The Masters Guide & Player Preview: Predictions, Picks & Bets

Short Gamers (26)

The following golfers tend to rely on their short game, including the putter, to get by on the PGA Tour.

[DUSTIN]

Lanto Griffin
- How They Qualified: Qualified: for the 2020 Tour Championship
- Recent Form:
  - 34
  - 61
  - 35
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 80
  - OWGR: 50
  - Driving Distance: 80
  - Driving Accuracy: 140
  - Around the Green: 191
  - Putting: 16
- Bet of the Week: To miss the cut +150
- Quick Notes: Griffin has developed a profile of being a bit of a grinder, so it is no surprise to see him back his bags early in the November showing of this event. Maybe the conditions this year and his second time around Augusta will lead to better results. He’s made the weekend in seven straight starts now.
Matt Wallace
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 3
  - 28
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 46
  - 2019: 80
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 64
  - OWGR: 56
  - Driving Distance: 64
  - Driving Accuracy: 193
  - Around the Green: 125
  - Putting: 47
- Bet of the Week: +650 Top 10
- Quick Notes: Typically a great putter, Wallace was heard talk about how good his tee-to-green game was last week in San Antonio. In fact, he said it was the best he had ever played from tee to green. He still finished a ways behind Spieth, showing just how good of form Spieth is in, but Wallace can be absolutely deadly with the putter and has to be in play this week given those comments and recent form.
Patrick Reed
- How They Qualified: 2018 Masters Champion
- Recent Form:
  - 28
  - 22
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 10
  - 2019: 36
  - 2018 1
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 56
  - OWGR: 7
  - Driving Distance: 56
  - Driving Accuracy: 177
  - Around the Green: 64
  - Putting: 1
- Bet of the Week: Group C Winner on DraftKings +350
- Quick Notes: Maybe it’s a bit of an insult to put him amongst the short gamers rather than the favorites, but Reed’s inconsistent play this year puts him here. Sure, he has a big win on the card, but uncharacteristically he has a couple of missed cuts and bad finishes mixed in. He had been retooling his swing a bit, trying to reduce the importance on standard right-to-left ball flight, and that’s added to his variability lately. Still, he is one of the best on and around the green, which can hide any faults in the ball striking.
Marc Leishman
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 28
  - MC
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 13
  - 2019: 49
  - 2018 9
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 122
  - OWGR: 39
  - Driving Distance: 122
  - Driving Accuracy: 179
  - Around the Green: 144
  - Putting: 114
- Bet of the Week: -120 Top 40
- Quick Notes: Leishman isn’t going to wow with any part of his game, but when his putter and short game are in form, his irons get significantly better. Once that confidence gets high, everything else follow. Those playing him this week are banking on exactly that. His short game hasn’t been good this year, and the results haven’t been either.
Bernd Wiesberger
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - 42
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 58
  - 2019: N/A
  - 2018 24
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 72
  - OWGR: 46
  - Driving Distance: 72
  - Driving Accuracy: N/A
  - Around the Green: 34
  - Putting: 114
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -118
- Quick Notes: Playing most of his golf on the European Tour, Wiesberger has played more golf on the PGA Tour than in recent history. The results have been varied because of that, so it’s hard to get a clear picture of where his game is. He’s heading to Augusta for the sixth time, and he’s yet to miss the weekend in his first five attempts. His best finish was a 22nd in his first start here at Augusta back in 2015.
Francesco Molinari
- How They Qualified: Open Champion 2018
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - MC
  - 8
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: MC
  - 2019: 5
  - 2018 20
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 47
  - OWGR: 98
  - Driving Distance: 47
  - Driving Accuracy: 216
  - Around the Green: 46
  - Putting: 120
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -167
- Quick Notes: There were those in the industry that thought Molinari was on his way back, if not all the way entirely. But after his top-10 at the Genesis, he has failed to reach the weekend in each of starts in Florida. That is not the type of form one wants to head into Augusta with.
Daniel Berger
- How They Qualified: Winner of the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
- Recent Form:
  - 18
  - 9
  - 35
- Masters Form:
  - 2018: 32
  - 2017: 27
  - 2016: 10
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 39
  - OWGR: 15
  - Driving Distance: 39
  - Driving Accuracy: 16
  - Around the Green: 151
  - Putting: 19
- Bet of the Week: +150 Top 20 after round 1
