Stewart Cink First Round Leader Tip

Picking a first round leader might seem like a random exercise but it makes sense to apply the same logic we used for our outright selections.

At Augusta you need a player who hits the ball a long way and has past experience of the course – Stewart Cink has both.

The 40-year-old ranks 41st for driving distance on tour and has eight top-25s finishes at the Masters.

It’s been a while since the American has competed on a Sunday, his last win was the Open Championship in 2009 but he’s always got a good round in him.

Last week he opened up with a 67 in Houston and he led the Farmers Insurance Open in January after a first round 64.

So far this season Cink’s best golf has come early in tournaments, as you can see by his actual score ranking by round:

Round 1: 41
Round 2: 43
Round 3: 132
Round 4: 149

Playing in the first group on Thursday, Cink will have the advantage of putting on unspoilt greens and he might set a target that is never surpassed. Back him to be first round leader at 175/1 (Skybet) with ¼ odds for a top-5 finish.