Who are we backing for the 2018 majors?
The Masters betting: Who to back at Augusta
Hideki Matsuyama (20/1) became a big-time force thanks to a wonderful streak at the back end of 2016 and the start of 2017 but, even though he couldn’t find that kind of run again, he showed his class with a dominant victory at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August.
Matsuyama is a hot-and-cold putter and if he’s on a roll he always looks pretty unstoppable. Could Augusta fall on one of those weeks?
Well, he’s finished 5th, 7th and 11th in his last three visits to Georgia so it’s clear the course is to his liking.
Everyone will be all over the usual suspects but there are question marks for all of them. Does Dustin Johnson really have what it takes on this track? Is Jordan Spieth scarred by the water? Can Rory McIlroy ever get the Grand Slam out of his head?
With the leading players under duress, I’d like to think super cool Matsuyama – as long as the flat-stick is behaving – could give us a run for our money in April.
Who is Steve backing for the US Open? His 2018 betting guide continues over the page…
Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
