GoLow: John Middlekauff’s Best Bets for 2026 Masters

The Masters Just Feels Bigger

I’ve been thinking a lot about this: golf is a sport that’s tailor-made for television. Anyone that’s been to an NFL game can attest that the event is much better on television than in person.

The Masters is the only major that’s played at the same venue every year. But there’s this buildup, every single year. Lately, we’ve had Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and obviously Rory getting over the hump last year – some huge names. It’s historically tied to guys like Tiger, Phil, Jack, Arnie, Gary Player. The most important players in the history of the sport have won this event.

And then there’s this element of, you get the green jacket when you get into the club, right? Whether you’re a champion or whether you’re a member of the club. It’s why there’s always reports from the ground floor like, ‘I just saw Roger Goodell or Peyton Manning walk by in a green jacket.’ There’s just something that almost feels unattainable about this event.

The Mystique of The Masters

If you’re reading this and you’re a big sports fan, it’s more than likely you have been to a college football or NFL game, a Major League Baseball game, or an NBA game. Most of us have been to an event or two – but this is an event I’ve always wanted to go to, but have to acknowledge that I may never go. It just may never happen.

It feels huge. It really matters. There’s kind of a mythology to it.

And let’s face it, we are in this world where things have to feel really big, right? The NCAA Tournament just ended. It felt big. Last year’s World Series, Yankees-Dodgers, it felt massive. The Kentucky Derby always feels big. And this is the pinnacle of golf.

The PGA Tour has had a lot of momentum this season. THE PLAYERS rated well. More people are playing golf now than ever. But this is the peak of the season because so many casual fans pay attention.

Why Augusta Is Different

Augusta doesn’t need the money. They just do not care. It’s unlike anything else in sports. They’ve done business with CBS now for as long as I can remember, but they do yearly deals for The Masters. It kind of keeps you on your toes. They have certain rules that you have to follow. We don’t call them fans – only call them patrons. Some of that stuff’s kind of cheesy, but you also appreciate it.

People are not allowed to bring phones into the venue. That’s one thing that still happens at Augusta. I just think that if this event goes well, because of the Rory storyline, Bryson and Rahm coming in with a lot of momentum, obviously Scottie having a second child, there’s just nothing better than Augusta.

To me, it’s just the way it looks on television. The last couple of weeks, it doesn’t look great. Pebble Beach pops, but that’s about it. Nothing pops quite like this. Some of those shots, some of those visuals, it’s just the best. And I can’t wait.

Middlekauff’s 2026 Masters Picks

My pick to win the Masters this year is Bryson DeChambeau, which a couple years ago, you would have laughed me out of the room. You’re picking Bryson DeChambeau, who famously called this a Par 67 and then proceeded to shoot a 76. And everyone rightfully so made fun of him.

But anyone that’s watched Bryson DeChambeau’s YouTube channel, let alone watched him play over the course of his career, he works the ball right to left, which can be an advantage.

Over the last couple years, he was two down going into Sunday and was tied for the lead after 17 holes. Two years ago, he finished tied for sixth and not play well on the weekend. I will be stunned if Bryson DeChambeau doesn’t win the Masters over the course of his career. Over the course of the next five or six years, Bryson DeChambeau is gonna be a Masters champion.

I think he wins it. He’s played great on LIV for whatever that’s worth. But to me, whether you’re playing a muni or whether you’re playing the toughest course in the world, going one-on-one against Jon Rahm, which he did in South Africa and beat him in sudden death, that says something. A lot of people are going to pick Jon Rahm to win this week and it would not shock me if he was in the mix.

If there was a bet where you could take Rahm or Bryson to be in one of the final three groups on Sunday, that would be an auto-hammer for me. I’m taking Bryson out of the two, and you can get him right now at +900 at Hard Rock Bet. I’d hammer him to finish Top 5 or Top 10 – I’d just be stunned if he’s not in the mix. I really would.

So yeah, he’s my pick to win it.

Top 10 Bets

By all accounts, the weather has been fantastic this week in Augusta. It has not rained much and currently the course is rock hard, which could play very difficult. Obviously putting around the green and chipping around the green could be diabolical. If you miss approach shots, you are done, right? You are rolling off the green, at all sorts of different angles. It can be very difficult. To avoid crazy hard chips, approach play is key.

Say what you want about Ludvig Aberg – he definitely imploded at THE PLAYERS. But there is not a guy that I’m more confident in, of all the players in the field, to finish in the Top 10 than Ludvig at +180.

I don’t like it. I love it.

He’s going to be a trendy pick to win. It’s hard for me to pick him to win when he just doesn’t win very often. And when he is leading these tournaments or tied for the lead, something weird happens. But one thing he does, that he shares in common with Scottie, is his floor is extremely high. Top 10 finish at +180, I love it.

Bob MacIntyre has really turned into a high-level golfer as well. You can get him to finish Top 10 at +230.

Long Shots for the Masters

Now, I’m going to take a couple flyers.

First up, Jordan Spieth. If you’ve watched him play this year, he’s all over the map. Anytime you look up, like I did the other day at Valero, he’s between two trees. No one’s more likely to end up in the trees at a golf tournament than Jordan Spieth. He can be all over the map.

But that’s the thing with Augusta. This isn’t THE PLAYERS. This isn’t Oakmont. You can spray it around a little bit, because understanding the moment and being comfortable in the environment matters a lot. Now am I confident in Jordan Spieth? Would I put a lot of money on him? No. But when you can get Spieth at 50-1, there’s enough there to be like, I could see a little magic. Plus, I’m biased. I just want to root for the guy.

Next up, someone I’m a little more confident in. There’s a guy named Brooks Koepka that broke it down years ago and explained why he’s successful in majors. You can cut out half the field immediately. Then the next half, they’re just going to be overwhelmed by emotions. And then the next half of the next group, their game’s going to be off. If you think about it like that, you’re down to a small percentage of players who are actually performing and can handle the pressure.

Brooks has not putted well this year, but he’s been excellent tee-to-green. And if you tell me that ball striking is going to be put at a premium because the greens are going to be rock hard, I’m going to take Brooks at 50-1. I like having a little juice on a guy that’s comfortable under the bright lights.

If you don’t want to bet him to win outright, I can see scenarios where Koepka is in the mix in this event. Top 5, Top 10, etc.

For my last flyer, I know a lot of people have brought up Justin Rose. But I’m going to go with another former champion who’s in his 40s just because I like the odds at 75-1, and that’s Adam Scott. I threw a couple bucks on him.

Middlekauff’s Masters Picks Recap

• Bryson DeChambeau (+900)
• Ludvig Aberg (Top 10 +180)
• Bob MacIntyre (Top 10 +250)
• Jordan Spieth (+5000)
• Brooks Koepka (+5000)
• Adam Scott (+7500)