The Bearded Talisman's 2026 Masters picks

THOUGHTS on Scottie Scheffler:   The world’s number #1 ranked golfer and two-time Masters champ has struggled – by HIS standards - over his most recent 3 PGA Tour events.   After 19 consecutive Top 10s in PGA events, he failed to make the Top 10 at The Genesis, the Arnold Palmer and The Players. Even if you go back to Waste Management in early February, his game was beginning to show cracks in the armor.    Overall, his driving accuracy is off, his approach game is off – not so much accuracy but distance gauging – seems like he’s too often one club too strong or one club too light, and his putting is also off.    He and his wife just welcomed a new baby in March so he has a lot going on in his world.    The +410 price for Scottie to WIN is just too short for me at this point.    On the flip side I respect his game enough to take the WINNER WITHOUT Scottie Scheffler options on DraftKings.    In essence the WINNER WITHOUT option is insurance against Scottie returning to the Scottie we know and not the Scottie we have seen over the last 2 months.

BET 1

Xander Schauffele to WIN WITHOUT Scottie Scheffler (15-1) – The 6^th ranked player in the world has 5 Top 10s in his last 7 Masters, including 3 in a row – and last year’s Top 10 was his lone Top 10 in 2025 on American soil.   This year his driving accuracy is much improved and in his last two PGA starts (The Players and Valspar) he finished 3^rd and T-4^th respectively.   Xander won two majors (PGA Championship and The Open) in 2024 and while at times last year he could not hit a fairway to save his life, there are simply no weaknesses in his game in 2026.    With the confidence off the tee now back, look for X-man to dominate.   Gun to my head he is my top pick.

BET 2

Hideki Matsuyama to WIN WITHOUT Scottie Scheffler (32-1) – The 2021 winner of the Masters, Matsuyama is currently ranked 14^th in the world.   Hideki has made the cut in all 8 events he has played during the 2026 season, including a 2^nd place finish at Waste Management.   He has also made the cut in 11 straight Masters, including the win in 2021.  Look we all know Hideki is hard to figure week to week – when he won in 2021 at 40-1 odds, he played very POORLY in the events that led up to Augusta.  He is less under the radar than in 2021, but the 32-1 odds don’t reflect it.   32-1 with Hideki without Scottie – I’m on it with no hesitation.

BET 3

Patrick Reed to WIN WITHOUT Scottie Scheffler (37-1) – The 2018 Masters Champion and 23rd ranked golfer in the world has three straight Top 12s at Augusta, including a 3^rd place finish last year.   No longer with LIV Golf, Reed won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in January and then the Qatar Masters 2 weeks later.   He has two other Top 10s already this year.   Say what you want about Reed, but he plays really well at this course and he’s playing well right now - kind of the same theme with Xander and Hideki, except longer odds.    I’m guessing a Masters with no Tiger and no Phil, and Rory McIlroy putting the Green Jacket on Reed in Butler Cabin is not what the folks at CBS nor many in the golf world want, but I think it’s a result we might get.   And no I don’t feel bad about betting Patrick Reed – his wife was always nice to Kaylee at the Carlton Woods pro shop back in the day.    

Editor's note: The Bearded Talisman (BT) is one of the most successful golf gamblers in the world. He has won nine majors pre-tourney, including the 2025 PGA Championship and the 2025 Open.  BT is the only sports gambler known to have completed the COVID Slam, winning all 4 golf majors within a 12 month period. https://www.mylifeontheline.com/post/the-covid-slam   He resides in Kansas City, and is often seen in The Woodlands, Texas area having fajitas and going to A&M games with Kaylee and Charlee Kay.