Bernhard Langer could win you some money at The Masters this week.
Now before you think I’ve completely lost my mind – and some of you clearly do after I argued Ian Poulter could be a dark horse for the tournament – hear me out.
Langer, twice a winner at Augusta, is a tasty 7/4 in the Top German market and there is merit in considering him to scoop that title.
It’s a two horse race, with Martin Kaymer the only other participant, and it would be hard to find a player in poorer form and with a worse record at The Masters.
It really is a mystery why two-time Major champion Kaymer finds the Georgia course such a tough nut to track.
But, in eight appearances, he has made only three cuts and never finished higher than tied-31st.
His 2016 season to date has been a complete write-off, tied 16th at Abu Dhabi at the start of the year being comfortably his best performance.
Langer continues to shine on the Champions Tour at the age of 58 and won the Chubb Classic back in February.
If there is one course where you do seem able to be defy the ageing process it is Augusta.
How many times have we seen Fred Couples towards the top of the leaderboard?
Langer finished tied 8th in 2014 and has still got some game if circumstances fall right.
Look, he’s not going to win the tournament or finish in the top 50 in all probability. But he doesn’t have to. He merely needs to beat Kaymer. At 7/4, I think he’s worth a look.
Bryson Dechambeau dominates the Top Amateur market and has been making a splash on both tours with his scientific approach and eye-catching performances.
At 8/13, though, he’s not my idea of value. I prefer to look at the British Amateur Champion, Romain Langasque, at 5/1.
The Frenchman may not have the star appeal of Dechambeau but he has got some game – notably making the cut at a difficult, windswept, Open last summer.
You simply must look at Justin Rose to be Top Englishman at 6/4.
Given his love of Augusta – he was tied second last year and has five other top 20 performances to his name – this looks a meaty price.
While Adam Scott, at 6/4, is also worth a pound of your money in the Top Australian division.
Jason Day’s back-to-back wins see him installed as a 10/11 favourite but Scott has also been in terrific form this year – with two victories of his own – and the oddsmakers seem to have overcompensated too much for my money.
Day has classy form at Augusta, but Scott has a green jacket in his locker.
Tomorrow we will get stuck into the three-ball pairings as the tournament finally gets under way.
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Steve Carroll