- Quick Notes: The second half of the “why weren’t they there in November” pairing, Berger was playing some of the best golf in the world around then. A recent injury to the rib area, though, made him withdraw from his home event at the Honda Classic. That is something to monitor this week, but he was able to play the WGC Match Play and almost get out of his group, so the injury can’t be that bad.
Webb Simpson
- How They Qualified: Winner of the 2020 RBC Heritage
- Recent Form:
  - 28
  - MC
  - 6
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 10
  - 2019: 5
  - 2018: 20
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 33
  - OWGR: 9
  - Driving Distance: 33
  - Driving Accuracy: 42
  - Around the Green: 9
  - Putting: 13
- Bet of the Week: -275 Top 40
- Quick Notes: Simpson’s form is down a bit this year, at least from what he usually has, which are top-10s almost every time he tees it up. But with only two top-10s in seven tries this year, Simpson isn’t coming into Augusta in the best shape.
Matthew Fitzpatrick
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 18
  - 9
  - 10
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 46
  - 2019: 21
  - 2018: 38
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: N/A
  - OWGR: 16
  - Driving Distance: N/A
  - Driving Accuracy: 54
  - Around the Green: N/A
  - Putting: 27
- Bet of the Week: +350 Top 10
- Quick Notes: While he may look dejected after every single shot, Fitzpatrick has had a pretty good year. The absolute stone-cold opposite attitude of the effervescent Jordan Spieth, Fitzpatrick’s bad attitude hasn’t stopped him from enjoying one of the best years of his career. He profiles very similar to Spieth as well, relying on his short game to earn his stripes.
Harris English
- How They Qualified: Winner of the 2021 Tournament of Champions
- Recent Form:
  - 42
  - 26
  - 66
- Masters Form:
  - 2016: 42
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: N/A
  - OWGR: 16
  - Driving Distance: N/A
  - Driving Accuracy: 54
  - Around the Green: N/A
  - Putting: 27
- Bet of the Week: -186 Top 40
- Quick Notes: For much of last year and the very beginning of this year, English almost made a lot of gamers go broke. He would continually be faded , and he’d continue to play well. But that run seemed to end with the win at the Tournament of Champions to start the year. Since then, it’s been bad, as he has missed three of six cuts and has no finish inside the top 25.
Tommy Fleetwood
- How They Qualified: Ranked inside the top 50 OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 42
  - 26
  - 66
- Masters Form:
  - 2016: 42
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: N/A
  - OWGR: 16
  - Driving Distance: N/A
  - Driving Accuracy: 54
  - Around the Green: N/A
  - Putting: 27
- Bet of the Week: +250 to miss the cut
- Quick Notes: Tommy has had a frustrating year this year, with no top 10s on the PGA Tour until the Matchplay. Still, it’s indicative that his game isn’t in top form right at this moment.
Victor Perez
- How They Qualified: Ranked inside the top 50 OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 4
  - 9
  - 68
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:46
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: N/A
  - OWGR: 16
  - Driving Distance: N/A
  - Driving Accuracy: 54
  - Around the Green: N/A
  - Putting: 27
- Bet of the Week: +164 Top 30
- Quick Notes: Holing out a bunker shot on Saturday Morning at the Players to make the cut has possibly changed the course of Perez’s career. As weird as that sounds, he parlayed that into a great weekend, finished in ninth, and then carried that momentum over to the Match Play, where he made it to the final four. Now, because of those two starts, he is on the precipice of earning a Special Temporary Membership to the PGA Tour, guaranteeing him unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the year. At the end of the year he becomes a full-time PGA Tour member.
Billy Horschel
- How They Qualified: Winner of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
- Recent Form:
  - 1
  - 58
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:38
  - 2019: 56
  - 2018: MC
  - 2016: 17
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 113
  - OWGR: 34
  - Driving Distance: 113
  - Driving Accuracy: 40
  - Around the Green: 141
  - Putting: 60
- Bet of the Week: To miss the cut +225
- Quick Notes: Horschel had another win a few weeks ago in Austin, adding to his pretty stellar resume. But one of the things not on that resume is a major, and his success at Augusta hasn’t been all that great. He’s come here six times in the last seven years, missing the cut twice while not finishing better than 17th in any of the five cuts he has made.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- How They Qualified: Ranked Inside the top 50 OWGR on Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 56
  - 51
  - 7
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:38
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 102
  - OWGR: 35
  - Driving Distance: 102
  - Driving Accuracy: N/A
  - Around the Green: 1
