If you’re a golf fan, then there are probably four major events on your calendar each year - and these are golf’s primary Majors. Despite the fact that LIV Golf is taking a bite out of the PGA Tour’s hold on pro golf, the US Masters remains one of the most prestigious events of the year. It’s time for fans to use bonuses like the Paddy Power welcome offer to back their favorites and wager on prop bets.

In fact, when it comes to betting on pro golf, the US Masters beats out the other three majors, including the US Open, PGA Championship, and the Open Championship. That’s because the US Masters takes place at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, Georgia each year, unlike the revolving venues for the other Majors—and it’s a doozy for players, to say the least. 

This year, all eyes were on Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy to take home his first Masters. Though he’s one of his generation’s best players and arguably at the height of his career, he’s yet to don the Masters' jacket. And this year wasn’t his time, either. Spain’s Jon Rahm just took home the title—and he had to beat some of the greatest competitors in both the PGA and LIV to do it.

A mixed bag at the 2023 US Masters

Rahm won by four shots at Augusta, beating out second-place finishers Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, followed by Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, and Russell Henley. McIlroy, by contrast, failed to make the cut. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods met the same fate after failing to qualify. 

For the most part, these finishing positions aren’t too surprising. After all, golf is highly competitive and relies on each player’s mental aptitude as much as technical skill. The idea that Woods or McIlroy would fail to make the cut, or finish well, isn’t too surprising. While Rahm’s win is certainly a pleasant surprise, the majority of the attention on this year’s champions fell back to the aforementioned PGA-LIV divide.

The great divide – or the new norm?

For those who haven’t followed the story, LIV Golf launched in 2021 thanks to huge funding from Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund. Quickly, fans were up in arms over what they viewed as sports washing. American fans, in particular, have had a hard time signing on to LIV Golf thanks to its tie to the PIF.

Regardless of how fans and analysts wanted to interpret Saudi Arabia’s sudden interest in golf, pros themselves were easily wooed by large payouts—even those who originally balked at LIV’s launch. Last year was considered LIV’s inaugural year. And while the going was slow, its tournaments are now viewed as legitimate and player finishes are used to inform the official World Golf Rankings. Sportsbooks have also started to cover the league, hinting its here to stay.

And even the PGA has lifted its original stance against LIV. Whether the rival series survives its first five years remains to be seen, but its golfers were permitted to compete for the first time at the US Masters this year (following the US Open and Championship last year).

Rahm isn’t on the LIV circuit, but Mickelson and Koepka both are. Koepka, in particular, took an indignant stance on the media’s portrayal of LIV golfers. Of the 18 LIV golfers who competed in the US Masters, three finished in the top ten. Still, it’s worth pointing out that LIV managed to woo some of golf’s top names with its boosted prize purses, including Koepka and Mickelson.

However, while the media might be ready to let go of the idea that LIV golfers aren’t as competitive as PGA golfers, not many fans will relinquish the idea that pros chose to move for money - and money alone. This year’s US Masters marked one of the most meaningful clashes between pros from each circuit. Going forward, it’s not unlikely that the stakes will continue to revolve around the ongoing battle between PGA and LIV.

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