Joe Champion
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Masters week has arrived, and it’s one that golf fans around the world look forward to every year. Picking out who will don the green jacket on Sunday is a tough task, but we’ve got expert best bets for who wins at Augusta National in our Masters hub. Head there for picks and predictions for the tournament all week long.
However, an equally difficult puzzle is working out who might be at the top of the leaderboard when day one is over. That’s where I can help. I’ve combed through the field and come up with a couple of picks for who will be the first round leader at The Masters 2022, both at very appealing odds. Let’s break them down.
Russell Henley first round leader (+4200)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Logic dictates that the 2022 Masters is likely to go the way of one of the names towards the top of the betting with few very Green Jacket recipients considered to be genuine shock winners over the last decade.
While the winner of the Masters may well come from the elite, there is scope for those further down the betting to get off to a hot start, with Russell Henley the pick of those to be leading after the first round.
Henley, born and raised in Georgia and a member of the Bulldogs golf team, would dearly love to go well at Augusta National this week as he returns to compete in the event for the first time since 2018.
Five previous Augusta performances have seen him record form figures of MC-31-21-11-15, which are more than respectable, and he opened up with a 68 to sit in a tie for sixth after his first round in 2015.
The 32-year-old, a crisp ball-striker who is well suited to the demands of Augusta National, ranks third in first-round scoring on the PGA Tour this season and it would be no surprise were he to make a fast start on Thursday.
Check out our full Masters 2022 preview
Cameron Young first round leader (+8000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Debutant winners of the Masters are a rare thing indeed — Fuzzy Zoeller was the last man to win on debut in 1979 — but Cameron Young is one of a number of Augusta first-timers who will believe they can defy that statistic in the 2022 edition.
Sam Burns may be that bit more experienced, but Young should be brimming with self-belief after a number of fine performances this season, which saw the New Yorker qualify for his first Masters thanks to his top-50 ranking.
The 24-year-old Korn Ferry Tour graduate was second at the Sanderson Farms in October and then again filled the runners-up spot in elite company at the Genesis Invitational in February, just two in a number of promising performances.
A lack of Augusta experience may well catch him out over the course of four rounds but this fearless, aggressive young player is unlikely to be overawed when he makes the drive down Magnolia Lane, and there are reasons to think he can make a fast start.
Young ranks 11th in first-round scoring average on the PGA Tour in 2021-22, occupying a top-ten position after round one in four of his first seven stroke-play events of the year.
Be sure to check out all of our coverage, analysis and Masters Predictions throughout the tournament. As well as our Masters Golf Bonuses page for those free bets and promo codes.
