Fairway Rollin' - Final Masters Prep, and Betting Cards!

Episode Date: April 10, 2025

House and Hubbard are fresh from walking the course at Augusta to give you their last-minute prep heading into the Masters and their observations of players like Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and more. They also go through their final betting cards, who they like, who they’re staying away from, and favorite plays! The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hosts: Joe House and Nathan Hubbard Producer: Eduardo Ocampo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's up everybody? Chris Vernon here and welcome to a new season of the NBA and the mismatch. And huge welcome as well to my new co-host, Dave Jacoby. I can't wait to link with you twice a week every Tuesday and Friday right here on the mismatch to break down everything that's happening in the league. Who's playing well, who we loved, who we loathed, trade rumors, team dysfunction. We've got you covered right here. So follow us, subscribe and hit us with those five-star ratings on Spotify or wherever you get you. your podcast. And also don't forget to follow us on social media that's at ringer NBA and check out the full mismatch episodes with the two handsomest podcasters in the history of podcasting

right on the ringer NBA YouTube channel. Hello friends and welcome to this golf podcast. Unlike any other this my friend is a very special master's edition of Faraway Rowland. A golf podcast on the Ringer Podcast Network. I am your starter, Joe House, joined by my incomparable accomplice, literally boots on the ground here at Augustine National. Nathan Hubbard, we both had boots on the ground. Our boots have been on the ground since Monday evening. We've been taking it all in for all of you, my birdie buddies, my par saving pals, my eagle enthusiasts. This is our final observations.

We're going to go through some things. that we may have learned over the last 48 hours, look at the betting card, see if we can get some final recommendations out to all of you and try and pick a winner for God's sake. Two ball pegs are in the ground and off we go. Nate Dogg, how are your boots on the ground? Well, what I wanna understand is how my ringer 48 hour frenzy odds

are plus 360 second only to Chang with Sheffler and Straca. I mean, that, we saw Rory and Shane Lowry playing today with Tommy Fleetwood and John Rom. And it was a very interesting moment, actually, to see those guys together. Major winners save for one. But, uh, I-Rider Cup teammates. Rider Cup teammates and Pax Romana across the live PGA tour thing for sure. But, you know, two of the guys who really ought to be at the tie and are at the top of of the conversation about who's going to win this thing playing a practice round together.

It was very interesting to see on a Wednesday for Meathouse. Well, a couple of vets, a couple of master's vets. I mean, why wouldn't they when it's time to get a little bit serious? Now, I would like to hear whether or not they had a little wagering going on. You know what I mean? It sounded like they did. Yeah. They had teamed up.

Yes. And it seemed like Lowry and Rom were playing Tommy and Rory. Nice. They did allow Rory to hit a second ball off the 6T. But look, we've watched these guys on the range all week. We've watched them out playing practice rounds. Rory's driver looks absolutely dialed. We saw him hit a laser on 18 to the perfect approach shot.

We saw him. That was Tuesday. Yeah, we saw him hitting wedges on the range to sort of perfect distances. He's the way that he's talking about his game. Look, it's all sort of been leading to this for me. The choke at Pinehurst, when the putts that he missed there, the missed putts at St. Andrews when he could have won that British Open and Cam Smith kind of took it away down the stretch.

It's all sort of led to, can he close it out? And he's coming into the Masters with two wins for the first time on American soil, as we've documented two Big Boy wins on Big Boi wins on Big. boy courses where he's showing us the rounded nature of his game. This to me is Rory's master's to lose. I know Scott he's the defending champ. I know we got a lot of live guys who are trying to prove themselves, but I just come away from these days on the ground believing the story is how Rory has recovered and grown, has he, from what was absolute heartbreak Father's Day last year? Yeah, so in the first

place, just so everybody knows what we're talking about in terms of 48-hour frenzy. If you didn't hear the Bill Simmons podcast, Tuesday evening into Wednesday, how dare you in the first place? But secondly, we, the six of us here in Augusta, Georgia, each pick two players for a combined lowest score Thursday, Friday. So we're looking for low scores. And Nathan's team leads the odds board, or is second on the odds board with Rory. and Shane Lowry. Of course, the Chef Chang with Scotty Shepard's and Scep Straca is at the top.

