9 Sneaky Masters Picks

By Ryan Herrington

April 08, 2019

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Photo By: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Photo By: Augusta National

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Photo By: Augusta National

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Charles Howell III (100-1)

Howell has played on tour since 2000 and won $38 million along the way, so it’s hard to believe that 2012 was the last time he teed it up in the Masters and that he’s only competed at Augusta National that one time since 2008. The Augusta native has struggled “at home,” with his best finish in eight Masters starts being a T-13 in 2004. Still, he’s in the midst of one of the best stretches of play in his career, which includes the victory last fall RSM Classic that got him his Masters invite, and four other top-15 finishes. At 39, he wasn’t sure if he’d ever be back playing the Masters, so the pressure that once surrounded him at the event feels like it might have lessened. Says here that frees him up for a dark-horse run a la Larry Mize in 1987.

Photo By: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Kevin Kisner (60-1)

Can a PGA Tour winner just two weeks removed from his latest triumph (and a South Carolina native, too) really come into the Masters under the radar? Apparently so. It took Kisner some time to get comfortable playing in majors, but since coming up just short of catching Justin Thomas at the 2017 PGA at Quail Hollow, he has found some success in big events, including a T-2 at last year’s Open Championship. He’s not going to overpower the course, but he’s got some intangibles (and local ties) to take a reasonable look.

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Marc Leishman (50-1)

A few lean years at Augusta (MCs in 2014 and 2016) were offset by his ninth-place finish in 2018 and has us liking the 35-year-old’s chances again in 2019. He also has four top-five finishes in the 2018-’19 season, including a win at the CIMB Classic last fall, and just one missed cut, during a season in which he’s improved his stroke-gained numbers in all but one category (around the green). Add to that his consistent play in majors overall (no missed cuts in 11 starts since 2016 at Augusta), and it’s easy to get on the Aussie’s bandwagon.

Photo By: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Hideki Matsuyama (30-1)

The Japanese sensation got as high as No. 2 in the World Ranking, and was a sexy pick to claim his first major title in recent years. But having subsequently fallen to 26th, he isn’t be talked about quite as much despite not being any less of a viable threat to win at Augusta. His record at the Masters includes four straight top-20 finishes and just one missed cut in seven career starts (including two as an amateur). And in his last four appearance at Augusta, he has posted final-round scores of 66-73-67-69.

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Francesco Molinari (20-1)

Is it really fair to call a guy who has won four times worldwide in the last 11 months, including the Open Championship, a “sneaky” pick? Fair point. And yet, despite his impressive resume, Molinari is still a forgotten figure by many casual golf fans. His Masters record isn’t all that great—seven starts with just two missed cuts but also only two top-20s—but he’s got the ball-striking skills to put himself in play at Augusta and is putting well enough of late (.564 in strokes-gained/putting, ranking 23rd on the PGA Tour) to be a factor.

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Ian Poulter (100-1)

History says players don’t win their first Masters at age 43 (Mark O’Meara is the current record-holder with his 1998 win at 41). But there are several reason to think Poulter could become a unicorn. In 13 prior Masters starts, he has missed just one cut and has three top-10 finishes (the last in 2015). So far this season, he has maintained the career resurgence that began in 2017, having yet to miss a cut in seven stroke-play PGA Tour events and posting four top-20 finishes. He’s among a generation of Brits who seemed destined for majors (Westwood, Casey, Donald) but have yet to accomplish the feat. Casey’s form is the best of the bunch of late, but don’t sleep on Poulter.

Photo By: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Xander Schauffele (40-1)

Schauffele has quickly developed a reputation as a little man who plays big in big events. He’s won the Tour Championship, a WGC and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. In seven career major starts, he’s got three top-six finishes. He finished T-50 in his first Masters appearance in 2018, but we’ll give him a pass given how tricky the place can be for first-timers. Instead, we’ll bank on the fact that save for a missed cut at the Players, he hasn’t finished worse than 25th in a stroke-play event since last October.

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Brandt Snedeker (100-1)

Snedeker had played in seven straight Masters (and 10 overall) before failing to qualify in 2018. In those seven Augusta appearances, he missed the cut just once and had four top-20s. The 38-year-old has also missed the cut just once in 13 PGA Tour starts this season, with a T-5 showing at the Players Championship. Two more numbers to throw at you: he’s fifth in strokes-gained/around the green and 11th in strokes-gained/putting. At 100-1 odds in some spots, we can think of worse long-shots to take a chance on.

Photo By: Augusta National

Gary Woodland (80-1)

I touted him on the Golf Digest Masters preview podcast, and was reminded by some that Woodland’s Masters record is thin, with missed cuts in his last three starts. But his form this season gives reason to be optimistic: six top-10s in 13 starts. He’s eighth in strokes-gained/tee to green and sixth in strokes-gained/off the tee. By comparison, Bubba Watson is 24th and third in those two metrics. Watson is a reasonable comp to Woodland, and has two green jackets in his closet. So why not take a flier on Woodland?

Photo By: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The American Express

9 Sneaky Masters Picks

Shop This Look

Charles Howell III (100-1)

Kevin Kisner (60-1)

Marc Leishman (50-1)

Hideki Matsuyama (30-1)

Francesco Molinari (20-1)

Ian Poulter (100-1)

Xander Schauffele (40-1)

Brandt Snedeker (100-1)

Gary Woodland (80-1)

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