Golf best bets: Long shots to target at The Masters

Sungjae Im (+12000 FanDuel)

We understand why Sungjae Im has fallen so far down the odds board over the last few weeks. The South Korean has three missed cuts and only one top-30 finish in his last eight starts, and he ranks 134th on the PGA Tour this season in strokes gained on approach. Not great!

Despite the many negatives, there are some silver linings about his play to start the year. Im kicked off the season with a T5 finish at The Sentry in which he broke the PGA Tour record for the most birdies in a 72-hole tournament (34). He also finished T18 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month and gained strokes in all four major categories for the first time all year.

The most important part of this handicap, though, is his stellar history at Augusta National. In four career Masters starts, Im has finished T2, cut, T8 and T16. Experience and strong course history have always been good indicators of success at Augusta, and Im has consistently played well here over the last few years. 

Top-20 finish: +260
Top-30 finish: +110

Gary Woodland (+40000 FD)

Unlike Im, Woodland doesn't have a great resume at Augusta National. The veteran has recorded just one top-20 finish in 11 career starts at The Masters, but it did come last year with a T14 when he wasn't playing particularly well. 

You could say the same about his performance to start the 2024 season, as Woodland has missed the cut five times in eight starts, but something clicked with his ball striking last month. The 39-year-old has gained strokes on approach and off the tee in two straight starts. At the Texas Children's Houston Open two weeks ago, Woodland gained 8.821 strokes on approach to lead the field. It was his best week with his irons since the 2023 Genesis Invitational when he finished T9. 

Augusta National demands precise iron play, and Woodland is coming in with a ton of confidence in his approach play.  

Top-20 finish: +400
Top-40 finish: +130