And I have John Rom and Justin Thomas. But to answer your question on this Rory McElroy moment, I would say that we've seen the recovery sort of coming over the last, you know, six to eight months, right? He had, he went from that heartbreak of Pinehurst to a couple of additional agonizing losses, including the Irish Open at Royal County Down, where he, you know, played himself out of winning that golf tournament. You know, that would have been a nice redemption story. Bobby Mac. Right. And then, you know, as the, you know, he, I think it was one of the Hoyguards who won the Irish Open.

Bobby Mac ended up with the Scottish Open and the Canadian Open. Yes. And open winner, Bobby Mac. And let's just get it out of the way right now for everybody. very quick aside, get Bobby Mac on your card right now, Robert McIntyre to finish in the top 20. It is now, it is still plus money. I think it's in like the plus 120 range or so. Get to some of that.

Bobby McIntyre is a big game hunter. We are seeing it. He has two masters finishes inside the top 25. We love where his games at. We love left-handers at Augusta. Very quick aside on Bobby Mac. Let's keep talking, Rory. It was Rasmus who won.

who won the Irish. I knew it was a Hoygard. I knew it was a Hoygard. You were right. But for the Rory observation, he did finish his season last year with a very emotional win in the end of the D.P. World Tour. Yes, exactly right. The D.P. World Tour, concluding tournament. And then showed up for work, let's say, here in 2025, ready to just kick ass and take names. He shed himself of all of the psychological nonsense associated with trying to lead the tour in its combination with potential combination with the live folks, which another aside is on pause, maybe permanently. We'll see. And we'll have time to talk that through after we get done with this Masters. But I love where Rory's head is at.

two wins on American soil and also high performances in the desert and if not now when they dug. Yeah, I think that's exactly it. He's been working with a mental coach. He's been working with Faxon who certainly is a short game coach but also clearly helped out on the mental side at the players when the third round putting didn't go great

he really calmed it down and said, let's just keep going. You're good at putting. Go out and do it. So the roundedness of his game, it was Jay Ray who gave us the stat that really tells the story. 60% in 2014 of Roy McElroy's shots gain came from off the tee. Last year in 2024, it was 51%. This year so far, it is 37%. And he is still leading the tour in shots gain off the tea, which is to say the rest of his game has gotten so much better and more around it. Now, all of that is easy to say out loud, because last year, before he

won at the U.S. Open, Rory won at Quail Hollow, so he can go out and win those big boy tournaments. The question is, when he gets in to the majors, those tournaments by which the great ones are all measured, he has not won one of those since 2014.

And as you said, if it's not now, maybe it'll be Quail Hollow in the PGA, but there is something about looking at that champion's dinner photo from last night where Scotty Sheffler served the red fish and the Texas chili and you look in that room and there's a couple of how the hell did those guys get there. But for the most part, it's the greatest of all time. And the biggest missing golfer in that room in my mind is Roy McElroy.

And I just am going to be stunned if the career ends and he does not have that jacket. So Roy McElroy top five finishing position plus 150. That's on my card. Let's just get that out of the way. Fandall Sportsbook. It's available right now. Jump in, get yourself some Rory. I will live bet from this starting point. And this is the

strategy I've taken with both Rory and Scotty. The play that I have for Scotty is a first round leader play. Let's see what the odds are. Now he's been moving. It was in the 16, 18 range. Now it's down to 12

to 1. And Scotty, you know, top 10 first round or scoring average. I mean, his floor is the highest of anyone, right? You know, Scotty's going to top 10. It's just, is the game going to be strong enough to win, is how I feel. Do you think there's any chance? Scottie falls below that?

Below what? Top 10? Yes. Well, here's the problem. Defending champs in general tend to finish outside the top 10 at the Masters. It's just the thing. And with where his game is at, which is to say not where it was last year, that would be the only.

concerned. At the press conference, he was very stuffed up. He said it was just allergies, but he sounded like he had tons of snot in his sinus cavity. We can confirm allergies are impact. We had to go to the

wonderful guest services desk at some of the hospitality that we enjoyed and got a couple of Clareton. Chef Chang and I had to do that just to navigate. All I'm doing is nitpicking in this moment. I think Scotty cares about this I think Scotty secretly is going to care more about the PGA

or the U.S. Open or the British so that he can prove that he can win a major that's not of Augusta. I love this. I love this. It's just so hard to defend. So I don't want any of the odds that are out there right now for anything involving Scotty. Except first round leader at 12 to 1, which is like really not great odds. But I just want to have it in case he comes out and shoot 66 and says, hey, everybody. Guess who's the best player involved?

