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Round 1 of the Masters is one of the great days on the sports calendar, but there is a way to make it even more exciting – putting in a few first-round leader bets at Augusta National.

First-round leader (FRLs for short) bets are one of the best sweats in gambling. One round of golf – especially at the Masters – is so volatile that it incentivizes punters to take a shot on players down the board.

Not every golfer in the field at the Masters can win the tournament, but almost all of them can get hot enough for 18 holes to be the leader after Round 1. 

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Last year’s first-round leader was Bryson DeChambeau, but long shots like Nicolai Hojgaard, Cam Davis, and Danny Willett were within a few strokes of cashing at big prices. 

There’s no exact science to finding value in the FRL market, but we’ll focus on a trio of long shots with plenty of Augusta experience.

Tony Finau (50/1): The world of golf thought it was a question of when, not if, Tony Finau would win a green jacket. Finau’s game seemed to be a perfect fit for Augusta, and he finished T10 then T5 in his first two trips to Augusta National in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Finau has added one more top-10 finish since then — and he’s yet to miss a cut at the Masters — but he hasn’t contended for the jacket.

And while Finau’s form is closer to middling than strong in 2025, that does present bettors with a good buying opportunity on a player with a lot of experience at Augusta and the ability to get white hot on a moment’s notice.

The price is right here.

Sungjae Im (65/1): It’s hard to believe, but this is Sungjae Im’s sixth trip to the Masters. Im finished runner-up on debut in 2020 and was T8 in 2022, so something about Augusta jives with his game.

What makes him appealing in this market is the fact that he’s been the first-round leader at the Masters before (2022) and was one shot back of the Thursday leader in 2020.

The South Korean has not been at his best of late, but his history at Augusta makes him worth considering across all markets considering his prices. 

Danny Willett (125/1): One of the biggest long shots to ever win the Masters, Danny Willett has had a couple of decent showings at Augusta since his stunner in 2016. 

The Englishman will be making his 11th trip down Magnolia Lane, so he knows this course just about as well as anybody in this field.  

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.

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