Masters 2019: In Pursuit of the Coveted Green Jacket

The Masters 2019 is coming up fast, on April 8 - April 14, 2019. This illustrious golf championship kicks off at the Augusta National Golf Club, in Augusta Georgia. The Masters week culminates in the green jacket ceremony on Sunday, 14 April at 7 PM EST for the winner of this remarkable tournament. The 2019 Masters tournament is watched by a record number of viewers according to USA Today and ratings agencies. In 2018, an average of 13 million TV viewers watched the CBS broadcast of the final round of the Masters.

The Masters Tournament is an invitational-only tournament. It has been showcased annually since 1934 at a private golf club in Augusta, Georgia. The Masters is one of four major golf tournaments, the others include the Professional Golfers Association of America Championship (PGA), the US Open, and the British Open. Most of the participants in the Masters are professionals, although a handful of talented amateurs make the cut. The Masters golf club features 72 holes, and ranks among the most auspicious sporting contests in the world.

Participants are treated to a lavish variety of exclusive offers including substantial monetary rewards, lifetime invitations to the tournament, automatic entry to the remaining majors for the next 5 years, and a gold medal. The green jackets are perceived as the epitome of golfing greatness, and winners have their names engraved on the Masters Trophy at the Augusta National Golf Club.

The 2019 Masters Tournament Field List

The Masters tournament features 19 categories of players, including the following top seeds in each category:

Category 1: Masters Tournament Champions – Angel Cabrera, Fred Couples, Sergio Garcia, Trevor Immelman, Zach Johnson, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Phil Mickelson, Larry Mize, Mark O’ Meara and Jose-Maria Olazabal

Category 2: US Open Champions (5-year exemptions) – Brooks Koepka, Martin Kaymer, Dustin Johnson, and Justin Rose.

Category 3: The Open Champions (5-year exemption) – Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, and Francisco Molinari.

Category 4: PGA Champions (5-year exemption) - Jason Day, Justin Thomas and Jimmy Walker.

Category 5: The Players Championship Winners (3-year exemptions) – Webb Simpson and Si-Woo Kim.

Category 6: Current Olympic Gold Medalist (1-year exemption) - Not Applicable in 2019 Masters.

Category 7-A: Current US Amateur Champion – Victor Hovland

Category 7-B: Current US Amateur Runner-Up – Devon Bling

Category 8: Current British Amateur Champion – Jovan Rebula

Category 9: Current Asia-Pacific Amateur Champion – Takumi Kanaya

Category 10: Current Latin America Amateur Champion – Alvaro Ortiz

Category 11: Current US Mid-Amateur Champion – Kevin O'Connell

Category 12: First 12 Players in Last Year's Masters Tournament – John Rahm, Mark Leishman, Cameron Smith, Tony Finau, Louis Oosthuizen and Charley Hoffman.

Category 13: First 4 Players in Last Year's U.S. Open – Tommy Fleetwood

Category 14: First 4 players in Last Year's Open Championship – Kevin Kisner and Xander Schauffele

Category 15: First 4 Players in Last Year's PGA Championship – Stewart Cink.

Category 16: individual PGA Tour Event Winners from Previous Masters to Current Masters – JB Holmes, Keith Mitchell, Rickie Fowler, Adam Long, Charles Howell III, Kevin Tway, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na, Michael Kim, Aaron Wise, Bryson DeChambeau, Andrew Landry, and Satoshi Kodaira.

Category 17: Tour Championship Qualifiers from Previous Year – Gary Woodland, Kyle Stanley, Billy Horschel, Patrick Cantlay, Paul Casey, Patton Kizzire, and Hideki Matsuyama.

Category 18: Top 50 On the Official World Golf Ranking Chart from 2018 – Matthew Fitzpatrick, Alex Noren, Branden Grace, Eddie Pepperell, Matt Wallace, Ian Poulter, Tyrrell Hatton, and Lucas Bjerregaard.

Category 19: The Leading 50 Official World Golf Ranking Players

Who is a Safe Bet for the 2019 Masters?

Each of the 19 category contenders listed above stands a chance of placing well in the 2019 Masters. This invitation-only major golfing tournament has featured all of golf's greats over the years. Winners over the past 5 years include the following:

2014 – Bubba Watson with a total score of 280 and 8 under par

2015 – Jordan Spieth with a total score of 270 and 18 under par

2016 – Danny Willett with a total score of 283 and 5 under par

2017 – Sergio Garcia with a total score of 279 and 9 under par

2018 – Patrick Reed with a total score of 273 and 15 under par

888sport NJ is currently offering the following finishing odds (subject to change) on the Masters 2019:

• Rory McIlroy – 8.50

• Dustin Johnson – 10.00

• Justin Rose – 13.00

• Brooks Koepka – 15.00

• John Rahm – 15.00

• Justin Thomas – 15.00

• Bryson Dechambeau - 17.00

• Tiger Woods – 17.00

• Rickie Fowler – 21.00

• Jason Day – 23.00

• Jordan Spieth – 23.00

• Tommy Fleetwood – 29.00

• Phil Mickelson – 29.00

Tips for Betting on the Golf Masters Tournament 2019

Clearly, bookmakers are offering short odds on top golfers like Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy, but golf aficionados can follow sage advice when making their betting predictions ahead of the Masters Tournament 2019. Masters golf betting tips are always in hot demand, given the popularity of this major tournament. Golfing aficionados routinely tout the following golf betting tips for the US Masters:

• Avoid bets on the defending champion given the highly unlikely scenario that last year's winner will win the 2019 tournament. History indicates that only 3 professional golfers have retained their titles year-on-year, including Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, and Jack Nicklaus.

• Search for strong Par 5 players as these are the big hitters who generally tend to shoot great scores in the US Masters.

• Seek out players who can curve the ball from right to left as there are loads of doglegs and fairways at Augusta National golf club.

Who are the Outsiders for the 2019 Masters Tournament?

Outsiders are long shots – players without a proven track record to compete and perform at the highest level. That being said, they are abundantly talented, and it would be foolhardy to write them off. Outsiders have one distinct advantage to bettors – if they win the payouts are immense. There are been many examples of incredible longshots over the years, notably the 2011 St Louis Cardinals who won the World Series, the 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine that Bird had odds of 50:1, and perhaps the most surprising upset of them all back in 2015 was Leicester City at odds of 5000:1 to win the Premier League. Betting on longshots can prove incredibly profitable if the teams or the individual athletes perform well.

A listing of longshots for the 2019 Masters tournament includes the following golfers:

• Cameron Smith – he's got a great golf swing his temperament is suited to high-stakes play.

• Charles Howell III - he's been in imperious form of late, and registered multiple top-20 finishes. He started the season strong and he is also an Augusta native.

• Eddie Pepperell – now a top 25 player with an impressive run of form over the last 18 months

• Webb Simpson – this golfer is hardly an unknown, but he's a straight driver and is a great putter. He's certainly in contention for a good performance at the Masters.

Fast Facts about Augusta National Golf Club Course

• Hole #2 named Pink Dogwood is 575 yards and a par 5

• Hole #16 named Redbud is 170 yards and a par 3

• Investment banker Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones setup the Augusta Masters golf course back in the 1930s

• The total purse at the 2018 US Masters was $11 million with 36% going to the top 3 finishers.

• Patrick Reed won the 2018 Masters and collected $1,980,000

The 2019 Masters is sure to ignite a frenzy of betting activity among golf fans. 888sport will have live in-play odds of this golf tournament, with top odds on multiple golf betting selections. New players can claim a generous welcome bonus package upon registration, to make the cut a little bit easier when teeing off with top bet selections in this spectacular golfing tournament.