Masters Odds 2012: Rory McIlroy Will Show How Far He's Come at Augusta

We all remember young Rory McIlroy's collapse at Augusta last year.

He held a commanding lead headed into the final round, and then apparently began looking for homes off the golf course.

He finished in 15th place by the end of it all, and then missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship in his next event. We wondered if McIlroy would ever make it back from such a brutal affair.

Well, given his current world No. 2 ranking, I'd say young McIlroy has bounced back fairly well. He not only had a historic U.S. Open last year, he's been on his game this year, placing third or better in his three PGA tour starts. He won the Honda Classic in early March with a 12-under-par 268.

Heading into this year's Masters, McIlroy is No. 2 in the odds books, right behind the one and only Tiger Woods. Woods, who tied for fourth place at Augusta last year, is coming off a rousing victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

But while Woods has had a rather topsy-turvy past couple of years, McIlroy has appeared fairly comfortable in his own skin since he emerged from that fateful day at Augusta. In fact, I'm surprised he's not using Dove Men+Care.

In all honesty, McIlroy should be the favorite heading into the Masters. He's played far more consistent golf than Woods the past two years, and he's started off 2012 red-hot. But perhaps his finish last year at Augusta, plus Woods' improbable victory at the invitational, has left some doubt in people's minds.

But if you're expecting to see the same meltdown from McIlroy as you did last season, you're sorely mistaken. He's a completely different golfer, with a year and a major championship under his belt. He's come a long way since he cracked under the pressure last year at Augusta.

If McIlroy holds a commanding lead heading into the final round of this year's Masters, nothing, not even a surging Tiger Woods, will be able to get under his skin.

Follow me on Twitter. We can talk about Rory McIlroy and the Masters.