It’s almost as if bet365 saw this coming. The online sportsbook noted on Wednesday that bettors were backing Justin Rose in the 2025 Masters first-round leader market more than any other player.
Sure enough, the U.K. native came through, shooting a 7-under-par 65 on Thursday at Augusta National to lead the first round for the fifth time in his Masters career.
Key Takeaways
- bet365 took more than 1,700 wagers on Rose to lead after the first round.
- His 7-under-par 65 was the lowest of his career and highlighted by three birdie streaks.
- Rose’s odds in the outright market changed drastically at BetMGM while Rory McIlroy’s went the other way.
“Four things are certain in life: death, taxes, and Justin Rose leading the Masters after the first round,” bet365 sports and trading expert Steve Freeth said on Friday morning. “While the last one might be a slight exaggeration, what isn’t is Rose being a constant thorn in our side over the years in Augusta.”
Owning the market
According to bet365, which operates in both the U.S. and the U.K., 1,702 bets were placed before the Masters on Rose to lead the first round at odds of +7,000. The largest wager placed was a $100 each-way bet at +6,600.
⛳️ Justin Rose First Round Leader bettors, REJOICE!
— bet365 US (@bet365_us) April 10, 2025
Rose (+6600 FRL) leads the Masters Tournament after shooting a 7-under, tying his lowest career round at the tournament 👏 pic.twitter.com/1gd81IXrBI
Rose was stellar from the start on Thursday, recording a birdie on each of the first three holes. His streakiness continued with another trio of birdies on holes 8, 9, and 10 before getting under par on 15 and 16.
Rose’s only blemish was a bogey on 18, but his lowest round ever at Augusta National put him three strokes ahead of Ludvig Aberg, Scottie Scheffler, and Corey Conners. Rose did it primarily with the flat stick as he led the entire Masters field in strokes gained: putting.
Despite Rose still chasing his first Green Jacket, his knack for finishing first on Thursdays at Augusta National is only going to make him an even more attractive option in the market next year.
Changing of the odds
Rose’s stellar round lowered his Masters odds from +10,000 pre-tournament at BetMGM to +750 before he teed off for his second round early Friday morning. That was the biggest jump of any player in the field.
Scheffler, who opened as a +450 favorite in the outright market, has come down to +240 heading into the second round after his 4-under-par 68 on Thursday put him in that three-way tie for second.
Conners went from +6,600 to +1,600 while Aberg was listed second behind Scheffler on the odds list Friday morning at +650. He began the tournament at +2,000 and was BetMGM’s third-biggest liability heading into Thursday.
Rory McIlroy, the online operator’s biggest liability coming in, has slipped from +650 pre-tournament to +1,200. The Northern Ireland native looking for his first Green Jacket was 4-under before posting two double bogeys in his last three holes on Thursday to finish at even par.
