There’s only a few hours left before the Masters tees off from Augusta National, with a star-studded field set to tackle the first major of the 2026 PGA Tour season. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the outright betting favorite at +495 odds, as the two-time green jacket winner returns to the links following a month hiatus.
Narratives abound about Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Bryson DeChambeau atop the pre-tournament betting favorites. While it’s fun to watch the leaderboard take shape at Augusta National, diving into Round 1 head-to-head props offers a great way to find value and grab early action on Thursday.
I’ve got three Round 1 head-to-head bets, each worth one unit, on golfers who hold an edge over their opponent in the opening round. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free bets and PGA Tour analysis throughout the 2026 PGA Tour season.
2026 Masters Picks & Predictions: Round 1 Head-to-Head Bets
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Round 1 Matchup – Akshay Bhatia vs. Jake Knapp
This first matchup prop features two of the PGA Tour’s best young talents. Akshay Bhatia won for the third time in his career against a Signature Event field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, while Jake Knapp has five top 10 finishes and leads the PGA Tour in total strokes gained this season.
Bhatia and Knapp haven’t been exceptional in their limited outings at the Masters. In three combined trips, Bhatia has gone T35-T42, while Knapp has finished T55.
I’m going to side with the betting favorite and back Bhatia in this Round 1 matchup. The 24-year-old is eighth in SG: Approach, 10th in SG: Putting, and 38th in Round 1 scoring average.
Knapp is also an elite putter, ranked second in SG: Putting, but he’s outside the top 40 in SG: Approach and SG: Off-the-Tee. He fired 74 (+2) in his only first round appearance at Augusta National, while Bhatia shot a 72 (even) and 70 (-2) last season.
Let’s lock in Akshay Bhatia as a marginal betting favorite to beat Jake Knapp in this Round 1 matchup prop on Thursday.
Pick: Akshay Bhatia (-125)
3 Ball – Round 1 – Hovland v Cantlay v Noren
Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, and Alex Noren will be paired together for Round 1 at Augusta National. Cantlay and Hovland each have a top 10 finish at the Masters, while Noren has yet to crack a T60 finish in four previous appearances.
We can discount Noren here and focus on our sights on Hovland and Cantlay. The Norwegian golfer has been volatile this season, with only one T10 finish over two months ago at the WM Phoenix Open. However, Hovland has strung together T13-T13 finishes at Bay Hill and TPC Sawgrass before missing the cut at the Valspar Championship to defend his title.
Cantlay has also struggled, but he’s rounding into form, securing a T7 finish at the Valspar Championship in his last outing. Cantlay has notable ranks in GIR percentage (19th), scrambling (13th), and par 4 scoring (20th).
Hovland ranks 19th in SG: Approach, 36th in proximity, and 14th in putts per round. It’s a pretty tight matchup, which is why Hovland is +150 to Cantlay’s +166 in this Round 1 3 Ball matchup.
Cantlay is slightly better in Round 1 scoring averages this year, however, I’m willing to side with Hovland, who shot a 71 (-1) in Round 1 at Augusta National last year. Cantlay finished with a 74 (+2), so let’s back Hovland’s ball-striking and putting talent early in this tournament.
Pick: Viktor Hovland (+150)
Round 1 Matchup – Si Woo Kim vs. Adam Scott
Let’s go back to the Round 1 matchup prop market and look at Si Woo Kim against Adam Scott. Scott won this tournament back in 2013, and now, the 45-year-old veteran returns to Augusta National for his 25th start, where he’ll look to avenge a rare missed cut from 2025.
Kim’s last outing at the Masters led to a T30 finish in 2024. The South Korean native was red-hot to start this season, but lately, he’s slid outside the top 30 in three of his past five tournaments.
Scott is more than comfortable navigating Augusta National and its undulated challenges. He’s coming off a T21 at the Houston Open, while Kim carded a solid T10 at the Valero Texas Open on Sunday.
Kim’s weakness is with the flat stick, sitting 132nd in SG: Putting. He more than compensates with his tee-to-green efficiency, ranked 15th in SG: Off-the-Tee, third in SG: Approach, and first in driving accuracy and greens in regulation hit.
Despite Kim holding the edge in multiple tee-to-green metrics, Scott’s veteran saviness, especially at Augusta National, makes me want to back the Aussie in this Round 1 matchup prop. Scott ranks third in SG: Approach this season, including third in proximity and fifth in approach shots from 200+ yards.
Scott is no slouch, and he’s the superior at this event. Let’s bet on Adam Scott to beat Si Woo Kim in Round 1 as a slight underdog at -108 odds.
Pick: Adam Scott (-108)