The first round of the 2026 Masters defied expectations and set the stage for a thrilling final three rounds. The 2026 Masters leaderboard is somewhat similar to last year’s edition, with reigning champion Rory McIlroy leading the way at 5 under. He will be co-leader with Sam Burns heading into the second round as the former LSU Tiger seeks his first major victory. After that, three golfers, Kurt Kitayama, Jason Day, and 2018 winner Patrick Reed, are 3 under and will continue on to the 2026 Masters.
McIlroy is a +270 favorite (risk $100 to win $270) for the 2026 Masters and becomes the fourth person to win consecutive green jackets. Pre-tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler is +350, and all the other golfers available for Masters betting are priced in the double digits. Xander Schauffele is +1000, followed by Barnes (+1300), Justin Rose (+1500) and Reed (+1800). Before you lock in your 2026 Masters pick after the first round, be sure to check out the 2026 Masters predictions and projected leaderboards from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
SportsLine’s proprietary model, built by DFS pro Mike McClure, simulated every event on the PGA Tour 10,000 times and found: golf gambling A pick with a history of being very profitable.
This same model was successful at a whopping 16 majors entering the weekend, including the 2025 Masters, which will be the fourth consecutive Masters, and last year’s PGA Championship and British Open Championship. Anyone who follows our sports betting recommendations may have seen some big profits. gambling site.
Now that the first round of the 2026 Masters has been decided, the model has simulated the final three rounds 10,000 times, and the results are surprising. Visit SportsLine now to see the predicted leaderboards.
Top predictions for the 2026 Masters
One surprise the model is looking for at the 2026 Masters is Burns (+1300), who entered Friday as co-leader but stumbled in the straights and barely cracked the top 10. Burns hasn’t even finished in the top 25 in his past four starts at Augusta National, so he doesn’t have a great course history to rely on with confidence in his Masters bets. His best finish is a tie for 29th after failing to qualify after half of his starts, but he has a history of falling down the leaderboard after a strong early start.
At the 2023 Masters, Burns was in sixth place after the first and second rounds, but stalled over the weekend. He couldn’t break par either day and finished tied for 29th in the tournament. His results at other majors have been less impressive, with zero top-five finishes in 22 appearances and nearly twice as many missed appearances (seven) as top-25 finishes (four). He is one of the players who will fade in the golf picks for the second round of the 2026 Masters. See who else fades out on Sportsline.
Another surprise will be Tommy Fleetwood, a long shot at +2000 who is 1 under and four shots behind the co-leader, making a strong run towards the title. The reigning FedEx Cup champions typically struggle in the first round at Augusta National, so being near the top of the leaderboard heading into Friday’s game is a promising sign. Fleetwood was 2-over last year but still finished in the top 25, and he shot par on Thursday at the 2024 Masters, putting together a strong final three rounds. The British player finished third that year, marking his best result in the major.
Fleetwood’s metrics on the PGA Tour this season indicate his name could remain near the top of the leaderboard throughout the tournament as long as he finishes in the top five in both tee-to-green strokes gained and around-the-green strokes gained. Additionally, he ranks in the top 15 in Driving Accuracy Percentage and Strokes Gained: Combined. He also entered Augusta National in perhaps the best shape of his career. He has had four top-10 finishes in the past five tournaments, three of which have come in major tournaments. See who else you can root for on SportsLine.
How to make a 2026 Masters nomination
The model targets 3 other golfers with odds of +2500 or higher and will do surprisingly well over the next 3 rounds. That includes one monster longshot with returns well over +5000. Anyone who supports these longshots can be very successful. Masters picks for this model can only be seen here.
So who will win the 2026 Masters and who is a long shot to shock the golf world? Check out the 2026 Masters odds below, then visit SportsLine to see the 2026 Masters predicted leaderboard. All of this from a model that has won 16 golf majors, including four consecutive Masters.
2026 Masters odds, participants
Get the complete 2026 Masters contenders, best bets and predictions here.
(Odds provided by FanDuel are subject to change)
Rory McIlroy +270
Scotty Scheffler +350
Xander Schauffele +1000
Sam Barnes +1300
Justin Rose +1500
Patrick Reed +1800
Tommy Fleetwood +2000
Jason Day +2200
Shane Lowry +3300
Kurt Kitayama +3500
Hideki Matsuyama +4000
Jordan Spieth +4000
Cameron Young +4500
Brooks Koepka +4500
Jacob Bridgman +5500
Ludwig Oberg +5000
Chris Gottterp +6500
Matt Fitzpatrick +7000
Adam Scott +7000
Justin Thomas +7000
