Masters 2013 Odds: Predictions for Who Will Win at Augusta After the Cut

There are a lot more questions than answer after 36 holes in the Masters.

Midway through the second round, it looked like the Tiger Woods coronation might be at hand. Woods was three-under on the front nine and had moved into a tie for first place.

Woods would surely have the lead after two rounds and he might even open some distance between himself and the rest of the field.

It didn't work out that way. Woods gave away two strokes on the back nine, and he watched Jason Day move into the lead.

Then, prior to the start of the third round, Woods was penalized two strokes for an illegal drop (source: CBSSports.com). That moved him five strokes behind Day.

While Woods is still in contention for the title, it's going to be a much more difficult task for him.

Here's a look at the updated odds for the final 36 holes of the first major tournament of the season.

David Lynn, 3-Under

Greatest Strength: David Lynn has never won on the PGA tour, and perhaps that is the best thing he has going for him in this tournament. When the real contenders for the crown are assessed, Lynn is a complete afterthought. He can play his game and not worry about expectations. He's a solid bunker player, and his approach shots are decent.

Biggest Weakness: Lynn doesn't have the all-round game to hang in there with the best golfers in the world for 72 holes. He does not have distance off the tee and he's not very accurate either. His lack of consistency on par-five holes will keep him from making up ground

Odds: 25-1

Prediction: Lynn should be pretty loose on Saturday, knowing he has exceeded expectations. However, he'll lose his composure on the final day of the tournament. He will finish at least eight strokes back of the winner.

Fred Couples, 5-Under

Greatest Strength: Couples is a 53-year-old former star who has shown he can play with the big boys on the tour for the first two rounds. Couples is not going to be intimidated, and that's his greatest strength. He's a tough guy who will drain every ounce of energy and ability out of his body, and he may try to intimidate some of his younger competitors.

Biggest Weakness: Couples is not going to hit the ball a long way, and he doesn't have the game to compete with the best players in the game. When he's looking in the mirror, he knows that he's going to need to have luck on his side to get the job done. He doesn't convert enough birdies, and he doesn't have the well-rounded game to compete on Sunday.

Odds: 22-1

Prediction: Couples is pinching himself because he's within one stroke of the lead at the halfway point. He probably knows it won't last. He could have a decent third round, but he knows he no longer belongs, and he'll finish a half-dozen strokes behind after the final round.

Lee Westwood, 3-Under

Greatest Strength: Lee Westwood is a savvy veteran who knows how to handle his business the closer he gets to the hole. Westwood is strong on his approach shots, he is solid from the greenside bunkers and he simply knows how to score. He can find a way when he gets within 125 yards of the hole.

Biggest Weakness: Westwood is not a big hitter. He's very ordinary when it comes to hitting for distance. That hurts at Augusta where the big hitters have an advantage on the par-five holes.

Odds: 18-1

Prediction: Westwood will keep his game together and stay within sniffing distance on Saturday and for much of Sunday's round. However, he'll finish at least five strokes behind the winner.

Angel Cabrera, 4-Under

Greatest Strength: The 42-year-old Cabrera is another golfer who is often not on the radar. Nobody writes or talks about him before a major tournament, and that suits Cabrera just fine. He goes out there and plays and gets the most out of his game. He is a shotmaker who is not going to make mistakes. He keeps his cool when the game is on the line.

Biggest Weakness: While Cabrera can maneuver the ball all over the golf course and find the shot he wants to hit, he struggles with his bunker shots, and he's not a scintillating putter either. If he needs to make a big putt, a miss seems likely in the final two rounds.

Odds: 15-1

Prediction: Cabrera is not up among the leaders by accident. He is a skilled golfer who knows he belongs. There won't be any choking, but he's not quite good enough to get it done.

Luke Donald, 1-Under

Greatest Strength: Luke Donald has been the top-ranked golfer in the world, but that was a couple of years ago. He has been largely overlooked since he was bypassed by Rory McIlroy and then by Tiger Woods, but Donald has a complete game and can stay in contention because he is a clever shotmaker who can take advantage of his creativity.

Biggest Weakness: Donald is not a big hitter, and that's going to hurt him at Augusta. He has a tendency to lose his accuracy as well.

Odds: 14-1

Prediction: Donald has the kind of shotmaking ability that could allow him to stay in contention, but he's a long shot to win.

Adam Scott, 3-Under Par

Greatest Strength: Jason Day isn't the only Australian with a real chance to win the Masters. Adam Scott has shown that he is ready to play for the green jacket, and he certainly has the all-around game to get the job done. Scott is a huge hitter who is averaging 302.9 yards per drive this year. He knows how to finish as his 69.239 ranks second on the tour

Biggest Weakness: Scott has the game to put together excellent scores at Augusta for the final two rounds, but he came out unsure in the second round, and he was three-over par after the fifth hole. Scott found a way to recover, but he may struggle with the pressure in the final two rounds.

Odds: 13-1

Prediction: Scott is going to be an all-or-nothing golfer in the final two rounds. If he can warm up properly and start strong both Saturday and Sunday, he has a chance to write a fantastic finish. However, another rough start will likely ruin his chances.

Marc Leishman, 5-Under

Greatest Strength: Leishman brings confidence and composure to the table. The Australian has no fear about playing on the grand stage. He held a share of the lead after the first round and looked like he might fall well back in the pack after some shaky holes in the second round. But Leishman held it together and served notice he was not going to fade away.

Biggest Weakness: Leishman needs to be more of a shotmaker if he is going to be a serious contender. He has a problem finding his greens in regulation—he ranks 140th in that category—and he's most likely going to wear down over the weekend

Odds: 10-1

Prediction: Leishman has been up with the leaders, and he has not been overwhelmed. He's not going to lose it mentally, but he doesn't have the all-around game to hang in there for four rounds. Leishman will fade during the back nine on Sunday and fall at least five strokes short.

Justin Rose, 3-Under Par

Greatest Strength: Justin Rose is the kind of player who will make it difficult on the rest of the field because he has a versatile game. He can bomb the ball down the fairway, and he can also take care of business when is around the green. Rose may be the best in the business when it comes to making shots from greenside bunkers.

Biggest Weakness: Rose can get on a hot streak, but he can go cold just as easily. While he can hit the long ball off the tee, he's not the most accurate and that can get him in trouble when the pressure is on.

Odds: 9-1

Prediction: Rose is feeling very good about his game right now, and he may have crossed an important hurdle by remaining in contention after two rounds. He'll give it a go, but he will not win this tournament.

Jason Dufner, 3-Under Par

Greatest Strength: Jason Dufner has a chance to wear down the field because his concentration on the course is going to allow him to keep his focus. There's relentlessness to his game because he knows he is an accurate hitter. He will hit the ball straight off the tee and from the fairway, and that allows him to have the consistency of a metronome.

Biggest Weakness: Dufner has never played his best golf at the Masters. His best finish is a tie for 24th. He has not always excelled at the greenside bunkers, and that could cause issues for him in the final two rounds.

Odds: 9-1

Prediction: Dufner is as hungry as any golfer in the field. The ability to block out distractions helps him, but it's a tall order to break through in the majors, and he may not be able to do that here.

K.J. Choi, 3-Under Par

Greatest Strength: K.J. Choi has spectacular ability to dominate a tournament with his short game. His arms are always relaxed on his pitches and his chips, and it often seems that Choi is placing the ball where he wants it to end up when he is left with a shot of 100 yards or less. He also loves the big stage.

Biggest Weakness: While Choi can get the best of his competitors in and around the game, he may not have the power to stay in the hunt.

Odds: 8-1

Prediction: Look for Choi to play steady golf on Saturday. If he can get off to a good start on Sunday, he is a relentless enough competitor to put a scare in the best golfers in the world. Choi will be within four shots of first place when it is all over.

Jim Furyk, 4-Under

Greatest Strength: Jim Furyk is one of the best shotmakers in the game. He may have an awkward-looking swing and he doesn't always convey tremendous self-confidence, but he is one of the hardest working and most dedicated players, and he can execute every shot in the game. More than anything, Furyk is unfailingly accurate, and that gives him an excellent chance to string shots together

Biggest Weakness: Furyk would desperately love to show the world he is good enough to win the Masters. He won his only major 10 years ago at the U.S. Open and you wonder if he will make the shots he needs to when the money is on the table late in the day on Sunday.

