The first major tournament is coming with the 2016 Masters just around the corner. The best golfers in the world will descend upon the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. Defending champion Jordan Spieth looks to add a second green jacket to his collection. But the likes of Jason Day and Rory McIlroy are also there to give him a run for his money.
It’s going to be a pretty tight race to the first major title of the season. Get everything you need to know on the top contenders heading into The Masters. Want to get a peek into the goings-on in the PGA Tour? Check out our complete tournament preview and sleeper picks for this weekend’s Shell Houston Open.
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2016 The Masters Preview
Jason Day
Day is the biggest favorite among the field of competitors at +650.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy placed fourth at the WGC-Match Play, which could mean that he’s back in form ahead of The Masters. He doesn’t need any more tune-ups ahead of the first major of the season. He’s skipping The Masters Par-3 Contest to avoid distractions heading into the first major of the year.
Missing some warm-ups shouldn’t be a concern for McIlroy backers. He’s pretty comfortable at the Augusta National GC. He placed fourth with a 12-under 276 at this tournament last year. McIlroy is +750 to win The Masters.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth has struggled to gain some momentum ahead of The Masters. He placed ninth at the WGC-Match Play, 18th at the Valspar and 17th at the WGC-Cadillac Championships. Spieth’s early struggles is a stark contrast to his excellent run last year. He had three-straight top-two finishes, including a win heading into last year’s Masters.
Nevertheless, Spieth is still one of the favorites to win the green jacket at the Augusta National GC at +750. He won his first ever major last year with a score of 18-under 272.
Adam Scott
It seemed like Adam Scott was on his way to become one of the most dominant golfers heading into the first major tournament of the year. He placed second at the Northern Trust Open before a pair of wins at the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship. But he’s fallen off quite a bit with a 12th-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and 28th-place finish at the WGC-Match Play.
Despite his recent struggles, he’s among the favorites at +1,000 to win The Masters. He had his best outing at the tournament in 2013, when he won a playoff by one shot against Angel Cabrera.
Rickie Fowler
Focus will be big for Rickie Fowler, and to some extent Jason Day. The two shrugged off their losses at the WGC-Match Play event by partying on a boat. While a full-blown party could surely distract him, Fowler may just badly need to lay off some steam.
A well-rested and re-focused Fowler is a scary proposition to win The Masters. He’s been hot this season with five top 10 finishes, including three top fives, in his last seven tournaments. Fowler had a pretty strong outing at Augusta last year. He finished 12th with a six-under 282. Priced at +1,200, he provides plenty of bang for your buck should he win the green jacket.
Writer’s Prediction
Day is looking unbeatable right now. At +650, it’s hard not to back the current No. 1 golfer in the world.
There you have them—the top five contenders for The Masters. Create a betting account now and grab some tasty golf futures lines.
