Ex-Rebels star Scott is Masters long shot

Rarely does a golfer come out of nowhere to win the Masters, unless it’s in a movie. If Adam Scott does it this week, the former UNLV standout will not be regarded as an unknown.

Scott, coming off a victory in the Houston Open, is considered one of the top young players on the PGA Tour.

But he’s still a relative long shot at 25-1 to win the Masters, which begins Thursday at Augusta, Ga.

“Which Adam Scott is going to show up? For his talent, he’s one of the more inconsistent players on tour,” Las Vegas Hilton golf oddsmaker Jeff Sherman said. “When he’s on, he’s as good as anyone.”

Recently, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have dominated the year’s first major tournament, combining to win five of the past six.

Woods, the odds-on favorite at 8-5, won at Augusta in 2005, 2002 and 2001.

Mickelson, the 8-1 second choice this week, put on the green jacket in 2006 and 2004.

Bettors are not lining up to back Woods at plus-160 in a matchup against the rest of the field at minus-180.

“Tiger hasn’t been seeing too much support so far,” Sherman said. “He has been playing great. His odds are a reflection of how he’s playing and his focus on majors. If he were 2-1, I guarantee we would be flooded with money on Tiger.”

Woods is a minus-310 favorite in a matchup with Mickelson.

The small payoff on a Woods wager has many bettors looking elsewhere. Sherman said Vijay Singh at 12-1 is the early leader in ticket count at the Hilton. Singh won the Masters in 2000.

Scott’s victory in the Houston Open might be a little deceiving because he beat a watered-down field missing some elite players. But the Australian appears to have a chance to finally break through.

Scott is minus-110 in a matchup against Sergio Garcia.

Chad Campbell, another former UNLV standout, is given much less of a shot to win at 75-1.

Sherman said he likes value plays such as Ernie Els (15-1), Geoff Ogilvy (25-1) and Padraig Harrington (40-1).

Betting on the Masters dwarfs the handle on the other three golf majors, Sherman said, and there are plenty of options at the Hilton with 37 player matchups and 40 propositions posted.

The list of props includes:

• Lowest completed round shot by any golfer: 65 1/2.

• Will there be a playoff? Yes is plus-250.

• Finish position by Woods: 2 1/2 (Over minus-125).

• Finish position by Mickelson: 6 1/2 (Over minus-120).

• Finish position by Scott: 19 1/2 (Over minus-110).

• Will Colin Montgomerie make the cut? Yes is minus-150.

• First-round score by Woods: 71 1/2.

• First-round score by Scott: 73.