy, a four-time major champion and one of the co-favorites, fails to complete the career grand slam and barely cracks the top five at Augusta National. After eight straight top-25s at the Masters from 2013 to 2020, it seemed a given that McIlroy would eventually break through and win a green jacket. However, that consistency has evaded him since, as he’s missed two of the last three cuts at Augusta and has failed to break par in six of his last eight rounds at the course.
McIlroy had a scorching finish to the 2022-23 PGA Tour season, completing the year with 10 straight top-10s. However, that kind of success has been absent this season over his four tournaments as he not only has zero top-10s, but he hasn’t even placed in the top 20. The Irishman is struggling with his irons and his putter, as he ranks outside the top 120 in the strokes gained categories of approaching the green (-0.522), around the green (-0.137) and putting (-0.246). Given his current struggles, his recent difficulties at Augusta, and his short odds, McIlroy is a name to bypass with 2024 Masters picks, according to the model.
Another surprise: Xander Schauffele, a 28-1 longshot, makes a strong run at the title. He has a much better chance to win it all than his odds imply, so he’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Sitting sixth in Official World Golf Ranking and ninth in the FedEx Cup standings, Schauffele is just one of three players in the world to rank in the top 10 of both lists. He’s done everything but win at Augusta National, with a runner-up in 2019 and a third-place finish in 2021. Last year, he notched another top-10 at the Masters to give him three top-10s over his last five appearances.
This year on tour, only Scheffler has more top-10 finishes than Schauffele, who has seven PGA Tour victories on his resume. He ranks in the top 10 of the tour in both strokes gained: tee-to-green and strokes gained: off-the-tee, as few can match Schauffele’s ball-striking skills. He combines great length off the tee, ranking 15th in driving distance, with precision with his irons, ranking 22nd in greens in regulation percentage. There are 11 golfers with shorter Masters odds 2024 at Augusta than Schauffele, so he’s a steal at his current price, according to the model. See who else to pick here.
How to make 2024 Masters picks
The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 20-1 or longer to make a strong run at the green jacket. Anyone who backs these longshots could hit it big. You can only see the model’s picks here.
Who will win the 2024 Masters, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Check out the Masters 2024 odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected Masters leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed 10 golf majors, including last year’s Masters and Open Championship.
2024 Masters odds, field
Full set of Masters picks, best bets, and predictions here.
Rory McIlroy +750
Scottie Scheffler +750
Jon Rahm +950
Viktor Hovland +1500
Brooks Koepka +1900
Jordan Spieth +1900
Cameron Smith +2100
Patrick Cantlay +2100
Ludvig Aberg +2100
Justin Thomas +2400
Collin Morikawa +2500
Xander Schauffele +2800
Bryson DeChambeau +3200
Tony Finau +3600
Cameron Young +3600
Will Zalatoris +3600
Dustin Johnson +3600
Max Homa +4100
Sung-Jae Im +4600
Hideki Matsuyama +4600
Min Woo Lee +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Tom Kim +5000
Matt Fitzpatrick +5000
Jason Day +5000
Rickie Fowler +5000
Sahith Theegala +5500
Tyrrell Hatton +5500
Tommy Fleetwood +5500
Patrick Reed +5500
Sam Burns +7000
Joaquin Niemann +7000
Brian Harman +7500
Corey Conners +7500
Justin Rose +7500
Tiger Woods +7500
Louis Oosthuizen +9000
Russell Henley +9000
Talor Gooch +9000
Nick Dunlap +9000
Phil Mickelson +13000
Gary Woodland +13000
Adam Scott +13000
Seamus Power +15000
Abraham Ancer +15000
Chris Kirk +15000
Ryan Fox +15000
Keith Mitchell +15000
Si Woo Kim +16000
Tom Hoge +18000
Sergio Garcia +18000
Mito Pereira +18000
Keegan Bradley +18000
Charl Schwartzel +19000
Cameron Champ +19000
Kurt Kitayama +19000
J.T. Poston +19000