In-Running Betting at the Masters: Beware the 10th!

US Masters / Tareq Quiroz / 07 April 2010 /

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Bunkers, extreme length, glassy greens - Augusta is one tough course

"It doesn't matter if you are Tiger Woods [6.6] or Phil Mickelson [15.5] you will not win this tournament from outside the top ten at the halfway stage. To be really fair it is unlikely you have much of a chance outside the top four or five such is the record of the frontrunners in this tournament."

TQ marks your card for the in play betting at Augusta

Augusta National is loved by so many because of the mystique that surrounds it. The Masters has an aura that no other tournament has and cannot be replicated. In many ways a lot of it was built up over the years by the annoying lack of coverage that the outside world was permitted to see. It is still not great but much better than it used to be and is a great help to in-running punters.

Golf is a notoriously difficult sport to punt on in-running with broadcasters often showing slightly delayed pictures. It isn't impossible however and there are plenty of opportunities for the clued up punter. If you are going to play during the round you must be aware of where the scoring holes are and more importantly where the potential disaster holes are.

Throughout many years we only ever really saw the back nine of the Augusta National and that is certainly where most of the famous holes are. However, if you are playing in-running you must recognise that it is actually the front nine that is much easier to score on. If your man is struggling to master the front nine then you can't hold out much hope as they start the back nine.

Amen Corner is the most famous part of the course but ignore that and start your thinking on hole ten. This is a brutal par four that will quite possibly play the hardest hole all week. If that wasn't enough the following two holes will probably play the next two hardest. Eleven and 12 are both potential double bogey holes so beware. The end of Amen Corner is hole 13 and many see this as a chance to get a birdie on the scorecard. In my experience that is often a fatal thought as many find the water short of the green.

So, if you are following a certain player in-running then it would be a good idea to back your man before the start of the round and hope he takes advantage of the easier early holes. Once safely through them the time to lay would be before he tees off on ten. As much as par through those next three holes should pick up shots on the field they are often not perceived in that way by the market. Sit back and watch the action but do not be tempted back in until after the par five thirteenth.

A lot of punters like to play in between rounds or many like to sit and observe the first two or even three rounds before they have a punt. This takes some discipline but can be very rewarding...most weeks. Anyone playing the waiting game should know that there is little or no chance of a come from behind winner. It doesn't matter how easy or tough this course is playing if you are not in contention at the half way stage then you can forget about it.

It doesn't matter if you are Tiger Woods ([6.6] to win) or Phil Mickelson ([15.5]) you will not win this tournament from outside the top ten at the halfway stage. To be really fair it is unlikely you have much of a chance outside the top four or five such is the record of the frontrunners in this tournament. There is no time to play yourself into this event and if you are just a last round punter then be warned that you may have missed the boat by that point.

My message is take a chance and get on early or you may just be resigned to watching the great event unfold without any value punt.

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