2025 The Masters odds: 'We were just doing backflips constantly'
Rest assured, it was equally wild for the sportsbooks.
In-play odds saw crazy fluctuations, as the Rory rollercoaster ride made its way to the green jacket.
"It was basically like gymnastics with numbers — we were just doing backflips constantly," Caesars Sports golf trader Anthony Salleroli said. "Every stroke is weighted so much more in the fourth round, especially late in the round."
Salleroli helped document a nerve-wracking Sunday in the 2025 Masters odds market.
Early Flip-Flop
Rory McIlroy entered Sunday with a two-shot lead and was the -200 favorite to win the Masters. Bryson DeChambeau was the +250 second choice.
But McIlroy's jaunt to the green jacket got off to an extremely inauspicious start. He double-bogeyed No. 1, dropping into a tie with DeChambeau at 10 under.
Then McIlroy parred No. 2, while DeChambeau got a birdie to take the lead at 11 under.
All of a sudden, DeChambeau was the short favorite.
"Within two holes, we had a new leader," Salleroli said, noting an immediate rush on in-play odds. "The run on DeChambeau bets was incredible, thinking a Rory collapse was coming, as it has in the past."
Instead, McIlroy quickly steadied the ship with birdies on Nos. 3 and 4, while DeChambeau bogeyed both holes.
So Rory returned to the favorite at 12 under.
Build Up, Then Blow Up
Birdies on 9 and 10 put McIlroy at 14 under and seemingly in full control. With eight holes left, he had a five-shot lead. His odds stretched to -1000 or beyond. Even at only -1000, it would take a $1,000 bet just to win $100 on Rory ($1,100 total payout).
McIlroy bogeyed No. 11, which didn't really harm his odds much. But then things got really interesting, with Justin Rose — playing a couple holes ahead of McIlroy — making a strong finishing kick as Rory reached No. 13.
"You could've had Rose at +4000 before Rory dunked it in the water on 13. Then Rose immediately went to +400," Salleroli said.
McIlroy ultimately took a double-bogey 7 on 13, and he followed with a bogey on 14, dropping to 10 under again.
"Everybody started to get back in the chase. Ludvig Aberg was right there, even in the lead briefly. Patrick Reed was making a slow creeper charge," Salleroli said.
Aberg, also playing a couple holes ahead of McIlroy, was briefly a short favorite. But he bogeyed No. 17, then took triple bogey on 18 to ruin his chances.
Rose Blooms
As noted above, Rose was making a big run while McIlroy was falling down. Rose birdied eight of the final 12 holes, including a huge 20-foot putt on 18 to finish at 11-under 277.
All Rose could do from there was wait. McIlroy birdied 15 — though he blew a great eagle chance there — to draw even with Rose at 11 under. When McIlroy birdied 17 to take a one-shot lead, it seemed like he might finally seal the deal.
Even after finding a greenside bunker on 18, McIlroy got out to about four feet for a par putt to win it.
As fate would have it, though, he missed, and it was on to a playoff against Rose.
"Now you know you're just heads-up, McIlroy vs. Rose, sudden death. A lot of suspense," Salleroli said.
In the playoff, Caesars made McIlroy a -140 favorite and Rose a +110 underdog as the two made their way back to the 18th tee.
"You knew Rory was gonna outdrive Rose," Salleroli said, noting that after the tee shots, Rory became a bigger favorite at -220. "Then Rose sticks his approach to 12-15 feet. But then comes McIlroy, and he butters it up and lands it right next to the hole.
"When Rory hit his to within three feet, we went to McIlroy -650. And once Rose missed his putt — just barely — we took the odds off the board."
Finishing Touch
McIlroy then made his putt and made history, as the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam. Bettors were generally satisfied, as McIlroy was No. 1 in ticket count at several sportsbooks, including Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings and The SuperBook.
"Customers were very happy with the Rory outcome," Salleroli said, while noting that in-play action was strong on both McIlroy and Rose for the one playoff hole. "That was lots of fun. It's great to see two-sided action. A lot of the public bettors were rooting for Rory or rooting for Rose.
"It was great action all day, and it was a great day for the sport of golf."
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He's based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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