Will Rory McIlroy Claim a Career Grand Slam at The Masters?
The Irish, it is fair to say, are well into their golf and they have produced plenty of quality golfers down the years such as Darren Clarke, Fred Daly, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and, of course, Rory McIlroy. Which is the biggest pressure for a golfer – that which a player gives themselves to be successful, or that which is put upon them by history? If is it the second, then it is little wonder that McIlroy usually cuts a disconsolate figure while walking around Augusta National at The Masters. The talented Irishman needs only the green jacket to complete a career grand slam.
Poor First Round Hindered Him in November 2020
McIlroy last had the chance to claim a career grand slam in November 2020, but a very poor first round score of 75 left him far too much to do. He went on to score -14 in the final 54 holes, which was the best score out of all the competitors, but that would not have been much of a consolation for McIlroy. He finished in the top ten and we cannot remember a time where someone played the final holes so well without actually going on to win the green jacket.
Players that have picked up the career grand slam are Sarazen, Player, Hogan, Woods, and Nicklaus, and McIlroy would love to be in such company. However, every time that he fails to win The Masters, the more psychological pressure is being heaped on the Irishman’s shoulders.
After the 2020 edition, McIlroy, in a post-tournament interview, said that he was too careful in the first round and he used words such as “guidey” and “tentative” to confirm this. The fact that he is so close to entering an elite club is something that is weighing him down.
It is not too long until McIlroy and the rest of the world’s greatest golfers are back at Augusta competing for the green jacket. Last year, the prestigious event was held in November due to the pandemic, but this year it is set to go back to its spring setting. This 3-day tournament will take place from the 8th of April until the 11th of April, and comes with a purse of $11.5 million, although the jacket will be the only thing that McIlroy cares about.
There is no doubt that he will be hoping for slick fairways and fast greens as these will play to his strengths and can help him finally enter the echelon of the sport’s greatest ever players.
McIrlroy’s Odds of Winning
The bookmakers have released their odds for this prestigious tournament, and the favourite to lift the trophy is Dustin Johnson, who has odds of 9.00 with the likes of Paddy Power to retain his title. Bryson DeChambeau comes in with odds of 10.00, Justin Thomas with odds of 11.00, John Rahm with odds of 12.00, Jordan Spieth with odds of 13.00, while McIlroy is 6th favourite to win with odds of 15.00.
Obviously, this is just how Paddy Power sees things, there are other bookies that have him at shorter odds to win the green jacket. Apart from the Paddy Power odds, you can find out what other odds other bookies are offering for The Masters this year at betinireland.ie. Here you will be able to find the best golf bookies for Irish golf fans.
McIlroy definitely has a shot at winning the 2021 Masters as he enters the tournament sitting in the top ten of a number of vital statistical categories. This includes birdie average, driving distance, and strokes gained from the tee.
Do we personally think he will win it? Well, it is a really difficult one to call, but if he plays at the top of his game and does not let the pressure of needing to win the green jacket to get a career grand slam get to him, then there is no reason he cannot go on to lift the trophy and become the first Irishman to win a career grand slam.
Different Types of Bets You Can Make
We all like making sports predictions for 2021, and Golf is one of the most popular sports for people to bet on because there is such a variety of markets available. Below we are going to take a closer look at some of most popular markets for golf betting.
Tournament winner: With this kind of bet, you are just trying to predict that golfer that will lift the trophy come the end of the event. Due to the fact that most golf events have over a hundred participants, the odds for this type of bet are usually very enticing.
Each-way: Due to the fact that there are so many participants, it usually makes sense to pick a player that is not a favourite and then make an each-way bet. If you do this, then you are placing a bet on that golfer to win the tournament and one other bet on them to finish in the top five or six.
The leader after round one: Do you think that someone will get off to a bit of a flyer because they are going to tee off first? When a golfer starts first, they get first use of the green and there is no scoreboard pressure on their shoulders. This is a great market as it gives golf betting fans the chance to win cash by betting on a golfer who is known to get off to brilliant starts and fade as the event wears on.
Top ten or twenty finish: There will always be those players that often finish in the top ten or twenty, but do not really come close to winning an event. Since they do not come close to winning anything, most bookies will not pay them much attention, which means they will always have very good odds. If you do your homework, then you can make a decent profit by putting your money on a golfer to finish in the top ten or twenty.
Golf Streaming Sites
When you have a bet on a golf tournament, you will obviously want to follow the action so you can keep an eye on how your bet is doing. Therefore, you will be glad to hear that there are many bookies and sites out there that offer their customers and visitors live streams for golf. In our opinion, there are three bookmakers that stand out from the crowd when it comes to golf live streams and golf betting, and we shall take a look at these right now.
Coral: When it comes to golf markets and competitive odds, Coral will not let you down. However, in today’s competitive market, bookies need more than just markets and odds to be successful. Coral is aware of this, which is why they have created some of the best golf bonuses and promotions around. When big golf events such as The Masters, Ryder Cup, US Open, and the UK Open come around, you can be certain that there will be some tasty bonuses for you to take advantage of.
Ladbrokes: When it comes to golf betting, Ladbrokes are at the top of their game as they offer their players more golf markets than most other bookmakers. To add to this, you will be able to place live bets right up until the very last ball. There is one thing that Ladbrokes respects and that is loyalty, so if you are loyal and bet with them regularly, then you will be given a variety of bonuses that you will be able to use on golf events of your choosing.
Betfair: This bookmaker covers all the biggest golf events in the world ranging from the European and PGA Tours. In fact, if there is a golf event on and there is public opinion on it, then you can be certain that Betfair will offer their customers a variety of markets and competitive odds. Their aim is to provide players with as much golf betting as they can. They have a decent Welcome Bonus, but their promotions are where they excel as they always have plenty that you can take advantage of.
Other big betting sites with very good live golf stream options include:
∙ Bet365
∙ William Hill
∙ Sky Bet
∙ 888sport
∙ Betfred
∙ Boylesports
∙ BetVictor
