BetUK's expert tipster brings you his analysis of the world famous Augusta Golf Course, the home of the Masters. Ahead of the event, also make sure to check out his Masters betting tips as well as the rest of our Masters updates at Bet UK. Head over to Bet UK’s online sports betting for the latest Masters betting odds.

History Of The Masters

The Masters is one of the oldest and greatest sporting occasions. Held each April at the famed Augusta National course in the Southern US state of Georgia, The Masters holds its place as the Premier annual golfing event, and is steeped in history. The signature green jacket, worn on multiple occasions by the likes of Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and more recently double champion Jordan Spieth, is one of the most revered and sought after prizes in sport.

The Course: Augusta National - 7650 Yards

Aesthetically there is no better sporting arena than Augusta National. Since the first staging of the event back in 1934, it has developed both in size and beauty to become the amphitheatre that it is today. One that has seen almost unparalleled sporting drama. The front 9 is relatively unspectacular. Holes such as the par 3 5th, and the newly lengthened par 4 4th provide a gruelling test, with respite coming on the 2nd and 8th which are, as with all the par 5s at Augusta, relatively scorable. It is not until we get onto the back 9 that the drama begins.

10th Hole:

485 Yards - Par 4

A sweeping down hill right to left hole which famously saw Rory Mcilroy’s challenge end in spectacular fashion back in 2011 as he hooked the ball into an adjoining garden in what began a run that saw him score in the 40s for the back side and blow the tournament. The 10th is a tough challenge, hitting an uphill approach from a downhill lie and an undulating green is a test for even the best players, and we expect to see some big numbers run up on this hole.

11th Hole

455 Yards - Par 4

A right to left par 4 with the green guarded left by water and right by a substantial run off area. This is the start of Amen Corner and traditionally one of the toughest holes on the course. Par here is a great score.

12th Hole

155 yards - Par 3

The 12th is Augusta’s signature hole and one of the most unpredictable on the course, where scores regularly range from 2 to 7 as the players attack a shallow green with a short iron. The green is small, and any shots finding it will produce a strong birdie chance however, if the player is long, they are on the pine needles or amongst the azaleas. If they are short, like Jordan Spieth (twice when holding a 4 shot lead) in 2017, the brook awaits, the ball will be sunk, and with it so can be a players chances of the green jacket. A truly exceptional hole.

13th Hole

528 Yards - Par 5

The final hole of Amen Corner, and the best chance for a birdie at Augusta National. The 13th is a slight dogleg left, and with the ball running down from the right to a generous fairway, players will often face only a mid-iron approach to a large sloping green. The main hazard is the brook running in front of the green. This is a lateral water hazard, and players can sometimes chop the ball out, but most of the field will see this as a significant birdie opportunity. The hole is most famous for Nick Faldo being jeered as he stood for 5 minutes over a shot in his famous win against Greg Norman before firing an arrow like 2 iron into the middle of the green on the way to his final green jacket. Any players in contention Sunday afternoon will need to birdie this hole to stay in contention.

14th Hole

465 Yards - Par 4

The 14th is one of the more standard holes on the back 9; probably one of only two along with the 17th. It is a long par 4 and, as is the nature of Augusta, it is a right to left dogleg. The danger for players is missing the wide and generous fairway from the tee, with pine needles on both sides of the tree lined fairway, this can make the approach challenging. Up on the green, there is a large slope from back to front and left to right, and on occasions, this hole has become near unplayable on a Sunday. The organisers will be hoping to avoid a repeat of this, and the 14th will likely average around par for most of the week.

15th Hole

533 Yards - Par 5

The final par 5 at Augusta is the long downhill 15th. This represents another birdie chance for the players but, unlike 13, the approach is far more treacherous, and the bigger hitters hold a significant advantage on this hole. The optimal line is down the left, under the big oak tree and out into the fairway. The risk is not hitting it far enough and getting stuck under the tree. As for the approach, there is waterfront left, and a bail out area to the right where most of the field will end up. Some more adventurous players have on occasions decided to fire the ball into the left grandstand to get a free drop over the water, and a great look at birdie. Anyone that goes too long will bound off the run off area, and possibly into the lake at the back, although there is some rough to help stop the ball if they are lucky. This is always a pivotal hole of Championship day.

16th Hole

170 Yards - Par 3

The 16th was the setting for perhaps the most famous shot in golf history. Tiger Woods, locked in an epic battle with fellow American Chris Dimarco had gone long, but chipped his ball perfectly along the ridge that runs through the green, allowing it to trickle down and die into the hole, prompting almost never before seen celebrations amongst both the player, caddie, and the thousands of spectators. That drama is not unusual on a hole where aces are common place, and other than a couple of bunkers, there is not a lot of danger to golfers of this standard. If players are locked together come Sunday, pars won’t be good enough to get it done here with the final day pin on the back left of the green at the bottom of the ridge attracting many birdie opportunities.