Yeah. Guess who's back again? and then we're off and running. So I just want to have that kind of exposure, and then I'll live bet him. I'm going to live bet Scotty and Rory. That's my strategy for the week. I prefer to invest in some other guys for outright winner.

And one of those guys we have already mentioned, and his odds have dramatically been, you know, headed in the direction of less reward. And that is John Rom, who, you know, He's 14 to 1. And earlier in the week, he was all the way up in the 18.

There was 20s available, but he did play Doral pretty well. And he is not a Florida golf guy in general. It's not his thing. He was tied for first during his final round of the lift thing. And then he started going for pins and it wasn't working out. He's walking around this place with his D out right now. Yeah, he is. There's no other way to say it.

It looks to me a little bit reminiscent of when I watched him at Riviera. he had more joy then. And I think what I notice about John Rom these days is the lack of joy in his game. He's not as overtly happy when he's walking around. And I do think psychologically that has something to do with his shift. Not a knock on live.

I just think he's taken some arrows and I think it has affected him in some way. But he is walking around like the man in his press conference. He is talking about, he's talking the way that John Rom talks when he is confident in his game. And so I think he came in a little bit under the radar, a little bit unknown.

14 to 1 is a hard bet for a winner, right? Yeah, it is. But the problem is that the recent vintage of winners at the Masters are guys inside of 16 to 1. That's what we're getting because, you know, the books are all caught up. These markets are mature. They are ripe. And they, you know, top of class is who wins the master. these days. Yeah, and I think we had a few unknowns coming in here, House, didn't we? We didn't

know exactly about John Rom. It looked good last week, save for a weird chip at Dural. We didn't really know about Ludwig because he's been a little weird and sick. We did not know about Xander Schaughley. Yeah. So let's move into the open question mark category of this conversation to see if we learned anything that is actionable for us. And let's start with Ludwig. Because for my perspective, I've learned nothing. I don't have anything. Terrible outfits. Yeah, and two miscuts coming into the Masters. That is not the recipe. I think you're right. I think I almost feel like the odds are inflated because of his second place last year. But we know from the I test that since his win, he just hasn't had it. I just, I didn't learn anything this week

that makes me think of anything other than this is one of those stayaways and I'm happy to eat my foot if I need to on this one. I feel the same way. But at 18 to 1, I just, the game doesn't seem to have been in form. No.

And you can imagine people betting him hard because they're looking at how he did last year. It just to me feels like a stayaway. It's because everybody came in to this season with the idea and it wasn't wrongheaded. He's next. Let's get down on Ludwig.

He's. He's next. Exactly right. Such a great observation. And yet he's, he's not next. He's not next at the moment. He might get there. I mean, part of the thing earlier in the season when my exuberance was, was, was, was, in that irrational mode was Ludwig Oberg at TGL picking it up and putting it down. I was like, put this man in any kind of condition, any kind of situation, put a golf club in his hand and let the stud horse go. do what the stud horse does, except he hasn't been a stud really since winning at Torrey. It wasn't that long ago, but he got sick, and it just

it hasn't been stellar. It hasn't been standout. Like it just, like, statistically, you know, he's still playing good golf, but I mean, he's 70th in shots gained total. He's 99th losing barely, but still losing shots on approach this year,

and he's 120th in puds. It's a no for me, dog. It's not good. It's a no for me, dog. My birdie buddy swing into the biggest golf event of the year with Fandul, where every putt and drive can bring you closer to victory. Speaking of Fandu, our friends over there have some amazing offers for the first major this week at Augusta. Check this out. Fandle is giving all customers a no sweat bet on first round leaders.

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The two guys I want to make sure we address Zander Shoffley and Victor Havler. because those are the two guys. Now, different profile altogether for those two guys coming up to this master's moment. Let's start with Zander. The only thing that has impeded Zander, the reason Zander's been under the radar, he was injured, he's been coming back. There is a sort of a rust factor that we've seen. He had 81-77 over the weekend at the players.

