The 2026 Masters will open at Augusta National on April 9 with Scottie Scheffler sitting atop the betting board and Rory McIlroy returning as defending champion. But one of golf’s biggest names will not be there. Tiger Woods is out of this year’s tournament after a March 27 rollover crash in Florida led to misdemeanor DUI-related charges, and he has since said he is stepping away to seek treatment and focus on his health.
Woods’ legal situation is serious enough to matter in the betting conversation. Reuters and AP report that Woods pleaded not guilty after being charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. Authorities reported no alcohol on the breath test, but deputies said Woods showed signs of impairment, and AP reported he had opioid pain pills in his possession. Reuters also reported that Woods’ next court appearance is scheduled for May 5.
For bettors, though, the hard truth is this: Woods’ legal troubles do not dramatically change who is favored to win the green jacket. The outright market is still built around the same top names. As of April 5, DraftKings had Scheffler at +410, Jon Rahm at +850, Rory McIlroy at +1025, Bryson DeChambeau at +1100, Ludvig Aberg at +1750, and Xander Schauffele at +1850. In other words, the betting board is being driven by current form and recent major results, not by Tiger’s absence.
That is because Woods was already a longshot in practical terms. Before the crash, he had been trying to rehab his body after October back surgery and had not played a tournament since the 2024 Open Championship. Even before the legal trouble, this was shaping up as a sentimental Tiger story more than a realistic outright betting case. That makes the direct odds impact modest: sportsbooks are not removing a top-five contender, they are removing a famous name who still attracted attention. That last point is an inference, but it is grounded in Woods’ long competitive layoff and his rehab status entering Masters week.
Where Woods’ absence does matter is in the softer parts of the market. Books lose a major public-money magnet. Tiger-specific props, novelty bets and casual fan wagers are either gone or far less interesting this week. That can redirect recreational betting money toward other recognizable names such as McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose or even Rahm and DeChambeau. That is not the same as saying their true win probability jumps because Tiger is gone. It means public betting behavior may shift because the tournament has lost one of its biggest emotional draws.
There is also a broader atmosphere effect. Reuters noted that this will be the first Masters since 1994 without both Woods and Phil Mickelson, after Mickelson also withdrew due to a family health matter. That does not change Augusta’s difficulty or the shot values on the course, but it does change the shape of the betting audience. Fewer nostalgia bets. More attention on the modern top tier. More money likely flowing to the headline contenders rather than to legacy names.
The bottom line for BetNewsUpdate readers is simple. Tiger Woods’ recent legal problems matter to the story of the 2026 Masters, but they do not remake the outright odds. Scheffler remains the man to beat, McIlroy is still the defending champion under pressure, and Rahm and DeChambeau remain live challengers. Woods’ real impact on this year’s betting market is less about who gets shorter at the top and more about where casual money goes now that golf’s biggest box-office name is out.