17th Hole

440 Yards - Par 4

The 17th is another left to right dogleg, and set up very similarly to 14. Players need to again avoid missing the fairway and finding the pine straw in order to set up an approach that is generally easier than the one into 14. There is a bunker protecting the front of the green and, given a mid to low iron for the approaches, any ball finding this is in danger of plugging and could lead to an almost certain bogey, so it is one to be avoided. If the players do carry the bunker, the green is receptive and the Sunday pin is front right so would set them up an excellent chance of birdie. This is a great risk or reward approach on the penultimate hole.

18th Hole

465 Yard - Par 4

The 18th is a rare right to left tee shot, and one that is extraordinarily tight. Most players will take a 3 wood and lay up short of the bunker on the left of the fairway, leaving something like a 7 iron into the green. Some players might be design or necessity have to take on that bunker to leave as little as a 9 iron into the green and what, on a Sunday, is a very ‘birdie-able’ pin position on the front left. There have been so many famous moments on this hole, perhaps none more so than Sandy Lyle’s stunning 7 iron from the bunker to set up his Master's triumph in 1988. Other than the danger, shots missing too far right will be amongst the trees and likely blocked out. This is a fantastic finishing hole.

The PGA Tour continues its month-long residence in Florida with the return of the Players Championship from 14th March. Golf’s ‘fifth Major’ is one of the most prestigious and eagerly awaited events in the calendar and has produced some of the most memorable moments in the game during its illustrious history.

TPC Sawgrass is the venue once more. The home of the iconic ‘island green’ is one of the most famous golf courses in the world and is set to stage its 37th edition of the Players Championship, a tournament which began in 1974.

The field for the Players Championship is arguably the strongest in professional golf. But the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is a tough nut to crack and history suggests this is a layout which polarises between those who love it and those who hate it. Plenty of stars have struggled to get to grips with the place which means scouring the odds to pick a winner requires more than simply backing the big names.

A Brief History Of The Players Championship

The Players Championship was always intended to be a tournament which would rival golf’s Majors in terms of profile and prestige.

Luring the world’s best golfers with a huge prize purse certainly helped, but so too has the sheer drama which has unfolded down the years. But perhaps the event’s unofficial status as the ‘fifth Major’ owes as much to the domineering presence of the greatest golfer who ever lived early in its history.

When Jack Nicklaus lifted the inaugural trophy in 1974, he did so having already won 12 of his 18 career Major titles. The Golden Bear won the Players in every other year until 1978 and truly helped attract attention to this new tournament.

After a nomadic early life, the Players found a permanent home in 1982 at the newly constructed TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The showpiece Stadium Course was the first true golf course to be constructed with the spectator experience in mind as much as the technical aspects of the layout.

Unlike three of the four Majors which rotate around venues, much of the success of the Players has been down to the fact it stays in the same spot each year during Florida’s prime weather season. This year’s edition marks the end of a 12-year long switch to May, which never really seemed to go down well with anyone. From 2019, the Players is now back in its traditional March berth.

The Stadium Course

For many, their first introduction to TPC Sawgrass would have been as a kid playing the course on a video game console. The venue is visually stunning and combines plenty of water and sand with narrow fairways and small challenging greens.

Almost every adjective has been applied to TPC Sawgrass by players who’ve hacked, chipped and putted their way around its various tests. From ‘dramatic’ to ‘frightening’ to ‘aggravating’ and ‘thrilling’, Sawgrass poses a unique trial with no one type of golfer ever truly dominant. Yes, you need to be able to hit it far, but precision and nerve are equally as important.

The final six holes at Sawgrass guarantee that every round concludes to a climax. The famous ‘island green’ 17th ensures a nerve-jangling build-up to the tough-as-they-come 18th. No lead is every truly safe at the Players.

Who’s In The Field And Who To Back

The Players’ field consists of 144 players with qualification routes aplenty to ensure the very best are invited to Ponte Vedra Beach. The top 50 from the world rankings are included and winners of recent PGA Tour events qualify, as do the top 125 from the FedEx Cup points list. Add to them Major championship winners from the past five years, previous Players champions and World Golf Championship title holders and the organisers can ensure they’ve not missed anyone who’s at the top of their game.

The Players always throws up some interesting quirks which might sway your picks in the betting. Notably, 7 foreigners have won the Players since 2008. Of the top 22 finishers from last year, only 7 currently make up the world ranked top 20. In 2017 it was even more curious with just one of those occupying a top 24 spot managing a top 10 finish.

And big names don’t always do so well. Rory McIlroy didn’t manage to break par at TPC Sawgrass until his fourth Players appearance. The Northern Irishman has never managed a better than T12 finish. Dustin Johnson managed T17 at last year’s event but he’s only managed to break 70 five times in 34 rounds. Previous winners have patchy records too - there were 12 years between Tiger Woods’ two wins and players who make their debuts seem to be overawed by either the course or the occasion - or both.

One thing is sure, the Players Championship is great fun and one of the best golfing events in the season to browse the golf betting odds in a bid to pick a winner. Bet UK’s online sportsbook has the latest Players Championship betting odds, as well as odds for all PGA Tour Events.