He's played 10 times since he won the British Open. Right. Great. That's the downside. Yes. The upside is you have the guy who won two majors last year who got clearly through that mental hurdle that we always talk about. Like, how do you cross that chasm? He's crossed the chasm and he talked about it in his master's press conference here. How next time he's in the mix, it's going to be easier. It just is. He's sitting there at 20 to 1. The same guy who's finished top 10 for the last six years here and the same guy who last week had his, at Valspar had the most shots gained approach

of his career. Now, you've said, that's nothing really new. His approach game didn't really seem to suffer through the injury. It was those reps, and in particular, off the tee has been just okay, and the putter has not been great. I just watched him at that press conference, and he said, I don't mind being sort of overlooked here because I know what to do when I get in those situations, and all that matters is if I think I

can win and my team thinks I can win. And I'm telling you, I think I can win and my team thinks I can win. And I step back and went, wait a minute. Like this, this one to me feels at 20 to one, like something you got to, maybe not to win. But I think Zander's going to overperform in the way that Ludwig maybe has too much on him to only let us down. Yeah, you've convinced me. I'm now, I want some Xander protection in my profile. And the way that I am going to play this is I, I don't want to lay minus 170 for a top 20 with them. I'm just not laying all that juice on principle. I will get something down on Zander Shockley to finish in the top 10.

Plus 150 on the Fando Sportsbook. Want to have it in the portfolio because we've now sort of talked our way up. Here's the thing, everybody. If he sucks around the green and this putting is terrible, buyer beware. That's been on the resume thus far this year. That's the rust. Yeah. I just loved the 66 on Sunday at Valspar.

It seemed like he had figured it out. Again, one round doesn't tell us everything. But it's Xander fucking Shafley, who, you know, in spite, he was in the conversation for Player of the Year. Deserved, deservedly. Only to Scotty Schaeffler won nine times. So, I mean, it's a very interesting thing to watch, but we just don't know that much about him.

We know a little bit more about Victor Hovlin House. And you and I both have been, just afraid of him because he's been so openly transparent about his struggles with his swing. With his C game, he won a few weeks ago. So how should we actually take that? You know, in our draft that we did with the guys here in Augusta yesterday on the Bill Simmons pod, none of us took Victor, which I think told us all we needed to know, which is that we're still just afraid. It just feels like too high a beta in his potential outcome. Has anything? this week changed the way you think about that?

Only one thing, and I'll get it out of the way right now. I have Victor Hovlin, even money to finish in the top 20, plus 100, even money, dead even. You don't have to lay juice to finish in the top 20. It's in there, it's not a giant allocation

for me, you know, like half of a unit kind of play. I want a little Victor because of the quality of his ball striking, and I witnessed it with my own two eyes today. We were out with the cousin Sal, baby doll Dixon, the three of us, really joyful.

What a time, cousin Sal's never been in an Amen corner. Never seen it with his own two eyes. Right. So the three of us took a little walk, a leisurely stroll. Yeah, I was fast walking with Bill, which is in Chang, which is why. I mean, this is. He was so fast. Bill Simmons, what is he doing?

It's unbelievable. Yeah, it's like he's got somewhere to be. We're at a golf course. We just want to take your time. Well, take it in. So we went to, we walked up, got as close as we could, 13 green. It looks like a portrait, you know, it's with your own eyes, but it's so beautiful. The colors are so, just vibrant.

And we go around, we go up to the pine straw and 13, so you can see the guys hitting balls off the tea. You know, there's where Phil hit out of the tree, you know, pine straw on the trees. That was super fun. And then we walked our way around to the 12T. and this is what happens in these practice rounds, and I really encourage everybody, you know, if you get a chance to get down here, the practice rounds are a wonderful way to enjoy it.

And they let a lot more people on the ground. So if you're trying to figure out your strategy for getting to the Masters, try and get a practice day. Yeah. We got all the way to the rope. We were six and a half feet from the T-box where the guys were Teeing off on number 12,

We watched Joaquin Neiman Tia off Waki Neiman and Victor Hovland and the amateur who has

Arizona State Yes Yeah Was with them We played with the Spaniards the other day That's right And we were like literally

Two arms lengths From them And It's the best part of life We even got up And there was a It was like Just a wonderful

Like This is how 12 plays there's a wind that way. Look at the way the flag is blowing on 11. Look at the way the flag is blowing on 12. Two different directions. Look up in the trees. Which way is the wind blowing?

I don't know. Walking Neiman stood up, took a club out of his bag, hit it into the front. It was a front left pin today, 152 yards. Neiman hit it into the bunker. He didn't have enough golf club. He was trying to hit it to the center of the green, didn't have enough golf club.

