Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have seven Masters titles between them, but neither one is considered a good bet to win this year’s tournament at Augusta National, which begins Nov. 12. Woods, who has five green jackets, is currently 25/1 to win the Masters, while Mickelson is at 80/1.
Those odds put them well behind favorite Bryson DeChambeau, who the Westgate SuperBook has at 8/1. DeChambeau won the sport’s last major championship, the US Open at Winged Foot, more than a month ago.
Woods is the defending champion, but oddsmakers don’t see him repeating. The one-time No. 1 player in the world is currently 29th in the Official World Golf Rankings, and hasn’t contended in a major since winning the 2019 Masters.
Past Masters Results
Here’s a look at how these two past Masters champions have performed at Augusta National over the past decade.
| Woods | Mickelson | |
| 2019 | 1 | T18 |
| 2018 | T32 | T36 |
| 2017 | DNP | T22 |
| 2016 | DNP | MC |
| 2015 | T17 | T2 |
| 2014 | DNP | MC |
| 2013 | T4 | T54 |
| 2012 | T40 | T3 |
| 2011 | T4 | T27 |
| 2010 | T4 | 1 |
The 45-year-old Woods missed the cut at the US Open, and tied for 37th at the PGA Championship in August. In 2019, Woods missed the cut at the Open Championship and the PGA Championship, and finished tied for 21st at the US Open.
Woods, Mickelson Still Optimistic About Winning Masters
The regular season hasn’t been much better for Woods. He did win the Zozo Championship back in September 2019, but had just one other top-10 finish in six events after that victory. Last week at the 2020 Zozo Championship, played at Sherwood Country Club, Woods shot three of four rounds in the 70s and finished tied for 72nd.
As disappointed as Woods was with his performance, he believes he has a shot at Augusta in two weeks.
“I know the golf course, so it’s not a new golf course, and maybe a little bit longer and a little bit more softer than we’ve probably experienced, but you just never know,†Woods said.
Mickelson has struggled as well of late. He tied for 18th at the 2019 Masters, then went T71 at the PGA Championship, T52 at the US Open, and missed the cut at the Open Championship. In the two majors played in 2020, Mickelson tied for 71st at the PGA Championship and missed the cut at the US Open.
Still, the 50-year-old had some success on the PGA Tour this year, and at PGA Tour Champions events as well. Mickelson had a third-place finish at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February, and tied for second at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational in August.
On the PGA Tour Champions, Mickelson won the two events he’s entered. He said playing Augusta has some similarities to the senior tour.
“I certainly enjoy that style of play because I can play aggressive and it’s more comparable to the way Augusta is because Augusta allows you to recover a number of times if you hit less-than-perfect shots,†Mickelson said. “Certainly it’s difficult recovery, but it’s there.â€
History, Trends Against Woods, Mickelson
Their recent play isn’t the only factor that makes Woods and Mickelson risky wagers at the Masters.
While Woods has previously defended his Masters title by putting together consecutive victories in 2001 and 2002, he’s also the last player to achieve that feat, which happened 18 years ago. Before Woods, Nick Faldo scored back-to-back victories in 1989 and 1990.
Add to the difficulty of defending at Augusta the fact that Woods hasn’t fared particularly well at the Masters since 2015. Outside of last year, he was only able to play twice in four years because of injuries, and finished tied for 17th and 32nd.
Mickelson tied for second in 2015, but since then, his best finish was a tie for 18th last year. If Mickelson were to win this year, he would be the oldest winner in tournament history. The current oldest winner is Jack Nicklaus, who was 46 when he won in 1986. There has never been a golfer over the age of 50 to win a major championship.
Tiger Woods won the Masters 5 times.