Predicting the Early Favorites for the 2015 Masters
The Masters is a mere two weeks away. As all golf fans know, a certain lad from Northern Ireland has been the favorite to win the green jacket since he won both the Open Championship and the PGA Championship last season.
The rest of the pre-tournament favorites have combined recent good form with varying degrees of success at Augusta National.
We'll look at the range of odds for each of these players from the 20 or so sportsbooks tracked by Oddschecker, as well as recent performance, last year's Masters finish and a few of the elements that contribute to "favorite" status.
Click through for the rundown.
Henrik Stenson
1 of 7
2015 odds range: 20-1 to 14-1
2014 Masters finish: T14
Recent play: WGC-Cadillac Championship (T4), Valspar Championship (4), Arnold Palmer Invitational (2)
Why he's a favorite
The Swede seems to be a perennial Masters favorite. His game is on point, as his three consecutive top-five finishes indicate, and his first-class ball-striking is well-suited to Augusta National. Stenson always seems like a player who should win more than he does and should have a chance in Georgia if his putter is cooperating.
Adam Scott
2 of 7
2015 odds range: 22-1 to 14-1
2014 Masters finish: T14
Recent play: WGC-Cadillac Championship (T4), Valspar Championship (Cut), Arnold Palmer Invitational (T35)
Why he's a favorite
The 2013 Masters champ has had a recent run of strong play at Augusta National. He has struggled in recent weeks, particularly with the putter, which hampers his standing here.
Dustin Johnson
3 of 7
2015 odds range: 18-1 to 14-1
2014 Masters finish: Missed cut
Recent play: Northern Trust Open (P2), Honda Classic (Cut), WGC-Cadillac Championship (1)
Why he's a favorite
It's fitting that with the birth of his first child, Dustin Johnson is himself reborn as a golfer. He's played well in his return to the tour following a leave of absence, overpowering Doral to win the WGC-Cadillac Championship. He's certainly hot right now, but his lackluster record at Augusta keeps him from being more strongly favored.
Jason Day
4 of 7
2015 odds range: 14-1 to 12-1
2014 Masters finish: T20
Recent play: Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (T4), WGC-Cadillac Championship (T31), Arnold Palmer Invitational (T17)
Why he's a favorite
Jason Day has a pretty decent track record in the land of the green jackets: prior to tying for 20th while dealing with injury at last year's Masters, Day hadn't finished outside the top five at Augusta. He hasn't been lighting it up since his Farmers Insurance Open win, but his aptitude for Augusta earns him serious consideration.
Jordan Spieth
5 of 7
2015 odds range: 12-1 to 11-1
2014 Masters finish: T2
Recent play: Northern Trust Open (T4), WGC-Cadillac Championship (T17), Valspar Championship (1)
Jordan Spieth looks like a near-ideal candidate to win the Masters when looking at recent play (he won his last start) and play at Augusta last year (he finished tied for second). He's been strong all season and could supplant the guy in the second spot if he plays well in Texas.
Bubba Watson
6 of 7
2015 odds range: 12-1 to 9-1
2014 Masters finish: 1
Recent play: Waste Management Phoenix Open (T2), Northern Trust Open (T15), WGC-Cadillac Championship (3)
Why he's a favorite
Winning the tournament last year helps. Bubba Watson was always going to be among the favorites entering the Masters, but his recent good form has put him right behind Rory McIlroy. As neither golfer will tee it up before the Masters, they should enter the tournament as the top two favorites.
Rory McIlroy
7 of 7
2015 odds range: 11-2 to 9-2
2014 Masters finish: T8
Recent play: Honda Classic (Cut), WGC-Cadillac Championship (T9), Arnold Palmer Invitational (T11)
Why he's a favorite
Well, he's the top-ranked golfer in the world. McIlroy has been the favorite to capture the green jacket since he raised the Wanamaker Trophy at the PGA Championship last year, and while his play has been a bit loose lately, it's not like he's in the throes of a severe slump. McIlroy is rightfully the oddsmakers favorite.