Victor Effing-Havlin walked up. Homeboy is chill. Now, he had drained the 25-footer on 11, walked off the road driving to 12. Super smiley, acknowledging fans, walked up, ripped one. The mother effort, it was, I'd love to see the vision that like the, you know, from the pin, how close it got to going in the hole. Right. From where we were sitting, we're like, oh, my God, cousin Sal was going to get a hole in one from Victor

Hawth on the very first. So that was enough for me. I mean, you know, yes, recently. Yes, the dumbest possible reason you can come up with to bet on somebody, but seeing my man's comportment, my man's disposition, you saw him win a golf tournament. My man's demeanor. My man's striking it, stroking it, confident. You know what? He wasn't doing rehearsing. He walked up and hit the effing golf ball, Nate, dog. House, in his last five tournaments, he's gained shots on approach. In his last five tournaments,

he's gained shots off the tee except for at the players. It has just been the putter and around the greens. It's the stuff that he said that he sucks at. He turned that trend around, obviously at Valspar and won the effing tournament. So it's not like the swing itself has been massively letting him down. It's been the short game in the putter that's been contributing to those cuts. And here we are coming off a win, he's got to be feeling more confident. He knows these greens a bit better. It's just going to be, do you believe that Victor has got himself mentally to a place where he's got a little more confidence around those greens. That's the part, as I look at him, I mean, he's had super strong.

At API, he gained almost two and a half shots on approach. Like, he was hitting the ball great. So for all of the talk about how he's fallen down YouTube rabbit holes and fucking up his swing, it comes back to the same challenges that he's had since he got up on tour, which is, I suck at chipping. And the putting hasn't been great. That's right. I want him on my dance card in some manner.

Top 20 feels fine. I'm comfortable with it. I'm doing it. One of the other fun things that we experienced today, we saw a lot of Patrick Reed today. He was out there with Christian Bsadneut. The Beezer. Yeah, which was fun.

He wasn't out there with as much weight as we've seen him carrying in the past. Yeah. Oh, no, Patrick's lean. He's looking a lot. Well, lean for Patrick. That's what I'm saying. Let's say it this way.

He was looking a little bit leaner. than I... Athlete Patrick, and he's definitely been trending in the right direction. We've said on various shows in the lead up to this, and our buddy Pat Mayo had this. The most profitable return on investment over the last five years of the Masters is Patrick Reed to finish inside the top 20. More profitable than betting on Scotty Sheffler to win. And Scottie Sheffler has won two of these in these last five years. He's 90 to one to win this thing. So, yeah, his top 20, like, what are we doing? Go do it. Yeah, top 20 on Patrick Reed for sure. But one of the fun things is that Bazaden Hoot peeled off.

And then on 15 T-box, who strolls up? But Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson, them live boys, and they all pound them down on 15, which was fun to see. Phil just wanted to get a couple T-balls off. And then he picked up his balls and went on. But speaking of Svel, I mean, OZempic, Phil, I don't know what's going on, but my man was lean and clean. He's got that grizzled gray little vibe, the sunglasses.

It's a look. It's a vibe. He played well in Miami. Yeah. Well, Phil, look, this is, you know, individually, yes, for him to make the cut. But I have a five leg, make the cut. Oh, my God. I'm doing it.

All the live boys. Rom, yes. Patrick Reed, we just went through it. Sergio, everybody's bullish on Sergio because of how good his ball striking has been. Yeah, he's been playing good golf over there. I'm putting Phil in because Phil's playing, you know, decent, and nobody loves Augusta more than Phil, and he is going to get support. There was claps for him out there today. And then Cam Smith, who just does play this well. And my man showed up today, Nate Dogg.

In a suit, baby. In a suit. Now, did you get the full story on what's going on there? No, who cares? The mullet is still there. The suit was fantastic. He finally took the jacket off. Yeah, Justin Rose came over to him. I'm sure this has something to do. with like a suit built for anything kind of vibe. I don't know who the maker. I mean, it's not that dissimilar from Phil Mickelson showing up a handful of years ago

and that mizzen and Maine long sleeve dress shirt kind of thing, a throwback vibe. I'm sure the suit manufacturer, I'm sorry we don't have the full story laid out for us yet. I'm sure it's available on the internet. But Cam Smith is out there on the driving range, full mullet and full suit it up. My man is ready to rock.