  - Putting: 25
- Bet of the Week: -120 Top 40
- Quick Notes: There are only a few golfers that I’d compare to Spieth’s short game, and this guy is one of them. Bezuidenhout has burst on the scene over the last year and is quite close to a PGA Tour card himself. He made the November showing of this event and came in 38th in his first go around Augusta National.
Justin Rose
- How They Qualified: Ranked Inside the top 50 OWGR on Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - WD
  - 54
  - 2
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:23
  - 2019: MC
  - 2018: 12
  - 2017: 2
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 155
  - OWGR: 38
  - Driving Distance: 155
  - Driving Accuracy: 218
  - Around the Green: 130
  - Putting: 71
- Bet of the Week: +180 To miss the cut
- Quick Notes: Twice a bridesmaid in the last six years here at Augusta, Rose is coming into this week as one of the biggest unknowns. His form looked to be trending in the right direction at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but a sudden tweaked back on the second hole on Saturday and a subsequent withdraw, and there have been no signs of life since, including a withdrawal at both the Players and the Match Play.
Matt Kuchar
- How They Qualified: Ranked Inside the top 50 OWGR on Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 12
  - 3
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:MC
  - 2019: 12
  - 2018: 28
  - 2017: 4
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 151
  - OWGR: 38
  - Driving Distance: 151
  - Driving Accuracy: 10
  - Off the Tee: 181
  - Putting: 124
- Bet of the Week: +275 Top 20
- Quick Notes: It has been a terrible year for Kuchar, but recently he’s played his best golf. Making it the final four in Match Play and following that up with a good performance at The Valero Texas Open last week, Kuchar seems like he could be in a good spot of value this week.
Shane Lowry
- How They Qualified: Winner of the 2019 Open Championship
- Recent Form:
  - 42
  - 36
  - 8
- Masters Form:
  - 2020:25
  - 2019: MC
  - 2017: MC
  - 2016: 39
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 32
  - OWGR: 41
  - Driving Distance: 32
  - Driving Accuracy: 68
  - Around the Green: 28
  - Putting: 152
- Bet of the Week: To miss the cut +163
- Quick Notes: The reigning Open Champion is springing to form as of late and will need to keep that form going, as he hasn’t had much success around these hallowed grounds. He’s had three missed cuts and only two made cuts in the last five tries here.
Brendon Todd
- How They Qualified: Ranked inside the top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 42
  - 35
  - 57
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: MC
  - 2015: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 168
  - OWGR: 51
  - Driving Distance: 168
  - Driving Accuracy: 5
  - Around the Green: 39
  - Putting: 4
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -167
- Quick Notes: If you are looking for a golfer that may not miss a fairway this week, and relies almost entirely on his short game to earn his keep, then Todd is your guy. Ranked outside of the top 170 in both Approaches and Off the tee, while ranking inside the top 40 around the green and putting, Todd will try to use that skill set to make his first cut here at Augusta.
Mackenzie Hughes
- How They Qualified: Qualified: for the 2020 Tour Championship
- Recent Form:
  - 9
  - 36
  - MC
- Masters Form:
  - 2017: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 184
  - OWGR: 53
  - Driving Distance: 184
  - Driving Accuracy: 145
  - Off the Tee: 180
  - On the Approach: 173
  - Around the Green: 107
  - Putting: 12
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -159
- Quick Notes: Having to go up against both Paul Casey and Webb Simpson in match play, one would think it would have been an early exit for Hughes. But that wasn’t the case. He played great those first few days and rode that all the way to the sweet 16. While Match Play may be a better format for his style of game, which clearly relies on the flat stick, I’d take him over Todd if you are looking for this type of player this week.
Brian Harman
- How They Qualified: Ranked Inside the Top 50 in the OWGR 3/21/2021
- Recent Form:
  - 5
  - 3
  - 43
- Masters Form:
  - 2018: 44
  - 2015: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 66
  - OWGR: 59
  - Driving Distance: 66
  - Driving Accuracy: 37
  - Around the Green: 92
  - Putting: 24
- Bet of the Week: +225 Top Lefty or Top former Georgia Bulldog +300
- Quick Notes: A fantastic year for Brian Harman, who not only found himself a great batch of consistency but the scoring for DFS purposes has been there as well. The play has gotten better as well, working off of back-to-back top 5s in his last two starts, which earned him one of the last spots in the field this week.
Ian Poulter
- How They Qualified: Ranked Inside the Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 9
  - mc
  - mc
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 25
  - 2019: 12
  - 2018: 44
  - 2016: 49
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 66
