Betting on the Masters? These historical trends are a fun way to make your pick

With all due respect to my wife’s dismay, yes, I’m betting on the Masters this year — which, like the tournament itself, has become a tradition unlike any other.

Last year, I picked Brooks Koepka as my sleeper; and came within a poor Masters Sunday from having that bet actually come to fruition. This year’s pick? I’ve got Shane Lowry winning his first-ever green jacket, with Gary Woodland tabbed as my sleeper choice.

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Of course, there’s no rhyme or reason when it comes to betting on the Masters (or any sport, really), as it’s all completely out of anyone’s control … or is it?

With the help of Sportshandle.com, we now have some fun historical trends that may prove helpful when laying down a few bucks on the 2024 Masters field.

Ahead of the 88th Masters, the site analyzed every previous winner since the first tournament in 1934. In doing so, they were able to identify some typical traits, from average age, nationality, height, place of birth, and more — so take a look below to see who you should (and maybe shouldn’t) be eyeing when betting on the Masters this year.

Fun historical trends to consider before betting on the Masters

The average age of the winner is 32 years old, which is the same value of the median age of the winner.

For instance, Nick Faldo (pictured above), won back-to-back green jackets at ages 32 and 33. Weird, right? So who fits that criteria from this year’s field? Five names, in fact, with Tyrrell Hatton, Byeong Hun An, Corey Conners, Patrick Cantlay and Hideki Matsuyama all meeting that specific age threshold.

But age is just a number, so people tell me, so you might be more interested in betting on someone from a certain country rather than worry about how old a player is.

If that’s the case, betting on an American seems to be smart money, with 72.4 percent of the wins coming from golfers hailing from the U.S. (63 total winners and 39 individual champs). Spain places second with six wins and four individual champs, followed by South Africans with five wins and three individual champions.

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If you’re more into a player’s physique, consider that the average weight of the Masters champ is 183 pounds, and the average height is 5 feet, 9 inches (although the median height is six feet). So take that info as you wish — because it basically describes nearly every player in the field.

For bettors who trust astrological signs, Pisces (14.3 percent and eight individual winners) leads the way, followed by Cancer (12.5 percent and seven individual winners) and Virgo (10.7 percent and six individual winners).

More into specific birth months instead? Players born in February and November are the most common victors, with 14.3 percent of Masters champions celebrating birthdays in one of those months.

Is your brain spinning just trying to figure out which player fits the above criteria? Well, there isn’t just one golfer who fits every single trend, but here are a few more that meet some of it.

For instance, someone like the aforementioned Cantlay comes to mind as a 32-year-old hailing from Southern California. So, too, does his good pal Xander Schauffele, who calls San Diego home — the only city which has produced three separate Masters champions.

Or how about the list of Texans in the field like Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, or Taylor Moore? It’s good to know that the Lone Star state has produced the most Masters champions (9).

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Maybe you prefer betting on Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Brian Harman, Bubba Watson, or the aforementioned Byeong Hun An, who all have a first name starting with the letter “B” — something that 12.5 percent of the champions in history share. It’s the most common first letter of the winner’s name.

Finally, if you’re really trying to dig deep, 15.3 percent of Masters winners wore a certain Swoosh on the day of their victory (nine in total and five individuals). Notable players from this year’s field doing so includes the betting favorite (Scheffler), last year’s runner-up (Koepka), an up-and-coming sensation (Tom Kim), and a certain 4-time major champ who’s looking to complete the career Grand Slam by capturing his first-ever green jacket (Rory McIlroy).

Who the hell knows if this info will help any of us when it comes to betting on the Masters this year. If nothing else, though, it seems to be a smarter way to pick a champion than flipping a coin, right?

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor