Blake Krass identifies Sergio Garcia as an appealing longshot to lead after the first round at Augusta with +6000 odds. Garcia brings significant course experience, having competed in 25 Masters, securing the prestigious green jacket in 2017, and earning three additional top-10 finishes throughout his career. Adding credibility to his play, Garcia has performed exceptionally well on the LIV Tour recently, capturing victory in Hong Kong and a third-place finish in Miami just last weekend, and ranking second currently in LIV Tour season points. Acknowledging Garcia's age, Krass clarifies he might not have the stamina for four days against younger elite-level competitors, but sees great potential in him capitalizing on current momentum and extensive Augusta knowledge to secure an early tournament lead.

Blake Krass recommends Sepp Straka as a valuable longshot to lead after the first round of The Masters at +6000 odds. Straka is quietly putting together one of the better seasons on the tour, making nine cuts in ten events, and achieving seven top-15 finishes including a victory at The American Express. Experience at Augusta being crucial, Straka has now played the Masters three times, notably finishing tied for 16th last year and demonstrating he can compete on this challenging course. His current stats back up his chances: ranking seventh on tour in total strokes gained, fifth in strokes-gained approach, ninth in driving accuracy and second in greens-in-regulation percentage. Krass argues that if Straka plays to his potential, he represents fantastic first-round value at his current odds.

Blake Krass highlighted Collin Morikawa as a strong bet to lead after the first round at +2500 odds at The Masters. Morikawa has consistently shown resilience and high performance in majors, boasting two career major victories and excellent placement across all four majors. Specifically at Augusta, Morikawa has an outstanding track record, finishing 5th, T-10, and T-3 over the past three years. This season, his game is in prime form, registering five consecutive top-17 finishes, including two runner-ups. Crucially, Morikawa leads the Masters field in strokes gained approach over his past 24 rounds—an essential metric on Augusta's demanding Bentgrass greens. If Morikawa finds his putter hot early, Krass believes he could quickly jump atop the leaderboard heading into Round 2.