So that's a five-leger. you can get for plus 360. Not like, you know, incredible. Like, oh, I'm going to win $30,000 on this, but just something fun for the people, Nate, Doc. Yeah. Well, I love it. It's hard to see any of those guys missing the cut,

but especially because there is a little bit of sneaky junk in the trunk. We got Evan Beck's. We've got Justin Hastings. We got Patton Gazzar. I'm not saying all those guys are going to miss the cut. I'm just saying that the odds of those guys winning are fairly low. Rafa Campos is here. You could see some of those guys,

Freddie couples missing the cut. But we should have strung together an old guy thing. I mean, Bernard Lang are playing his very last masters. Phil Mickelson playing well. Anhele Cabrera coming back from prison with a win on the champions tour last week. So there's some old guy action that could be a little bit interesting for us to take a look at. we saw Ola Thabo playing with the Spaniards. I don't think Ola Thabble's going to make the cut this year,

and I don't think he cares about that. Well, let's, I mean, you know, you can get Anhelle Cabrera, if you believe in him leveraging the Champions Tour win and leveraging his old good vibes. You know, he's apparently overcome that challenge in life. He's paid his debt to society plus 350 to make the cut. Bernard Longer, of course, plus 250 to make, make the cut better rods. I'm not betting Freddie couples to make the cut.

No, do not. But throw in Phil or something, and maybe we've got an interesting bar. Well, Phil is negative. You know, you've got to lay odds for Phil to make the cut because he's been playing good golf. You can, you know, see it out there. It's not, you know, a secret to anybody that Phil's been, you know, pretty damn good over about a full, you know, the beginning of the live season he's headed in the right direction

well it's there are some very very interesting storylines underneath the Rory headline I mean we saw you know Justin Thomas has shown up with a new caddy who is Joe Griner Max's ex-caddy

Joe walked away from Max this week in an effort last week in an effort to preserve their friendship Max coming back to the last last place he played really well a year ago amidst a ton of struggle. It's going to be fascinating, announced his second, in his wife's second pregnancy in front of Magnolia Lane in front of the clubhouse. He sat in with SVP today on the par three contest. So it's not like he's hiding. He's putting himself out there, played with Thomas and

Spee's a fairly high profile group, right? So how will he manage the lights here? Can he tap in and turn it around? There's just a lot of, as always with the masters, but I'm loving these little tiny smaller roots underneath the tree of this Rory versus Scotty stuff. So many interesting little threads that we're going to learn a lot about this week. As we finalize the dance card, I want to touch on a couple of our bets. We have, there's a full ringer special. tab you're going to have this podcast up for you the entirety of this evening the NBA is on watch Luca return to Dallas and get out the fandle sports book and get your card finalized for the masters right you can enjoy the basketball game and have the book open

there are a slew of ringer specials but Nate dog you had a very interesting play for a top 20 that I want to make sure we touch on and that is bad McNeely what was your sort of rationale there? Like, I've seen some of the commentary about Mab, and I really do like the directions head. We mentioned him in the context of, you know, it's his debutante opportunity here, and he is arriving in a very similar kind of profile to Ludwig Oberg last year. Another debutante who arrived in a similar position in terms of World Golf ranking.

and, you know, a couple other aspects. Why are you on MAV for this week? Well, look, I think statistically there's a smaller set of guys coming in who can really win this thing based on how they're performing overall T to Green. Mav T to Green year to date is 64th, which he would say not great. But I watched Mav earlier in the fall, and his game was really not in a game. great place. Since he really turned the corner into the year, the ball striking has been terrific. And he's, he almost won Genesis. He almost won Valero. Second at Genesis, T9 at Phoenix Open,

T3 at Valero last week. He wasn't really ever in the mix. But what I saw from him last week was great putting. I know those greens don't necessarily translate over. But I think overall, his shots gained have been super strong. He's now top 10 in the world after these Finns. So he's coming in with four top tens this year. He missed the cut at the players in API, which I think is why people got off him. And that's why I really like the top 20 bet for him and the odds associated with it. Because I just think the ball striking is there. He's taking on more stature in the game, stepping up on the players' counsel and being more of a leader. He's just coming into his own as a pro. And I think he's going to walk into this course based on

current trends and deliver us a top 20 this week. Okay. I like everything that you're saying there. Other interesting combinations here under the Ringer specials tab and things that I think we are feeling pretty positive about. The cousin Sal had Jordan's speed with the top 20. Now, you have been a little concerned because it's like, what are we going to get out of Jordan? but you have to lay a little bit of juice, but you're basically, you know,

