If Thursday’s opening round was any indication, we are in for one hell of a weekend at the 2023 Masters. The leaderboard at Augusta National is stacked with big names heading into Friday’s Round 2, and none bigger than co-leader Jon Rahm.
Following Round 1, Rahm is in a three-way tie for the lead after shooting a 7-under 65 on Thursday. That number is made all the more impressive considering he double-bogeyed his first hole of the day.
It’s no surprise that Rahm is now the favorite to win the Green Jacket, but he also has plenty of company at the top of the Masters' odds board.
Read on as I break down the latest golf odds and bring you my favorite Masters picks heading into Round 2.
Picks made on 4/6/2023 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Best 2023 Masters Round 2 picks
Collin Morikawa Top-5 finish (+350)
Augusta National is known as a second-shot course, so players who are creative shot makers and have excellent iron play can excel in this tournament. Obviously, that makes you think of guys like John Rahm and Scottie Scheffler, but don't forget about Collin Morikawa.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that Morikawa is still just 26 years old and already a two-time major winner. Since his PGA Championship victory in 2020, Morikawa has finished T8 or better in six of his 10 major appearances.
Morikawa has gotten better each time he has played at Augusta, since his first appearance where he finished T44 back in 2020. Morikawa placed fifth just last year, and he certainly got his 2023 tournament off to a solid start on Thursday.
Morikawa shot a 3-under 69 in Round 1 with four birdies and a bogey, and he did that while ranking a mediocre 18th in Strokes Gained: Approach. Considering there is still room for improvement and the additional fact that Morikawa has the advantage of starting Round 2 in the mid-morning, Friday could be a splendid day for the 26-year-old.
His game is built for Augusta and Morikawa's track record shows that when he’s in contention, a high finish is usually in the cards.
Best odds: Morikawa Top-5 finish (+350 at DraftKings)
Koepka Top-5 finish (+130)
Don’t look now but the big, bad, LIV has a golfer sitting atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the Masters. Other players also might be a little fearful of the fact that it is Brooks Koepka.
Koepka, who unfortunately flipped to the LIV Tour last season, was arguably the most dominant player in major golf between 2017 and 2021. Starting with the 2017 U.S. Open, Koepka went on an unfathomable run where he finished T7 or better in 12 of 16 major tournaments, including capturing two U.S. Open titles and two PGA Championships.
Before missing the cut at the last two Masters (thanks in part to some injuries), Koepka had gone T11, T2, and T7 in his previous three trips to Augusta National.
He sure looked comfortable on the course on Thursday, shooting an impressive 7-under 65, including eight birdies. Koepka was able to do so because he was dialed in with his irons, leading the field in Strokes Gained: Approach.
History has told us that’s something that Koepka is more than capable of keeping up on for Friday and beyond. I think he builds on this performance, leading into another classic Koepka Top-5 finish.
Best odds: Koepka Top-5 finish (+130 at DraftKings)
Patrick Cantlay Round 2 3-Ball (+105)
Patrick Cantlay hasn’t had the most success at Augusta National, and his 2023 tournament got off to an interesting start.
Looking at the 31-year-old American’s scorecard, you’ll see a ho-hum 1-under 71, but it feels like he has a lot of room for improvement heading into Friday’s action. Cantlay’s iron play was on point on Thursday as he ranked fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach.
But shockingly, it was Cantlay’s putter that let him down.
Cantlay is regarded as one of the best putters on tour, even if he has been a bit inconsistent with the flat stick recently. However, only seven players in the field ranked worse than Cantlay in SG: Putting in Round 1.
Despite the lackluster performance from in close on Thursday, you can expect a return to the mean for Cantlay with his putter in Round 2. Even with his inconsistencies this season, Cantlay still ranks 14th in putting average and 20th in putting inside 10 feet.
That means I think Cantlay can put up the best round in a group that features Adam Scott and Kurt Kitayama on Friday.
Scott is obviously a former Masters champ who posted a 4-under score on Thursday, but he struggled with his irons and had to save his day with his putter. Meanwhile, this is just Kitayama’s first Masters appearance.
Best odds: Cantlay Round 2 3-ball (+105 at bet365)
