The 75th Masters got underway this morning, but there is still time to take advantage of juicy head-to-head player matchups. Golf odds makers are currently offering up a battle between the current top player on the European Tour, Luke Donald, and American Bubba Watson. Masters Odds 2011 have Donald listed as a -125 moneyline favorite to finish ahead of Watson this weekend at Augusta National.
Thirty-three year old Luke Donald arrives at Augusta playing, perhaps, the best golf of his career. The Northwestern graduate
currently sits atop the European Tour's Race to Dubai standings after finishing third, ninth, first, and sixth in his last four tournaments. His victory in that stretch, the WGC: Accenture Match, also qualified as a PGA event, giving him three top 10 finishes in four Tour tournaments this season.
Donald's recent success should give him his best opportunity to secure the first major of his career this weekend. The Hempstead, England native has not performed that well on the biggest of stages, though, but he does have four top 10 finishes in 30 major appearances.
Last season was especially rough for Donald; outside of a 11th place showing at the British Open, he missed the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship and placed a distant 47th at the U.S. Open.
Bubba Watson, currently ninth on the PGA Tour money list, has produced one win and two top 10 finishes in eight events this season. His lone victory came at the end of January at the Farmers Insurance Open (-16, 272), but his play of late has dropped off as evidenced by his 67th, 28th, and 24th place finishes in his last three tournaments.
Watson, who did not play at Augusta last year, finished 20th and 42nd in his two previous Masters appearances (2008, 2009). Watson, who hails from Bagdad, Florida, has a top five showing at the U.S. Open (2007) and he placed second to Martin Kaymer in a playoff at last year's PGA Championship. That result marked his best finish at a major (12 appearances).
Masters Odds 2011 Luke Donald vs Bubba Watson Masters Picks:
Luke Donald -125
Bubba Watson -105
