With just a couple of weeks until The Masters starts up again, golf fans are gearing up for what looks like a titanic showpiece event. Starting April 9th, we’re going to be enjoying some of the most high-level golf of the year. With so many big names arriving in decent form, it’s hard to pick a clear winner. Most golf fans, though, will have one eye on the ‘big two’ – Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
Who Are The Favourites For The Masters 2026?
As you might imagine, both Scheffler and McIlroy are leading the pack in terms of odds at the Irish bookmakers:
- If you want to back Scheffler, you’ll get odds of 9/2 at BOYLE Sports and 4/1 at Ladbrokes
- If you prefer a McIlroy bet, you’ll get odds of 9/1 at BOYLE Sports and 9/1 at Ladbrokes
Scheffler has had a strong season, winning The Open and also doing well in January when he won the American Express. He’s a two-time winner and had a fantastic 2025, so the hope will be that he can carry that form into 2026. A fourth-place finish last year wasn’t quite what he hoped for, so he’ll no doubt be coming back looking to make up for lost time.
McIlroy, of course, finally broke his duck by winning last year. When you factor in that we haven’t had a back-to-back champion since 2002, it would be a shock to see him go and do it all over again. He arrives with back-of-hand knowledge of Augusta, and he knows he’ll need to add another Masters to his trophy haul if he wants to make good on his goal of being Europe’s greatest ever.
Once you get beyond these two, you see the odds start to tail off a little bit. You’ve got the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and John Rahm (both 12/1 at both bookmakers). Outside of these two, you’ll be looking at the likes of Ludvig Aberg (14/1 at Ladbrokes, 16/1 at BoyleSports) and Xander Schauffele (16/1 at both bookmakers).
Get beyond these stars, and you’re now into the 20s. Tomy Fleetwood is rated at 18/1 with BoyleSports and 20/1 at Ladbrokes. While a bit of a long shot, we’ve all seen shocks happen before.
Who Is A Potential Dark Horse Winner At The Masters 2026?
One name that immediately jumps out as an interesting betting candidate would be Patrick Reed. Any previous winner is always worth noting, and an impressive five top-12 finishes in his last six Masters appearances is very impressive. He’s also won in Dubai and Qatar recently, so he’s arriving in decent form. With odds of 28/1 at Ladbrokes and 33/1 at BoyleSports, he’s a decent candidate for sure.
We’ve also got interesting glances being sent towards Hideki Matsuyama. Matsuyama (35/1 @ Ladbrokes and 33/1 @ BoyleSports) is a very interesting candidate. Again, he’s a former champion, winning in 2021, and he’s also been in good form recently, finishing as a runner-up in Phoenix. While he’s cooled off a little in terms of his previous hot form, he’s an interesting outside bet to consider.
If you are looking for someone who’s always there or thereabouts, you might be interested in a flutter on Adam Scott. 25 appearances at the legendary tournament is nothing to be sniffed at, and he’s been pretty good in 2026 so far: a fourth-place finish at Riviera is worth noting. With odds of 80/1 at Ladbrokes and 66/1 at BoyleSports, he’s a decent bet for something a little more ambitious.