Masters Odds 2012: Why Rory McIlroy Is the Safe Bet at Augusta

Tiger Woods may have Masters history on his side, but there's always a time when someone new asserts his dominance.

That time could be now for Rory McIlroy.

Tiger may have won the Masters four times. He may be en route to a comeback after more than two years of frustration and mediocrity. He may have played some of his best golf in a long, long time just two weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

But even though Woods played well enough to reinsert himself into the conversation, hasn't McIlroy done enough recently to paint himself as the favorite?

The most recent Las Vegas odds have Woods as the 4/1 favorite to win at Augusta, and McIlroy comes in right behind him at 5/1. But after McIlroy's recent success, maybe it should be the other way around.

There are questions—understandable questions—concerning McIlroy's ability to withstand the pressure of the Masters after last year's performance. He had a four-shot lead heading into the final round and staged a collapse so severe that he shot an 80 and finished in 15th place.

Then, a few months later, he was back to his normal self, winning the U.S. Open like nothing had ever happened. He's had three top-10 finishes in three events this season, with one win, one second-place finish and one third-place finish. He was ranked No. 1 last month for two weeks after winning the Honda Classic before taking some time off to get ready for the Masters.

He gave people reason to question him after the way he ended last year's tournament, but now—given the way he's been playing—he is a top contender, Woods aside.

It is possible that last year's collapse was good for McIlroy. It has given him a reason to approach this year's tournament with a studied concentration, with the knowledge of the worst that can happen and how to avoid it this time around.

McIlroy recently told the Associated Press:

"

Obviously, the first time I played the back nine last week, there's memories that come back and memories that you probably don't want. It's fine. I got that all out of the way, and just looking forward to this week and looking forward to try to put myself in contention to try and win this thing.

"

In particular, McIlroy dispatched the demons that haunted him last year on the 10th hole. In 2011, his tee shot went into the trees and behind the cabins, and he followed up that hole with a three-putt on the 11th and a four-putt on the 12th.

Last week, when he practiced, McIlroy was able to laugh about last year's performance—"I can't believe how close the cabins are. They are only 50 yards off the tee," he told the AP—but he has spent enough time thinking about that round, and that shot in particular, to recognize what went wrong and make sure it won't happen again.

He told the AP:

"

It wasn't just the tee shot. It was way before that. It was just how I approached the whole day. I went through it a million times. It's something that I learned from, and I quickly forgot about and moved on. And moved on pretty well.

"

McIlroy, at 21 years old, wasn't ready to win last year. Now, he can laugh about last year, because he knows this year will be different. He knows that this year, he is ready, and he won't let lightning strike twice.