Tiger Woods Masters Odds: Former Champ Still Way Behind Top Tips

Tiger Woods has made the cut of the top 20 golfers most likely to win the Masters this weekend on betting sites after confirming he is targeting victory at Augusta National.

Woods was a surprise figure on the practice course last week as he built up his fitness in an effort to make the first major of the year.

The American, who hasn’t played professionally since a car crash left him with serious injuries in February last year, has naturally captured the media spotlight after revealing he will play.

Asked if the five-time Masters champion could match Jack Nicklaus’ record of six Green Jackets, Woods said: “I do. I don’t show up to an event unless I think I can win it.”

His confirmation has rekindled hope among punters and golf fans alike that Woods can win once again at Augusta – a feat he last managed as recently as 2019.

And if that triumph three years ago was considered an against-the-odds shock, golf betting sites are a little more wary of Woods’ title chances this time around.

Tiger Woods Masters Odds

Indeed, according to Unibet Woods is as narrow as 35/1 to win this tournament.

That puts him in the top 20 candidates for the title, on par with Shane Lowry, Bryson Dechambeau and defending champion Hideki Matsuyama.

Woods’ odds have already been significantly cut from the 66/1 figure posted by the best bookmakers last month. And it shows just how popular the American still is amongst punters, as a flurry of wagers on his name drives his odds down.

Of course, even at 35/1 the bookies reckon Woods only has a 2.8% chance in the 2022 US Masters betting. But, golf odds are prone to change as soon as the players tee off during Thursday's opening round – and this could well happen for Woods if he starts well.

But could Woods win the Masters? The big issue for many punters is his form.

Woods hasn’t played a professional round in more than 18 months and it’s a big ask to come back from potentially life-changing injuries to then conquer the elite of golf on his return.

What’s more, even at the peak of physical fitness no-one is guaranteed to win a major like the Masters, Augusta can be an unforgiving place.

While the course levels the playing field somewhat, the big hitters Colin Morikawa, Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith are currently in a better position to dominate here.

Woods tees off at 00:34 AEST on Thursday and will play alongside Oosthuizen and Joaquin Niemann over the first two rounds. He is at 55/1 to lead after the first round and Evens to make the cut with Ladbrokes.

Interestingly, odds on a Woods top 10 finish have witnessed the biggest shift since his confirmation he will play at the Masters. That price has shifted from 6/1 to 4/1, which suggests bettors are backing the American to catch the eye at Augusta, even if he doesn’t win.

Who Will Win 2022 Masters?

According to the betting odds for the Masters, Woods is highly unlikely to win this year’s event. But who is in pole position to go for the Green Jacket? Here are the latest odds on the big favourites…

Jon Rahm

The early favourite with bookmakers at 13.0 is Rahm who broke his major duck last year when winning the US Open. He’d been flying high in the PGA rankings long before this and finally got over a big career hurdle. Rahm’s results have, however, steadily worsened this year.

He has placed outside the top 10 in his last three tournaments and finished a woeful 55th at the Players’ Championship in March. Yes, he won the US Open and was third at the Open only last summer, but the form just isn’t with him.

Justin Thomas

Another single major winner seeking to rekindle form is Thomas, the 2021 Players’ Championship winner who has arguably failed to live up to expectation in the majors.

Thomas (14.0) won the PGA Championship way back in 2017 and since then has posted just three top-10 finishes. Thomas’ winter hasn’t been great either, although his third place at the Valspar Championship – behind only Sam Burns and Davis Riley – hints at a return to form.

Rory McIlroy

Will the Northern Irishman finally win the Masters and complete golf’s set of majors? It’s always been assumed that McIlroy – a four-time major winner – would eventually don the Green Jacket but his best finish was fourth back in 2015 and he hasn’t really come close since.

McIlroy (21.0) is also in shaky form but his third at the Dubai Desert Classic was fairly impressive. He is without a trophy since the CJ Cup in October and failed to even make the cut at last year’s Masters. Like Thomas, a bet on McIlroy appears a bit of a punt.

Best Of The Rest

Outside of the bookies’ top three are names that punters are perhaps more likely to push for, especially considering the recent results of the likes of Cameron Smith (17.0), Scottie Scheffler (19.0) and Hideki Matsuyama (51.0).

Smith comes into the Masters having won the Players’ Championship and the Sentry Tournament of Champions this year. Matsuyama also boasts two titles for the season but is recovering from a back injury.

Scheffler backed up his Phoenix Open win in February with Arnold Palmer glory a month later and also claimed last week's WGC Match Play, which now means he has won an incredible three tournaments from his last five.

These fresh faces in the golf betting markets are perhaps more likely to attract bettors who want to back the form guys. Indeed, Smith and Scheffler have already scooped 15% of all bets on the Masters market between them.

As for the old guard, Woods is priced wider than Paul Casey (61.0), but is deemed more likely to win the Masters than Sergio Garcia (81.0) and Lee Westwood (176.0). Oddsmakers evidently don’t know where to place Woods right now – and he could prove to be a costly bet where he to win it for a sixth time.