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How Vegas just gave golf fans a chance to make even more money on Tiger Woods at the Masters

Andrew Redington
Tiger Woods waited until late Friday afternoon to announce he's skipping next week's Players Championship. And Vegas wasted no time downgrading his odds to win next month's Masters.
Within minutes of Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, confirming Woods would not make the trip to TPC Sawgrass due to a sore back, SuperBook's Jeff Sherman adjusted Tiger's odds to win the year's first major. Woods went from 16-to-1 odds to defend his title at Augusta National to 20-1.
But while many golf fans feared the worst with Woods skipping a PGA Tour event he usually plays in for a second consecutive week, some golf gamblers have to view this as an opportunity. Getting the defending champ and a five-time green jacket winner at 20-to-1 odds isn't an opportunity that comes along too often. Especially when you consider where Woods' odds have been for the event in the past 12 months.
Woods was installed as the opening 8-to-1 favorite to win the 2020 Masters hours after his 2019 triumph. And as recently as January, he was a co-favorite with World No. 1 Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka at 12-to-1. So. . . 20-to-1? Can you say, "VALUE"?
McIlroy is the current favorite at 9-to-1 odds. He's followed by Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Justin Thomas at 14-1.
Woods finished 2019 in fine form, first winning the Zozo Championship to tie the PGA Tour record with his 82nd career title, then leading the U.S. to victory at the Presidents Cup as a playing captain. After turning 44 on Dec. 30, Tiger returned to competition with a T-9 at Torrey Pines in January before a 68th-place finish at Riviera last month. He has not played since and now there is a question of when—or even, if—he will play before the Masters.
If you're still feeling optimistic about his chances of defending, though, there's still more than a month until the Masters gets underway on April 9. And if Woods keeps sitting out before then, you might be able to snag him at an even better price.