The Masters 2nd Round: 5 Players to Watch with Afternoon Tee Times

The 2023 Masters is underway with second-round coverage, and multiple players are teeing off in the afternoon worth watching.

Below, we’ll dive into the players we think could make the most noise this afternoon and their odds on the FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Jon Rahm didn’t start so well in his opening round at Augusta. He double-bogeyed the first hole, which could have easily derailed his entire round. That wasn’t the case, and his strong mental fortitude helped him get back on track immediately. He birdied the next two holes and added another birdy and eagle to end his front-nine.

Rahm will enter the second round at seven-under-par and is the current odds-on favorite to win the green jacket at +310. He’s one of the top golfers in the world, and what he demonstrated during his first round will make him a must-watch presence during second-round action today. 

Even though the spotlight wasn’t on him, considering he was in a group with Tiger Woods, Viktor Hovland put together a dominant opening round where he shot seven-under-par. The 25-year-old Norwegian golfer has the ability to win this tournament. With a questionable weather forecast this weekend, it’ll be interesting to see how some of the younger golfers fare in what becomes an even more challenging course with a poor forecast. Hovland boasts +1200 odds to win The Masters, which is a slightly undervalued price. 

Another youngster that put together a great opening round was Cameron Young, who ended the day five under par. He’s yet to come out on top in a Major, but he’s twice finished inside the top three, and that bodes well for him in a high-pressure environment like The Masters. His playing style really gels well with the type of course at Augusta, and there’s a lot to like about him continuing to find success here in round two. Young owns +2000 odds to win The Masters, and with his recent experience finishing high in these prestigious events, there’s some value here in backing his current number. 

It wasn’t a glowing opening round for Justin Thomas, who finished the day two-under par. Thomas compiled four birdies and two bogeys in his first round. The focus will be on playing bogey-free golf during his second round, which has troubled him recently. Thomas undoubtedly has the skillset and demeanor to win a green jacket, but he’ll need to shoot low today if he has aspirations to add to his trophy case. Thomas owns +4100 odds to win the tournament, and even though he’s considered a longshot at +4100, he has the tools in his bag to make a run up the leaderboard. 

If you’re someone that craves the Sunday drama as we do, you’re probably hoping LIV Tour player Cameron Smith is playing in one of the final pairings this weekend. Smith had a quiet start during his opening round, where he shot tw0-under par on a day when some of his biggest competitors went low in very pristine conditions.

The Aussie is one of the world’s top golfers and has been very outspoken about the war between the PGA and LIV tours. Smith is a sizable underdog after Day 1 with +5000 odds. You might not love his chances to push up the leaderboard, but he should draw a lot of eyeballs, and thus we’re highlighting him as an important player to watch this afternoon. 

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