It wasn’t that long ago that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were the top dogs at the Masters.
In 2019, Woods shocked the golf world by winning the Masters by one stroke, becoming the second-oldest golfer to win the Masters.
Four years later, Mickelson was the talk of the tournament when he shot a 65 on the final day to finish tied for second place.
Still, oddsmakers aren’t impressed by those accomplishments, as both golfers enter the 2024 Masters as major long shots to win on FanDuel Sportsbook. Woods has +15000 odds while Mickelson’s at +30000.
Here’s a look at their Masters history and whether it’s worth betting on either golfer this year.
Tiger Woods Masters History
Woods, 48, is coming off the worst Masters performance of his career in 2023.
He made the cut for the 23rd straight time (tying a Masters record) but withdrew due to plantar fasciitis. He shot a 147 before withdrawing and had back-to-back double bogeys for the first time in his Masters career.
Woods has won five green jackets in 25 appearances at the Masters, the second-most victories of all time and only one behind Jack Nicklaus. He first appeared at Augusta in 1995 and won his first green jacket at 21 in 1997.
Woods finished T8 or better 12 times from 1997 through 2011, routinely finishing near the top of the leaderboard. He’s also never missed the cut as a professional at Augusta.
However, after being a perennial favorite throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Woods is now a massive long shot to win the tournament due to his age and health issues. He’s also struggled at Augusta lately, finishing T32 or worse in three of his last four showings (excluding 2023).
Woods’ +15000 odds to win the Masters this year are the longest of his career and his first time over +6000. For reference, his pre-tournament odds were +1400 when he won in 2019.
Given Woods’ recent history and declining performance, betting on a return to form in 2024 appears unlikely to pay off. Despite +15000 offering a potentially large payout, the odds aren’t long enough for us to take him here.
Phil Mickelson Masters History
Mickelson, on the other hand, is coming off a sensational performance at the 2023 Masters.
“Lefty” caught fire on the final day, shooting a 7-under and scoring a 65 in the final round—his best round at the Masters in 25 years.
His furious finish wasn’t enough to beat Jon Rahm, but the 52-year-old still finished tied for second with Brooks Koepka at -8. It was the lowest-scoring round and highest finish by a player 50 or older in Masters history.
Now 53, Mickelson is heading into his 31st career appearance at Augusta and is seeking his fourth green jacket—-something only three golfers have ever accomplished.
His first win came in 2004, when he nailed an 18-foot putt on the final hole to beat Ernie Els by a single stroke. His second win came two years later, when he beat Tim Clark by one stroke. His third win came in 2010 after shooting a 16-under 272.
Mickelson is one of only three golfers along with Nicklaus and Woods to finish inside the top 5 at least 12 times at Augusta. However, his 2023 performance may be difficult to repeat.
Since winning the Masters in 2010, Mickelson has finished better than T18 only three times. He missed the cut twice during that span and hasn’t had back-to-back top-5 finishes since 2009-2010.
As exciting as Mickelson’s 2023 performance was, it appears to have been an outlier based on his recent performance.
Oldest Golfer to Win the Masters
Not only has Nicklaus won the most Masters in golf history, but he’s also the oldest to ever win one. In 1986, the 46-year-old “Golden Bear” shot a 9-under 279 to record his sixth and final win at Augusta.
Nicklaus closed out the tournament in grand fashion, going eagle-birdie-birdie to secure the victory. It was his last major title.
Woods is the second-oldest golfer to win the Masters. He was 43 when he claimed his most recent victory in 2019. Woods shot a 13-under 275 in the win.
Woods is also the youngest golfer to win the Masters, earning his first green jacket at age 21 in 1997.
If either Woods or Mickelson wins another Masters, they’ll surpass Nicklaus as the oldest champion in history.
Biggest Longshot to Win the Masters
Trevor Immelman was the biggest longshot to win the Masters, shocking the golf world in 2008 with his wire-to-wire victory at Augusta in a weekend defined by bad weather.
Immelman entered the tournament at +15000 to win, meaning a $10 bet would’ve returned $1,500 in profit.
Immelman started strong and was tied for the lead after the first round, shooting 4-under 68. He took the lead with an identical 4-under 68 in the second round.
The South African golfer stayed hot, shooting a 3-under 69 in the third round to take a two-stroke lead into the final day.
He closed out the tournament on Sunday despite shooting a 3-over 75, finishing at 8-under and three strokes ahead of the pack.
Before Immelman’s win, the biggest longshot win came in 2007 when Zach Johnson won the green jacket despite entering the Masters with +12500 odds to win it all. He’s still the only person to have never finished inside the top 30 of an event before winning the Masters.
If Woods wins this year, he’ll tie Immelman, while Mickelson would be the biggest long-shot winner in history.
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