Odds: 6-1

Prediction: Furyk is right where he needs to be, and he is playing for his legacy. Look for a sharp round on Saturday, but look for disappointment on Sunday.

Tiger Woods, 1-Under Par

Greatest Strength: Woods is the best golfer in the world, and he has the ability to dominate the field and win his fifth green jacket. He looked like he was going to take the lead after a very solid three-under par start after nine holes, but he let it slip away. If Woods can put his back nine discomfort behind him, he will find a way to win his 15th major championship

Biggest Weakness: The pressure of not having won a major since 2008 is Woods' biggest issue right now. He did not gain a lead after the second round after he had a chance to do just that. He was in the middle of a controversy at the start of the third round after he was penalized two strokes for taking an illegal drop on the 15th hole. Officials debated whether to disqualify Woods, but he was allowed to continue. This will only increase the scrutiny on him.

Odds: 5-1

Prediction: Woods is five strokes back at the start of the third round. This is not where he wants to be and it appeared he was going to be in a much better position. However, Woods struck the ball beautifully over the first two rounds and if he can put the controversy behind him, he will write a fantastic finish on Sunday and come away with his fifth green jacket.

Jason Day, 6-Under

Greatest Strength: Day is not in first place at the halfway point by accident. The Australian golfer has a very solid all-around game, and he is enjoying his environment rather than being intimidated by it. You have to be impressed by Day's ability to hit the ball for distance and combine his length with great touch around the greens. He is a demon from the greenside bunkers.

Biggest Weakness: No Australian golfer has ever won the Masters, and he knows he is carrying the hopes of a nation. The pressure could wear him down. If he feels the heat, he won't hit his greens in regulation and he'll need his short game to make pars, and not birdies.

Odds: 5-1

Prediction: Day is an excellent golfer who seems to know how good he is. He will not lose touch with his game, and he will remain in contention. Look for a fourth-place finish.

Brandt Snedeker, 4-Under

Greatest Strength: Brandt Snedeker is one of the best and most consistent golfers on the tour. Going into the Masters, Snedeker had to show that a rib muscle injury was no longer bothering him. He has demonstrated that. Snedeker knows that this is the stage he wants to be on, and he should play his best golf the next two rounds.

Biggest Weakness: Snedeker can do it all on the golf course, but he's not the biggest hitter on the tour. He's averaging 278.6 yards per drive, and that could put him at a disadvantage on the par-five holes

Odds: 4-1

Prediction: Snedeker knows his talent is as good as any player at Augusta. He has never won a major title. He's come close before and he'll come close here, but Snedeker won't do any better than third place.

Rory McIlroy, 2-Under Par

Greatest Strength: McIlroy can make every shot in the book. Even though he started the season in an inconsistent manner, he seemed to get his act together last week at the Texas Valero Open. He has continued to improve at Augusta, and his ability to hit the long ball and then hit accurate approach shots has allowed him to regain much of the form that made him the best player in the world last year.

Biggest Weakness: Don't buy into any of the humble routine with McIlroy. He may have paid homage to Woods before the start of the tournament when he said his two major titles didn't compare to Woods' 14 (source: ESPN.com), but he knows he can win. He's going to have to show he can sink his most crucial putts for that to happen, and he has not always done that in 2013.

Odds: 7-2

Prediction: McIlroy may be improving his game right now, but he won't be at his best until later in the year. He will not be able to seal the deal at Augusta.

The Field

Golfers like Matt Kuchar, Rickie Fowler, Steve Stricker, Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Charl Schwartzel and John Senden have a chance to break through and get on the board.

There are plenty of big names further back who are capable of putting together a couple of fantastic rounds to get back in it.

Nobody is more than 10 strokes behind leader Jason Day. While it would be hard for any of the golfers who are over par to come back and win, it's not impossible.

Bo Van Pelt and Keegan Bradley are two of the golfers who are over par who may still have an outside chance.

Most golf fans will keep Phil Mickelson in the radar.

While he won't win, 14-year-old Tianlang Guan made the cut with his four-over score of 148, and he will be a vital weekend story.

Odds: 22-1

Prediction: At least two golfers in the field will get into contention, but the outsiders will not find a way to win.