In 1997, Tiger Woods set a Masters record with a final score of 18-under in his first win in the tournament. Jordan Spieth matched that record with a win in 2015, but Dustin Johnson outdid them both with a head-turning score of 20-under in 2020, the year after Woods’ last win at Augusta National. Woods is a 60-1 long shot in the latest 2022 Masters odds at Caesars Sportsbook, but Spieth (12-1) and Johnson (14-1) are two of the top six 2022 Masters contenders, according to Vegas. The first 2022 Masters tee times are on Thursday, April 7.
So far this season, Johnson is 14th on the PGA Tour in birdie average (4.56), while Spieth is in a distant tie for 64th (4.04). Can either push to beat their previous record-setting performances, and more importantly, should either be included in your 2022 Masters predictions? Before locking in any 2022 Masters picks of your own, be sure to see the 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, it’s up almost $10,000 on its best bets since that point, nailing tournament after tournament.
At the 2021 Open Championship, McClure’s best bets included Collin Morikawa winning outright even though he was listed as a massive 40-1 long shot. In addition, McClure’s model was all over Jon Rahm’s (10-1) first career major championship victory at the 2021 U.S. Open. Rahm was two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend, but the model still projected him as the winner.
This same model has also nailed a whopping seven majors entering the weekend. Anyone who has followed it has seen massive returns.
Now that the Masters 2022 field is taking shape, SportsLine simulated the event 10,000 times, and the results were surprising. Head to SportsLine now to see the projected 2022 Masters leaderboard.
Model’s top 2022 Masters predictions
One major surprise the model is calling for at the 2022 Masters: Rory McIlroy, a 20-time PGA Tour champion and one of the top favorites, stumbles at Augusta and finishes outside the top 10. The 32-year-old finished on top of the leaderboard at the CJ Cup earlier this season, his 20th PGA Tour victory.
McIlroy is a four-time major champion and can complete the career grand slam with a victory at Augusta National. However, he has been unable to grasp the coveted green jacket despite being in the mix on numerous occasions. McIlroy has finished in the top 10 in six of his last eight starts at Augusta, but the pressure of winning the green jacket seems to be weighing on him. He’s finished 21st or worse in two of his last three starts at Augusta, which includes a missed cut in 2021. He’s not a strong pick to win it all, and there are far better values in the Masters Tournament 2022 field.
Another surprise: Xander Schauffele, a 20-1 long shot, makes a strong run at the title. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Schauffele and Johnson finished one stroke behind Woods in 2019, but the former appears best positioned to replicate that performance this year. This season, he has the 10th-best birdie average on tour at 4.6 per round, which puts him ahead of former World No. 1 and overall 2022 Masters favorite, Jon Rahm (9-1).
Schauffele’s driving accuracy was 18 percent higher than the average of the field at the Valspar Championship in mid-March. He has been desperately seeking his first major victory and will be a name to consider when he returns to Augusta.
How to make 2022 Masters picks
The model is also targeting three other golfers with odds of 18-1 or higher who will make surprising runs. Anyone who backs these long shots could hit it big. You can only see them here.
So who will win the 2022 Masters, and which long shots will stun the golfing world? Check out the odds below and then visit SportsLine to see the projected 2022 Masters leaderboard, all from the model that’s nailed seven golf majors and is up almost $10,000 since the restart.
2022 Masters odds
Jon Rahm +900
Jordan Spieth +1200
Collin Morikawa +1200
Justin Thomas +1200
Rory McIlroy +1400
Dustin Johnson +1400
Cameron Smith +1600
Scottie Scheffler +1600
Brooks Koepka +1800
Patrick Cantlay +1800
Viktor Hovland +1800
Xander Schauffele +2000
Bryson DeChambeau +2000
Hideki Matsuyama +2800
Will Zalatoris +3500
Patrick Reed +4000
Daniel Berger +4000
Sam Burns +4000
Louis Oosthuizen +4000
Justin Rose +4500
Jason Day +4500
Joaquin Niemann +4500
Matthew Fitzpatrick +5000
Paul Casey +5000
Tommy Fleetwood +5000
Tyrrell Hatton +5000
Adam Scott +5000
Shane Lowry +5000
Sungjae Im +5000
Tony Finau +5000
Tiger Woods +6000
Webb Simpson +6500
Corey Conners +6500
Bubba Watson +6500
Abraham Ancer +6500
Rickie Fowler +6500
Marc Leishman +6500
Sergio Garcia +6500
Matthew Wolff +8000
Gary Woodland +8000
Brian Harman +8000
Robert Macintyre +8000
Billy Horschel +8000
Lee Westwood +8000
Jason Kokrak +9000
Si-Woo Kim +10000
Harris English +10000
Cameron Champ +10000
Garrick Higgo +10000