Golf will be at the center of the sporting world beginning April 9, as the best golfers on the planet descend to the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, where the 2015 Masters Tournament will be held. And to help you get a lowdown on the year’s first major tournament, we’ve listed below some of the favorites, sleepers, and a long shot to wear the prestigious Green Jacket.
For more about this tournament, you can click here for a list of Five Golfers to Watch Out For at the 2015 Masters.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]The Masters Predictions, Odds Preview
Favorites: Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson
[sc:Golf240banner ]Right now, Rory McIlroy is that one golfer who you can call as untouchable. The Northern Irishman is currently ranked No. 1 in the world on the strength of back-to-back major wins in the British Open and the PGA Championship last PGA season.
McIlroy comes into Augusta looking to complete a Grand Slam, as the Masters is the only major tournament he hasn’t won yet. He came close to bringing home the Green Jacket back in 2011, but squandered a four-shot lead in the final round. Last year, McIlroy finished T8 in the Masters, his best finish in the tournament to date.
Priced at +600 to win the 2015 Masters, McIlroy began this year with a second-place finish in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship before achieving his first win of 2015 by topping the Omega Dubai Desert Classic early February. After missing the cut in the Honda Classic—his first PGA tournament this year—McIlroy has seemingly gotten his groove back with consecutive Top 11 finishes in the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard, respectively.
If McIlroy comes up short again in his quest to bag the Green Jacket, then any of Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson is likely to wear it at the end of the tournament. At least, that’s what the odds are suggesting. Spieth, who is +1,000 to win, has been on fire of late. As of this writing, the Dallas, Texas native leads the field in the ongoing Shell Houston Open. If he ends up winning the Shell Houston Open, it will be his second title in three tournaments, having won the Valspar Championship mid-March.
In last year’s edition of the Masters, Spieth shared the second place with Jonas Blixt, three shots behind Watson.
Watson, the a two-winner in the Masters (2012, 2014), is also heading into Augusta on the heels of a string of strong performances in this PGA Tour. Watson has four Top 10 finishes on the season, including a third-place finish in the last month’s WGC-Cadillac Championship. Watson is +1,200 to reign supreme again at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Sleepers: Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood
They say every great champion has at least one last great fight left, and Tiger Woods (+2,000) would like to prove that sporting adage true come tee off at Augusta. Woods, who didn’t participate in this tournament last year, hasn’t won a PGA Tour event since 2013. He’s also yet to win a major since 2008.
Despite all his struggles in recent years, Woods can’t be counted out of the Masters simply because he has been a model of consistency in this event. Over his last nine Masters appearances, Woods has finished outside of the Top 10 just once. Woods placed fourth in 2013, his most recent appearance in the event.
Westwood, meanwhile, also knows a thing or two about consistency in Augusta. Westwood has made the Top 12 in six of his last seven Masters appearances. In addition, Westwood has the best aggregate score in the Masters over the last five years with 30 under. That’s five strokes better than second-place Adam Scott’s score. Westwood is +5,000 to win the Masters this year.
Long shot: Jonas Blixt
Jonas Blixt (+15,000) is having a rough PGA Tour season thus far. He is yet to finish in the Top 20 this season and has missed the cut in five of the nine events participated in the current PGA Tour. That said, Blixt has had a tremendous outing in his first ever appearance in the Masters last year. Who knows if Blixt can regain his form again in Augusta, where he finished tied for second with Jordan Spieth in the 2014 Masters.
Writer’s Prediction
Rory McIlroy (+600) completes the elusive Grand Slam by winning the 2015 Masters.
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