Sign up for our daily newsletter

Latest news, reviews, analysis and opinion, plus unmissable deals for bunkered subscriptions, events, and our commercial partners.

He might be the favourite to win the Masters – but punters should steer clear of Jon Rahm.

That’s according to betting experts Bookmakers.com, who claim putting money on the pre-tournament favourite is the last thing you should do if you want to make money off the back of the first major of the year.

Since 1986 only two golfers have been the shortest odds ahead of the event and gone on to win.

• Crowd-funding campaign launched for new course

• Woods’ ex coach expects Tiger at Masters

One was Tiger Woods, who did so on four occasions in 1997, 2001, 2002 and 2005, and the other was Fred Couples in 1992.

“The omens are not great for Jon Rahm who is the favourite on the majority of the leading betting sites,” said Charlie Mullen, sports betting data analyst at Bookmakers.com.

“The Spaniard’s record of four successive top 10 finishes at Augusta suggests he might be able to handle the pressure and break the hoodoo, but his best finish of fourth came in 2018. Rahm will hope to avoid the embarrassment suffered by last year’s favourite Dustin Johnson.

“Johnson was the favourite to win the Masters for the second time in five months having won his first Green Jacket when the tournament was held in November 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.

• Ferguson reveals how trolls fuelled Qatar win

• SIGN UP FOR BUNKERED FANTASY GOLF ’22

“However, an opening round of 74 was followed by a disappointing 75 and Johnson became the first favourite since Tom Kite in 1993 to miss the cut.

“Rahm has made the cut in all five of his appearances at the Masters and has an average finishing position of 10th which is slightly better than the average finishing position for the Masters favourite, since Woods won in 1997, which is 11th. However, the last three favourites – Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy – have all failed to finish in the top 20.”