Steve Palmer's Masters specials preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Masters

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 1pm Thursday

Best bets

Brooks Koepka top LIV player
2pts 7-1 bet365

Louis Oosthuizen to miss the cut
2pts 7-4 bet365

Justin Rose top-20 finish
2pts 7-4 Betfair, Power

Viktor Hovland top-20 finish
2pts 5-4 Betfair, Power

Corey Conners top Canadian
2pts 4-5 bet365

Rory McIlroy to win by four shots or more
1pt 22-1 bet365

Tony Finau to beat Rory McIlroy forecast
0.5pt 225-1 bet365

Rory McIlroy to beat Tony Finau forecast
0.5pt 175-1 bet365

The Masters specials preview

The 18 LIV Golf rebels teeing up in the Masters have been getting plenty of attention, and LIV chief Greg Norman says his mob will invade the 18th green at Augusta on Sunday to celebrate should one of them hole the winning putt.

It seems an unlikely scenario, not least because the LIV circuit provides such poor preparation, with uncompetitive, no-cut, three-round events played in a pressure-free environment on straightforward layouts. The most dangerous LIV representative is arguably Brooks Koepka, who appeals at 7-1 in the top LIV market.

Koepka has just become the first LIV player to win twice on that circuit, following last year's Jeddah success with a second victory in Orlando, and the former world number one insists this is the first time he has arrived for the Masters with full fitness since he finished tied second to Tiger Woods in 2019.

With Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson out of sorts and rusty, the main danger to Koepka for top LIV may be Patrick Reed, who finished third in Orlando on Sunday. Koepka can be fancied to outgun Reed, though, on a rain-softened track.

Louis Oosthuizen seems a LIV player to oppose, given he has an elbow tendon injury which requires surgery. He is delaying the operation until the end of the LIV season, but is unable to hit many practice balls and was tailed off in Orlando on Sunday. A missed cut could be on the cards.

Justin Rose and Viktor Hovland are attractive top-20 bets. Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion Rose has finished in the top 20 ten times at Augusta, including twice as runner-up, while Hovland has Masters form figures of 32-21-27. Having finished in the top 20 in five of his six strokeplay events this year, including third at Sawgrass, Hovland should feature on the leaderboard on a long track where his driving is a huge asset.

Sunday's Texas Open champion Corey Conners, who has finished in the top ten in the last three Masters, looks a rock-solid option for top Canadian, while Rory McIlroy is worth chancing at 22-1 to win the event by four shots or more.

McIlroy has won both the US Open and the US PGA by an eight-shot margin – his A-game can be devastating – and a low first round could set up a barnstorming week. Tony Finau may end up as McIlroy's main challenger and that duo appeal in forecast markets.

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