the Jordan Speed that has, you know, really owned this place. No place is more comfortable for him, and wouldn't it make the most sense in this comeback season of his where the only limitation has been his wrist? We've seen him on some leaderboards. He hasn't put four rounds together, but wouldn't it make sense? and the cousin Sal was picking up on this vibe for Jordan Spieth to like reemerge on the scene,

reenter the conversation. It is a Rider Cup year. Jordan Speet wants to play for the United States on the Rider Cup in at Beth Pay's Black here in these United States. Wouldn't it make sense? Brian and I have a nice finish, Nate. I mean, it's been a roller coaster ride for Spieth. The weeks in which, in his last four tournaments, he's got two top 15s. T9 at Cognizant, he was T12 at the end of last week at Valero. In both those cases, he putt extremely

well, lost shots approach. But at Valspar, he had one of his best ball striking days in a year. So it's hard to see exactly where the light is. We know that he is not getting out of his game what he wants. But from week to week, he's exceptional in these individual categories. So if he can come to this place and rediscover the magic and, you know, it has demons and angels all over this place for him and stitched together the performance that we're seeing across the category, sure, I just get a little nervous about knowing from internal dialogue that he's not really happy with the state of his game to go all in on Jordan. I just feel like there's some other things to do. And I am the guy who adores this kid. I know. This is why I ask you.

is going to be there. I just, I look at some other places and say, some other players and say, I feel like you might get better, better numbers because as always, everybody bets speed at the masters, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I want to make sure, as we sort of wrap up here, a couple other names that I want to be certain people hear the names. We did talk about Shane Lowry with Justin Ray, minus 105, the top 20. I like him to finish in the top 20 for sure. for my draft. Yes. Plus 240 to top 10.

I'm on that as well with Shane Lowry. If you want to be aggressive with Sergio Garcia, I'm just going to repeat his name. Plus 450 to top 10. Let's see. What is he? Top 20 plus 160 to top 20. I'm fine with both of those plays.

Shane Lowry's last four tournaments, T-11, 7th, T-20, T-8. Yeah. He's playing great golf. He is. No, and, you know, he has the resume. He's not, he's always, he's gotten very comfortable at the Masters,

and we see him show up at, you know, at Big Boy Golf Tournament. It's totally fine. Yeah. We're going to move past Sergio. You don't want to say anything good about Sergio? He's just what we hear. That's one of those unknowns, right?

Okay. I don't mind everybody stitching in Sergio. Pat Mayo loved him when he talked about, right? He loved him. Absolutely. I just, and his ball striking stats from Liv have been really good. So I don't love betting a 40 plus year old who's got all the money that he needs in this moment. But yeah, he's had something to prove.

Speaking of Ryder Cup, he wants to make the run. And I think that was the most compelling argument. Yes. Okay. Has your mind changed at all? This will be the final thought, the final conversation. Colin or Kau. Anything changing your perspective on Colin?

because a lot of smart folks like him to win this golf tournament. Well, and they do for a good reason because he's leading in Bertie Average. He's leading in a couple of other stats, Tita Green. I think there's some people who got weirded out by the press conference where he kind of doubled down on the I don't owe you anything media stuff. All that to me seems like much ado about nothing. I don't think psychologically it's impacting him in any way. You and I had a conversation with a member who had lunch with him,

who said he was talking about how he's got a different framework for how to play this course in a few other ways this year. He is the best statistical golfer not named Scotty and Rory in this golf tournament

and he was pretty darn close to win in it last year save for a Sunday round. He's got something to prove there's a mini Rory arc here which is that he's choked a couple of these things down the stretch or at least fumbled them.

Fumbled, sure. And for a two-time major winner that's sort of weird to say, but there is definitely in the golf Twitterati, a narrative questioning whether he can close. I'm sure that's a little bit of added motivation on top of the back and forth with the media this week. So he comes in statistically playing incredible golf with something to prove. Don't hate it. Don't hate it. Well, that's the way that we are going to end this final preview pod here at the Masters Augusta, Georgia, brought to you, by our great friends at Fandul, my birdie buddies, my par saving pals, my eagle enthusiasts.

This is one of the great weeks in golf. I hope that it is warm weather for you, wherever you are. And if so, you must. This is the weekend. Get a peg in the ground. Knock off the rust and go have a great time by hitting them straight out there. Must be 21 years older, older, and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation. with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in D.C.

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