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After three days of action at the 2023 Masters, only two and a half rounds of golf have been completed due to terrible weather conditions around Augusta National. Play was suspended early on Friday, and the same happened once again on Saturday.
It means that on Sunday, the players left in the competition will have to finish their third rounds before moving straight on to their final rounds. Alternatively, we could be set for the first Monday finish at the Masters in over 40 years.
With plenty of golf still to play, here are five players that you should still consider backing to win the Masters from here on out.
Masters tips
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Brooks Koepka 10/11 (fav)
After winning the third LIV Golf event of the year last week in Orlando, Koepka has been near-faultless over two rounds and six holes at the 2023 Masters. A round of 65 on Thursday left the 32-year-old joint top of the leaderboard before a 67 on Friday, before the bad weather hit, left him with a two-shot lead at the halfway stage.
Koepka started his third round alongside Jon Rahm and Sam Bennett and managed to extend his leave over the Spaniard and was four shots clear when play was suspended on Friday. When play resumes tomorrow, he will have a tough par attempt on the 7th while Rahm will line up a birdie putt meaning his lead could be cut in half very quickly.
Despite that, Koepka has looked every inch the player that won four majors over a two-year span in the late 2010s. After starting the tournament as a 40/1 outsider, being odds-on at this stage is testament to how well he’s played.
Jon Rahm – 6/4
The way Jon Rahm has responded to a double-bogey on his first hole of the week on Thursday has been nothing short of majestic. A round of 65 was followed by a round of 69, which was split across two days due to bad weather.
Rahm has a lot of work to do to bridge the four-shot gap to Koepka but there isn’t a more determined and competitive player in golf than the Spaniard so you would be foolish to put it past him. 6/4 is worth a look, especially as the lead could be down to just two in rapid fashion when play resumes from the 7th green on Sunday.
Jon Rahm draws to within two of the lead with a birdie on No. 12. #themasters pic.twitter.com/4bhYVgQ2uv
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 8, 2023
Matt Fitzpatrick – 33/1
Matt Fitzpatrick is currently in a tie for 4th on -5 and will more than likely need Rahm and Koepka to drop several shots on Sunday if he is to catch them. Having said that, though, there aren’t many better players out there in wet and windy conditions than the Englishman.
On top of that, Fitzpatrick is a major champion after winning last year’s US Open so won’t fold under the pressure of a Sunday at a major championship. Out of the chasing pack, there is arguably no one more likely to hunt them down than Fitzpatrick.
Collin Morikawa – 25/1
Morikawa is undoubtedly one of the most talented players left in the tournament who can still realistically mount a comeback on the runaway leaders. At the age of 26, he is already a two-time major champion and will relish the opportunity to try and peg back Koepka and Rahm on Sunday.
Morikawa has enjoyed a consistent week so far at Augusta National after shooting back-to-back rounds of 69 on the opening two days. He is currently midway through the 8th hole on his third round and will be hoping to get back to -6 with a birdie on the par 5 when play resumed on Sunday. From there, a hot back nine could give him an outside chance going into the final 18 holes.
Sam Bennett – 100/1
Sam Bennett has already enjoyed the week of his life at Augusta National. To be in the final group on Saturday at the Masters is an unbelievable achievement for an amateur player but he has made it clear that he isn’t satisfied with just that – he wants to go all the way and win the green jacket.
At -6, he is closer than anyone to Rahm and Koepka so his odds of 100/1 seem like a great price even if you want to hedge your bets and back the each-way market. The way he has played so far this week suggests that even if he does come up short over the weekend, we will be seeing a lot more of him going forwards.
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