  - OWGR: 59
  - Driving Distance: 66
  - Driving Accuracy: 37
  - Around the Green: 92
  - Putting: 24
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -186
- Quick Notes: An up and down year for the cheerful Englishmen who will be coming to Augusta for the 11th time in the past 12 years dating back to 2009. He’s only missed one cut out of all those starts with an average finish somewhere right around the top 25, including three top 10s.
Danny Willett
- How They Qualified: Masters Champion 2016
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - 8
  - 31
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 25
  - 2019: MC
  - 2018: MC
  - 2017: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 123
  - OWGR: 75
  - Driving Distance: 123
  - Driving Accuracy: 211
  - Around the Green: 61
  - Putting: 165
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -150
- Quick Notes: The 2016 Masters Champion disappeared for a few years after that win but has been steadily improving these last 18 months or so. A top 10 a few weeks ago in the Dominican shows us that some type of form may not be that far away.
Zach Johnson
- How They Qualified: 2007 Masters Champion
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - 8
  - 41
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 51
  - 2019: 58
  - 2018: 36
  - 2017: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 123
  - OWGR: 75
  - Driving Distance: 123
  - Driving Accuracy: 211
  - Around the Green: 61
  - Putting: 165
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut -175
- Quick Notes: A long-made cut streak was snapped last week as Johnson missed on the number, failing to make a birdie coming into getting to the cut line. His results haven’t been all that good here either since 2015, with two missed cuts and no finish better than 36th in the five last years.
Jimmy Walker
- How They Qualified: Winner of the 2016 PGA Championship
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - 8
  - 41
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 51
  - 2019: 58
  - 2018: 36
  - 2017: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 211
  - OWGR: 300 + the lowest-ranked player in the field.
  - Driving Distance: 211
  - Driving Accuracy: 219
  - Around the Green: 189
  - Putting: 36
- Bet of the Week: To make the cut +180
- Quick Notes: On the opposite side of all those made cuts like Johnson is Jimmy Walker, who snapped his missed cut streak last week in San Antonio. Last year he used Jim “Bones” Mackay as his caddie, who coached him to a made cut, something Jimmy hasn’t done a lot of recently. He hasn’t missed a cut here, though, in seven tries.
Kevin Na
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - MC
  - 8
  - 41
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: 51
  - 2019: 58
  - 2018: 36
  - 2017: MC
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 211
  - OWGR: 300 + the lowest-ranked player in the field.
  - Driving Distance: 211
  - Driving Accuracy: 219
  - Around the Green: 189
  - Putting: 36
- Bet of the Week: +164 Top 30
- Quick Notes: Making headlines a few weeks ago, for a spat with world number 1 Dustin Johnson, whereby in large he was correct, he just made a bigger spectacle out of the situation than needed, but alas, Na may have taken the slight as a motivation factor. He had a great weekend at Augusta in November, coming in 13th, his best finish since 2015 where he came in 12th. He’s only missed one cut in the last five tries here at The Masters.
Kevin Kisner
- How They Qualified: Top 50 in the OWGR Jan. 1, 2021
- Recent Form:
  - 18
  - mc
  - 36
- Masters Form:
  - 2020: MC
  - 2019: 21
  - 2018: 28
  - 2017: 43
- Statistical Profile:
  - Strokes Gained Tee to Green: 133
  - OWGR: 38
  - Driving Distance: 133
  - Driving Accuracy: 11
  - Around the Green: 159
  - Putting: 31
- Bet of the Week: +100 Top 40
- Quick Notes: It hasn’t been a good year for Kisner, who decided to sit out the entire west coast swing. In Florida, the results haven’t been that great either, and then he was put in the group of death for Match Play, his best event. No great finishes here at Augusta, so Kisner should really scarcely used this week.

Latest PGA DFS Content

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Author

Jason Rouslin

Jason established his roots in the littlest state that could...Rhode Island. But after 29 years of bitter cold, and only being able to play golf 4 months a year, upended those roots and moved to Florida. Now four years later, Jason is a husband to Sarah and father of two boys, James & Myles. A dog and more specifically Lab lover (Bella), he dedicates his time to serve as the lead of PGA content at Awesemo.com. In the time he is not diving into the PGA stats and covering this week's current tournament, you can find him researching and trading stocks, on the golf course, at Disney World, on a hike, or somewhere in between. Want to chat? Have a question about Golf/Stocks or anything else? Hop on twitter and give him a message @dfsgolfer23. You can also contact Jason by emailing [email protected].