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Boredom, value, or perhaps a big brain moment. Whatever the case may be, it is never too early to look ahead to the 2022 Masters which is slowly, but surely approaching, now nearly 100 days away. The beauty of the futures markets for these major championships – which are available at PointsBet Sportsbook and will be detailed in the coming week – is the living, breathing nature of them all.
Expanding and contracting at any and all news, reacting to winners, poor play, and action, four months separate us from the year’s first major championship. A lot can happen in this time. Collin Morikawa (+1600) could ascend to world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler (+4000) could capture his first victory on the PGA Tour, Charlie Woods (off the board) could gain entry into the field for all we know, but the key to betting into futures markets is and always has been timing.
Harris English (+9000) is world No. 13 at the time of writing this article and given his ability to play himself into contention in 2021, I don’t mind this number one way or another. If he does in fact figure out his game this upcoming winter, this price will appear to be a steal once the artificial birds begin to chirp at Augusta National. However, if he doesn’t, I can’t envision his price drifting all too much, meaning this is a spot on the board where I am comfortable tying up some capital for the next few months.
While many will look to the futures market to invest in a player performing well at the moment, I’ve learned the hard way it is not necessarily the most adequate way to do so. So instead of looking at players who are peaking at the moment, I am targeting someone who may in fact be bottoming out and will reach the summit once the azaleas begin to blossom in April.
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English certainly fits the mold having suffered a miserable swing season after making his Ryder Cup debut in September. Perhaps at the hands of European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington, who made English change his putter grip before Sunday’s singles matches, the former Georgia Bulldog did not look his normal self in the fall months.
Regardless of this, various aspects of English’s game were laid out and I am optimistic he will piece them together in the beginning of 2022. As while the frequency of contention was encouraging, where English played his best golf in 2021 may in fact be a leading indicator of success at Augusta National. Breaking through after a seven-year winless drought, the 32-year-old is set to defend his Sentry Tournament of Champions title at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in a few weeks’ time.
A vast landscape, featuring severe elevation changes, it is the only annual stop on the PGA Tour which mirrors that of Augusta National in that respect. Since 2013, five editions of the Sentry Tournament of Champions have been won by a previous, current, or future Masters champion. The remaining four victors include two-time winner Justin Thomas (+1400), Xander Schauffele (+1800), and most recently English.
Well, maybe it’s a one-off, maybe English just happened to have won that week and caught a stroke of luck. Sure, it is a possibility and maybe I am putting too much into one week, but his play at TPC River Highlands should be taken under consideration as well.
One of the few courses to hold the distinct honors of being labeled a “Bubba” course, Watson has three victories, a runner-up, and was the 54-hole betting-favorite this past year in Cromwell, Connecticut. While English rained on Watson’s parade in June, the lefty’s success on the Pete Dye redesign is noteworthy.
There are only a handful of “Bubba” courses, but surely Augusta National would be tagged as one too. Throw in past winners at TPC River Highlands such as Dustin Johnson (+1200), Jordan Spieth (+1200), Marc Leishman (+6600), and heck, even Kenny Perry who lost in a playoff to known convict Angel Cabrera in the 2009 Masters and English’s possible connection to Augusta National becomes even clearer.
While many look to the PGA Championship as the major championship for first-timers to breakthrough, my eyes are often drawn to The Masters. After all, it is a limited field of 90 to 100 participants some of whom are past champions over the hill and simply enjoying their week in Georgia reminiscing on better days.
Because of this, first-time major winners have been making hay at Augusta National over the last decade. Since 2011, eight players have claimed their first major championship in the year’s first. The only players to buck this trend have been Bubba Watson (+6600) in 2014 whose first came at the 2012 Masters, Tiger Woods (+4000) in 2019 who broke an 11-year major championship drought, and Dustin Johnson in November of 2020.
This upcoming spring will only be English’s fourth appearance in The Masters with his best finish coming this past season via a T-21 effort. Yet, he has had his fair share of recent major success, most notably in the U.S. Open where he is currently listed at +6000. Finishing in solo fourth-place at Winged Foot in 2020, English backed it up with a solo third-place finish this past summer at Torrey Pines.
Torrey Pines too has always been a strong barometer of success at Augusta National when looking at players such as Jon Rahm (+1000), Patrick Reed (+3300), Justin Rose (+4000), Jason Day (+5000), Phil Mickelson (+10000), Watson, and of course Woods. English not only finished on the podium six months ago, but had previously been a playoff loser in the Farmers Insurance Open in 2015.
Ever since returning to the big stage, English’s game has become very seasonal. With no rhyme or reason, he often finds himself playing his best golf in three-month intervals. If this remains the case in the early part of 2022, English is well-equipped for a steady climb in Hawaii, California, and Florida before summiting in Georgia come April.
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