The upcoming 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National promises to be a fiercely fought affair, with plenty of intriguing storylines underpinning the action.
There is little to choose between Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy in the latest outright Masters betting and it would be no surprise to see either player emerge victorious.
However, the inclusion of players from the breakaway LIV Golf competition adds an interesting dynamic to the first major of the season.
Their involvement in the tournament increases the chances of a surprise result, so let’s look at four players who could upset the odds at this year’s Masters.
Dustin Johnson
Johnson set a new record-winning score at the 2020 Masters, with his 20-under par effort topping the previous lowest score held by Tiger Woods (1997) and Jordan Spieth (2015).
His subsequent move to the LIV Golf circuit has potentially resulted in Johnson’s chances of winning this year’s tournament being criminally underestimated.
The 38-year-old can be backed at a best priced 25/1 to win the Masters and that looks too good to ignore given his recent record at Augusta.
He has finished in the top 10 in five of his last seven appearances at the tournament and is fancied to be a strong contender this year.
Max Homa
Homa came close to winning the recent Genesis Invitational and could be a lively contender when the Masters is staged in early April.
He broke into the world’s top 10 for the time with his second-place finish at the Riviera Country Club and will fancy his chances of going one better in the Masters.
Homa is the only other player than Rahm to win multiple tournaments this season, yet is more than triple the odds of the Spanish superstar.
The American golfer has never previously finished inside the top 10 in a major championship, but may be poised to make his big breakthrough at Augusta.
Brooks Koepka
The four-time major winner’s decision to join the controversial LIV Golf competition may have padded out his bank balance, but it has not fuelled his competitive juices.
Koepka appears to have missed the buzz of playing on the PGA Tour and may benefit from being back in the fold at the Masters.
The 32-year-old has plummeted down the world rankings and is ineligible to play in the Ryder Cup in Italy this year due to his defection.
Brooks’ sizeable ego will likely see him fired up to prove a point at the Masters and he is more than capable of finishing on top of the leaderboard.
Collin Morikawa
Morikawa won the 2020 US PGA Championship before adding another major title to his CV with a victory at the British Open the following year.
He finished fourth at the US Open in 2021 and fifth in last year’s Masters to further highlight his ability to be contender at the highest level.
Morikawa ended the recent Genesis Invitational in a tie for sixth place and will head into the Masters believing he can win a third major.
The 26-year-old is a best-priced 18/1 to win the tournament – on that basis, he is certain to garner plenty of interest from each-way punters.
