Augusta, Georgia takes center stage this week as the 2026 Masters Tournament gets underway, bringing together one of the strongest fields to date for the first major championship of the year. While the focus will naturally fall on the favorites and storylines surrounding the green jacket, early betting activity can provide insight into how the market is approaching this year’s event.
With a full menu of golf wagering options available at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook – including outrights, placement markets, and First Round Leader – bettors are showing a clear preference in how they’re building their cards.
Here’s how the data is shaping up heading into Thursday.
Outright Winner
Despite opening as the favorite, Scottie Scheffler (+500) is not the most popular outright bet.
Instead, Bryson DeChambeau (+900) leads all players with 10.23% of all outright tickets, and his recent history at Augusta helps explain why: DeChambeau has posted back-to-back Top-6 finishes at The Masters (T5 in 2025, T6 in 2024), a massive shift from his previous struggles at Augusta.
Right behind him is Ludvig Aberg (+1600), who has quickly built one of the strongest Augusta resumes in the field to begin his career. Aberg finished runner-up in his Masters debut in 2024 and followed that up with a solo 7th place finish in 2025, proving that his game translates seamlessly to one of the toughest courses on the schedule.
Scheffler does clock in with the third-most bets to win the 2026 Masters. He captured the green jacket in 2022 and 2024, establishing himself as the premier course fit in the field. However, his lack of recent competitive reps and a cold stretch off the tee appears to be tempering enthusiasm slightly, even with his elite track record.
Further down the board, Cameron Young (+2000) and Justin Rose (+3000) round out the Top 5. Rose, in particular, continues to draw interest after his playoff loss to Rory McIlroy in 2025 and his long history of strong starts at Augusta.
Most-Bet Outright Winners
- Bryson DeChambeau (10.23% of all tickets)
- Ludvig Aberg (6.88%)
- Scottie Scheffler (5.73%)
- Cameron Young (4.48%)
- Justin Rose (4.40%)
- Xander Schauffele (4.27%)
- Tommy Fleetwood (3.66%)
- Akshay Bhatia (3.40%)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (3.27%)
- Jon Rahm (3.22%)
Top 5 Finish
The Top 5 Finish market is showing a bit more emphasis on consistency and proven contenders at Augusta.
DeChambeau (+230) once again leads the way here, followed closely by Aberg (+325) and Scheffler (+140), reinforcing how heavily bettors are invested in that top tier across multiple markets. However, this is where more established names begin to show up with stronger support.
McIlroy (+275) and Jon Rahm (+230) both cracked the Top 10 for this market, signaling increased confidence in a pair of proven winners to at least be in contention come Sunday. That confidence is also backed by history, as both players have logged multiple Top-5 finishes at Augusta, placing them among the more consistent performers at this event in recent years.
Akshay Bhatia (+1000) is one of the more intriguing names in this group, and his recent form helps justify the support. Bhatia already owns a win this season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in addition to a T3 finish at the WM Phoenix Open and a T6 at Pebble Beach – a strong stretch that has clearly put him on bettors’ radars heading into Augusta.
Most-Bet to Finish Top 5
- Bryson DeChambeau (10.06% of all tickets)
- Ludvig Aberg (8.84%)
- Scottie Scheffler (7.61%)
- Justin Rose (5.51%)
- Cameron Young (4.72%)
- Tommy Fleetwood (4.55%)
- Xander Schauffele (4.46%)
- Jon Rahm (3.72%)
- Rory McIlroy (3.66%)
- Akshay Bhatia (3.44%)
Top 10 Finish
Xander Schauffele (+140) stands out as one of the most reliable plays for this market, and the data reflects that. Schauffele has finished T10 or better in each of the last three Masters (T8 in 2025, 8th in 2024, T10 in 2023), showcasing a level of consistency at Augusta that few players can match.
Patrick Reed (+275) is another name drawing strong interest, and his Augusta track record backs it up. Reed has finished T12 or better in four of the last five Masters, including a T4 finish in 2023 and a solo 3rd in 2025, consistently keeping himself in the mix deep into the weekend. The 2018 Masters champion also played part of his college career at Augusta State University, adding an additional layer of comfort and familiarity with the area.
Most-Bet to Finish Top 10
- Ludvig Aberg (8.48% of all tickets)
- Bryson DeChambeau (7.81%)
- Xander Schauffele (5.44%)
- Justin Rose (5.28%)
- Akshay Bhatia (4.46%)
- Patrick Reed (4.42%)
- Cameron Young (4.28%)
- Tommy Fleetwood (4.23%)
- Jon Rahm (3.16%)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (2.90%)
First Round Leader
The First Round Leader market is often driven by volatility, but at Augusta, there’s a clear historical pattern – and players at Hard Rock Bet appear to be following it.
Justin Rose (+2500) leads all players with a 9.06% share of all tickets, and his history backs up that level of support. Rose has recorded five career first-round leads at The Masters (2025, 2021, 2008, 2007, 2004), the most of any player in the event’s history.
DeChambeau (+1750), who ranks second in total tickets, is one of the few other players in this group with proven first-round success at Augusta. DeChambeau has held the lead after Round 1 twice in his career (2024, 2019), and will look to do so again as one of the favorites heading into this year’s rendition.
Most-Bet to Lead After Round 1
- Justin Rose (9.06% of all tickets)
- Bryson DeChambeau (8.42%)
- Ludvig Aberg (7.12%)
- Scottie Scheffler (5.59%)
- Akshay Bhatia (3.86%)
- Cameron Young (3.55%)
- Min Woo Lee (3.04%)
- Xander Schauffele (2.89%)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (2.74%)
- Tommy Fleetwood (2.65%)
To Make The Cut
With most of the household names priced as heavy favorites to make it to the weekend, bettors are instead targeting long shots and veterans to find value within this market.
Fred Couples (+325) leads all players by a wide margin, which may be surprising to some. However, Couples famously became the oldest player ever to make the cut at age 63 in the 2023 Masters, eventually finishing T50. With 40 career Masters starts under his belt, players are banking on Couples’ ability to navigate Augusta despite missing the cut in six of his last seven starts at the event.
Dustin Johnson (-115) follows as the second most-bet player to make the cut, though his recent Masters history has been far less consistent. Since winning the green jacket in 2020, Johnson has missed the cut in three of his last five appearances, making him a more volatile option despite his pedigree.
Bubba Watson (+100) is another notable name atop this list, offering a mix of risk and upside. The two-time Masters champion (2012 & 2014) missed the cut in both 2023 and 2024 before bouncing back with a surprising T14 finish in 2025, showing he still has the ability to contend when his game clicks at Augusta.
Most-Bet To Make The Cut
- Fred Couples (21.49% of all tickets)
- Dustin Johnson (14.88%)
- Bubba Watson (4.96%)
- Brian Harman (4.55%)
- Brandon Holtz (4.55%)
- Vijay Singh (4.55%)
- Zach Johnson (4.13%)
- Max Homa (4.13%)
- Mason Howell (2.89%)
- Angel Cabrera (2.07%)
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