US Masters 2025: The best birdie machines to use for Betfair's free bet offer

• Why Rory McIlroy can finally break Augusta drought

• Read Matt Cooper's Masters profiles of the top 50 plays at Augusta

• Get a FREE £1 bet for birdies & eagles during the Masters first round

• Read all about the Birdie Bonus offer in our explainer

• Full T&CS on Birdie Bonus can be found here

---

Watch Betfair's Golf...Only Bettor Masters preview

---

Bank free bets with first-round birdies at The Masters

As if The Masters wasn't exciting enough, there's a superb Betfair free bet offer for the 2025 edition at Augusta National.

Which means that if you place a £5 bet or more in our Birdie Bonus market , each time the player you back to win the Green Jacket picks up a shot at any hole during the first round you'll land a £1 free bet. 

Click here for all the information on this great offer.

Now the big question is, who should you back? Who are the birdie machines at Augusta National?

Who to back for birdies at Augusta?

It's well known that course form is key at Augusta National, so even when picking out your outright selections you need players who go well on the track, and that means they know how to make birdies among the azaleas.

Conditions will dictate how low scores will go, and just as important as picking up shots is not giving them away and keeping the big numbers off the scorecard - as danger lurks around almost every corner at Augusta, and not just Amen Corner!

But birdies is the name of this game, and the players who know how to find them more than anyone else are largely available at big prices to slip on a Green Jacket - even though three of them have already won The Masters and three others have won another major.

So you may want to consider one of these birdie machines for your Masters pick and to take advantage of Betfair's birdie free bet bonanza, as these guys have made a bagful during just one trip down Magnolia Lane.

And if they've done it once they're always likely to do it again, regardless of their recent form as Augusta is a unique test that usually brings out the best in certain players - including this lot.

---

Most Masters birdies at one tournament

• 28 - Jordan Spieth (2015) 33/134.00
• 25 - Phil Mickelson (2001) 150/1151.00
• 25 - Xander Schauffele (2019) 20/121.00
• 24 - Justin Rose (2015) 90/191.00
• 24 - Sungjae Im (2020) 70/171.00
• 24 - Patrick Reed (2020) 80/181.00
• 23 - Jason Day (2011) 66/167.00

Full Masters betting market

---

Which players have the best first-round birdie records?

It's a small sample size of just one but debutant Nicolai Hojgaard had a stunning first round at The Masters last year, so at a huge price he could be a nice shout while also obviously a fast starter after seven first-round birdies in 2024.

Bryson DeChambeau led the way last year with eight first-round birdies or better, which was more than his three previous first rounds combined (4), while Max Homa had seven last year and averages 4.4 in recent first rounds but has been in poor form this year hence his huge price of 150/1151.00.

Scottie Scheffler is as rock solid as you'd expect and he's likely to go closer to last year's six than his five-year average of four, while Rory McIlroy may only average three the last five years, but with 4-5 in his last two first rounds and some superb form heading in he's set up for a big start.

We've got some interesting names at the top of our form guide - Viktor Hovland tops the list of those with more than one start with at least five first-round birdies or better in all four of his Masters appearances. After his recent win the Norwegian looks like a top pick for those banking on birdies on Thursday.

Tony Finau and Cameron Smith are pretty consistent in this field - and Finau also has one of the best consecutive runs of birdies in Masters history with six on the bounce in 2018 - anyone who can put that kind of streak together warrants attention in any round.

Joaquin Niemann's stats are interesting as he gets another invite this year after a 5-5-4 run the last three years, while Justin Rose looks another strong candidate at a big price of 90/191.00 given not only his pedigree overall here but his recent form.

A play-off loser to Sergio Garcia, Rose is also a renowned fast starter here as he's led five times after the first round, averages five first-round birdies or better over the last half decade and only three players can better his personal tournament best of 24 Masters birdies.

Birdies or better form guide

First round birdies or better in last five tournaments (total birdies in brackets) and first-round birdie average

Nicolai Hojgaard 100/1101.00
7 (21) = First round birdie or better average 7

Viktor Hovland 33/134.00
5 (6) | 6 (15) | 5 (15) | 5 (20) = 5.25

Justin Rose 90/191.00
3 (4) | 5 (15) | 3 (6) | 8 (19) | 6 (20) = 5 

Cam Smith 50/151.00
3 (8) | 4 (13) | 8 (22) | 2 (14) | 6 (21) = 4.6

Tony Finau 50/151.00
3 (10) | 5 (12) | 4 (11) | 4 (17) | 6 (15) = 4.4

Max Homa 150/1151.00
7 (12) | 3 (13) | 3 (10) | 3 (5) | 6 (10) = 4.4

Phil Mickelson 150/1151.00
2 (10) | 6 (21) | - | 3 (14) | 6 (16) = 4.25

Joaquin Niemann 28/129.00
5 (15) | 5 (19) | 4 (10) | 3 (13) = 4.25 

Sungjae Im 70/171.00
1 (3) | 3 (16) | 6 (16) | 3 (4) | 8 (24) = 4.2

Jon Rahm 16/117.00
4 (10) | 8 (20) | 2 (12) | 2 (14) | 5 (19) = 4.2

Scottie Scheffler 9/25.50
6 (21) | 4 (14) | 4 (21) | 2 (15) | 4 (16) = 4

Xander Schauffele 20/121.00
2 (10) | 6 (15) | 0 (1) | 3 (20) | 7 (19)  = 3.8

Jordan Spieth 33/134.00
2 (4) | 7 (21) | 3 (5) | 4 (19) | 3 (16) = 3.8

Jason Day 66/167.00
3 (10) | 5 (14)| - | 2 (4) | 5 (8) = 3.75

Justin Thomas 22/123.00
3 (5) | 4 (6) | 2 (18) | 2 (17) | 7 (22) = 3.6

Tyrrell Hatton 33/134.00
5 (18) | 2 (11) | 3 (9) | 5 (16) | 3 (4)  = 3.6

Brooks Koepka 33/134.00
2 (13) | 8 (17) | 2 (3) | 3 (5) | 3 (16) = 3.6

Collin Morikawa 14/115.00
3 (15) | 4 (14) | 2 (15) | 3 (18) | 5 (13) = 3.4 

Bryson DeChambeau 20/121.00
8 (17) | 1 (5) | 2 (3) | 1 (14) | 5 (19)  = 3.4

Rory McIlroy 13/27.50
4 (10) | 5 (7) | 2 (16) | 2 (4) | 2 (18) = 3

Hideki Matsuyama 25/126.00
1 (9) | 2 (13) | 3 (14) | 3 (16) | 5 (17) = 2.8

Tommy Fleetwood 33/134.00
3 (11) | 1 (11) | 5 (13) | 1 (13) | 4 (17) = 2.8 

Shane Lowry 33/134.00
2 (9) | 5 (13) | 2 (16) | 5 (16) | 0 (12) = 2.8

Ludvig Aberg 16/117.00
2 (17) = 2

---

Now read all the rest of our Masters tips, previews and guides

---