Norman 5-1 Masters favorite; Nicklaus 30-1

Tuesday, April 9, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Jack Nicklaus, who stormed past Hale Irwin with a 7-under-par 65 Sunday to win the Senior PGA Tour's The Tradition, dropped from a 75-1 longshot to a 30-1 bet to win this week's Masters in Augusta, Ga.

Nicklaus, a six-time Masters champion, had the longest odds of any of the 59 players posted at the Palace Station sports book prior to his 100th professional victory.

Greg Norman, seeking his first Masters title, is listed as the favorite to win this week's tournament at 5-1. Fred Couples, coming off a victory in The Players Championship two weeks ago, is next at 6-1 and 1995 U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin is listed at 7-1.

Phil Mickelson, coming off his first top-10 finish at Augusta National in 1995, is a 10-1 bet to win his first major title this week after opening at 18-1. Defending Masters champion Ben Crenshaw is listed at 30-1.

John Daly, who tied for third in the 1993 Masters but struggled at Augusta each of the past two years (tied for 48th in '94 and a 45th-place tie in '95), opened as a 50-1 longshot but has been bet down to 20-1.

The longest shots to win the Masters? David Edwards, Duffy Waldorf and amateur sensation Tiger Woods all are listed at 65-1.

The Palace Station is one of several sports books offering individual matchup wagering on the Masters. Among the matchups being offered are Norman (minus 120) vs. Couples (even); Pavin (minus 105) vs. Colin Montgomerie (minus 115); Ernie Els (minus 115) vs. Mickelson (minus 105); and Raymond Floyd (minus 110) vs. Hale Irwin (minus 110).

In matchup wagering, the golfer with the lowest score in equal rounds played wins the matchup. A golfer who continues play after the player he is matched with misses the cut, withdraws or is disqualified is considered the winner for the purpose of the wager.

The 60th Masters Tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The 72-hole tournament, the first major of the season, will be televised live Thursday and Friday by the USA cable network. CBS will provide live coverage Saturday and Sunday.

Chip shots ...

* ALL HAIL IRWIN: 1995 Senior PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Hale Irwin and 1992 Las Vegas Senior Classic champion Lee Trevino were among the final players to commit to play in this year's Las Vegas Senior Classic at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin. The event, which will be played April 26-28, filled out its 56-player field by extending exemptions to Larry Mowry, the 1988 Las Vegas Senior Classic winner, Larry Ziegler, John Schroeder and Ed Sneed. With the addition of Trevino and the inclusion of Mowry, each of the first eight LVSC winners -- including two-time winner Chi Chi Rodriguez -- will join defending champion Jim Colbert in the field for the 11th annual event. Single-day tickets and weekend passes are available by calling 382-6616.

* AROUND THE GREEN: With his win in Sunday's BellSouth Classic, Paul Stankowski became the first player to win a Nike Tour event and a PGA Tour event in successive weeks. Stankowski became the fourth first-time winner on the PGA Tour this season. ... The second of four Pete Dye-designed courses at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort is being seeded and is scheduled to open Labor Day weekend.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: In deference to the Masters, the Senior PGA and LPGA tours are taking the week off. The Nike Tour is in South Carolina for the South Carolina Classic, won last year by Western High School product Jerry Foltz. ... The UNLV golf team will conclude its regular season next Monday and Tuesday when it competes in the Karsten Creek Invitational in Stillwater, Okla.