Editor’s Note: Don’t just bet your favorite sports. LIVE YOUR BET LIFE! Get started today at PointsBet with two risk-free bets up to $2,000. Bet now!
With all eyes on Tiger Woods, the world No. 1 reminded everyone that it is he who is the best player in the game. Scottie Scheffler was simply unbelievable on Friday, following up his opening round of 3-under 69 with a 5-under 67.
Co-best on the day alongside Justin Thomas, who sits seven-strokes adrift, the rapidly ascended Scheffler has once again done just that. On a day which featured intense winds and difficult conditions, the Texan remained patient, perfectly timing up the ideal moment to strike.
Turning in 1-under, the 25-year-old bided his time as the forecasted winds subsided late in the afternoon. With those off the course assuming they would be within arm’s reach by day’s end, Scheffler likely robbed them of any hope. It began with a birdie on the par-3 12th and ended with another on the par-3 16th as the former Longhorn took full advantage of both par-5s in between.
8-under and commanding a five-stroke lead, Scheffler has matched the largest 36-hole margin in Masters history, last seen in 2015 with Jordan Spieth. The man who has won 3-of-5 tournaments and possesses all the confidence in the world spoke to his position after his impressive second round.
Scheffler said, “If anything, it gives me more confidence. Once I saw that I took the lead at one point today, and my first thought was to just keep trying to build it just because I feel like I’m playing well. That will be the goal going into tomorrow, just to keep putting myself in good positions, execute shots, and as long as I’m committed to everything, everything should be fine. The rest really isn’t up to me.”
Down to +110 at PointsBet Sportsbook, Scheffler will look to continue his heater tomorrow in what will be a cold and windy third round. Hoping orange is the new black green, the one thing against Scheffler is the way in which he won his first two stroke-play events.
Trailing significantly heading into the weekend in both instances, Scheffler has often shot up the leaderboard with a stellar Saturday. In a dissimilar spot, my interest lies in how he will take to the pole position and if any nerves arrive en route to his first major championship.
Editor’s Note: Now, all our premium tools for Fantasy, DFS and Betting are included in one subscription at one low price. Customers can subscribe to NBC Sports EDGE+ monthly ($9.99) or save 20% on an annual subscription ($95.88). And don’t forget to use promo code SAVE10 to get 10% off. Click here to learn more!
Updated Odds to Win (Odds Via PointsBet):
+110: Scottie Scheffler
+1200: Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Shane Lowry
+1600: Justin Thomas, Sungjae Im
+2200: Collin Morikawa
+2500: Will Zalatoris
+3000: Joaquin Niemann
+3300: Charl Schwartzel, Corey Conners, Harold Varner III
+4000: Jon Rahm, Kevin Na, Matt Fitzpatrick, Patrick Cantlay
+6000: Rory McIlroy
+7000: Danny Willett, Tiger Woods
+10000: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Tom Hoge
+12500: Kevin Kisner, Webb Simpson
+15000: Daniel Berger, J.J. Spaun, Robert MacIntyre, Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton
Round 3 Plays (Odds Via PointsBet):
Kevin Kisner (+125) over Tiger Woods:
I think everyone and their mother cashed Woods to make the cut and for that, I am thankful. However, sometimes the eye test speaks volumes as the status of the five-time Masters Champion is concerning. Backing up his 1-under 71 with a 2-over 74, the physical toll of walking Augusta National should catch up to the cat over the weekend.
Never one to perform well in the cold, it pains me to target the 15-time major champion, but Kisner presents plenty of intrigue. Signing for a 2-under 70 out of the afternoon wave, the Georgia Bulldog now ranks 18th in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green by way of 34th in SG: Off-the-Tee, 10th in SG: Approach, 21st in SG: Around-the-Green.
An up-and-down closing nine, Kisner carded four birdies against four bogeys, the majority of which were courtesy of short misses from the flat stick. Believing the 38-year-old will right this wrong, if the putting savant can find his touch tomorrow, he should be able to take care of Woods in the process *ducks*.
Robert MacIntyre (+105) over Lee Westwood:
Our love affair with the young Scot has paid dividends up to this point and Saturday should be no different. Carding rounds of 73-73, MacIntyre appears close to figuring out Augusta National in his second-time around.
Admitting exactly that, the 25-year-old ranks 17th in SG: Off-the-Tee while falling short in the other areas of the game. Only 3-under on the par-5s up to this point, the consistency in which MacIntyre sets up his scoring clubs should allow him to improve on this in Round 3.
Which theoretically will aid him in breezing by Westwood. Standing at the same number, the Englishman has been able to rely on his knowledge of these greens to propel him inside the top-25. Seventh in SG: Putting and outside the top-25 in each tee-to-green metric, I envision the 48-year-old struggling on Saturday and giving way to MacIntyre.
2/3-Balls YTD: -11.70 units, -25.59%
Total YTD: +47.47 units, +47.62%
PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links. NJ, IA, IN, IL, CO, MI, VA, WV only. 21+. T&C apply. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
