Masters Favorites 2016: Projecting Daily Score Totals for Golf's Top Stars
The 2016 Masters Tournament tees off on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, and golf fans couldn't have hoped for much better storylines ahead of the year's maiden major event.
World No. 1 Jason Day has won his past two starts and is ahead of only defending Masters champion Jordan Spieth in the golf hierarchy. Third-ranked superstar Rory McIlroy is going for the completion of the career Grand Slam at the age of 26.
Another prominent 20-something in Rickie Fowler is still seeking a major championship after finishing in the top five in all four events in 2014. Decorated players such as Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson are also without a major but are riding fine form into Augusta National.
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Read on for score projections for the world's top 10 ranked players, followed by a more detailed breakdown on how the Masters might unfold.
| 1 | Jason Day | 68-71-70-69 | -10 | T4 |
| 2 | Jordan Spieth | 72-67-71-68 | -10 | T4 |
| 3 | Rory McIlroy | 69-70-67-68 | -14 | 1 |
| 4 | Bubba Watson | 70-73-67-70 | -8 | T8 |
| 5 | Rickie Fowler | 68-70-76-67 | -7 | T12 |
| 6 | Henrik Stenson | 69-68-70-70 | -11 | 3 |
| 7 | Adam Scott | 67-73-67-72 | -9 | T6 |
| 8 | Dustin Johnson | 67-66-74-68 | -12 | 2 |
| 9 | Justin Rose | 66-72-74-71 | -5 | T18 |
| 10 | Patrick Reed | 73-74 | +3 | MC |
Analysis of Masters Favorites
Based on what he's done of late, it's little surprise Odds Shark lists Day as the top favorite at 7-1, followed by Spieth at 9-1.
Day has kicked into a higher gear since the second half of last season, racking up six wins in that span. No Laying Up provided unique context for the Aussie's hot streak:
With a tie for second in 2011 and a third-place effort at the 2013 Masters, Day has all the makings of breaking through in Augusta for a second straight major title. However, there are so many in-form players, and the increased scrutiny that comes with being ranked first in the world may cause Day to fall a bit short.
As stellar as much of the top 10 has been this season, Spieth has struggled to a degree since his 30-under-par blowout at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January.
Although he finished second in the 2014 Masters before winning last year, the 22-year-old appears to be having a hangover of sorts. One can hardly blame him after two majors and a FedEx Cup title last season.
Until further notice is served, it's worth betting against Stenson, whose putter perpetually prevents him from greater things. The Swede ranks third on the PGA Tour in strokes gained tee to green but 86th in strokes gained putting.
Despite having to move away from his prior anchored flat iron, Adam Scott has actually improved on the greens en route to two wins this season. Dealing with the slippery surfaces of Augusta is a whole different ballgame, though, so Scott won't be slipping on a second green jacket just yet.
Trending nicely with a tie for fifth at the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play and a third-place result at the Shell Houston Open, Johnson also has the following going for him, per Golf Channel:
Yours truly believes he'll build on a career-best tie for sixth from 2015 at Augusta, but DJ has a number of red flags entering this year's Masters.
Johnson stands to benefit from wider fairways, yet his driving accuracy percentage of 53.92 ranks 186th on tour. His scrambling is 57.67 percent, good for only 142nd. His distance will make up for being out of position off the tee, but the state of his short game is discouraging.
That leaves McIlroy, who recently switched to a cross-handed putting grip that's yet to be tested on the major stage. Unlike years past, though, McIlroy is quite under the radar and may be making the quietest bid to complete the career Grand Slam in recent memory.
"I feel like last year I didn't do much wrong really," said McIlroy, per PA Sport (via ESPN.co.uk). "I played well. I finished 12 under par for the tournament. But I was three over after 27 holes and that's not going to get it done."
Considering he finished fourth last year even with a slow start and as Spieth tied Tiger Woods' Masters scoring record of 18 under par, McIlroy has all the makings of a Masters champion.
The Northern Irishman was up by four strokes entering the final round in 2011 before blowing up. Many counted McIlroy out after that collapse, yet he proceeded to win the U.S. Open that year by eight shots.
Point being: McIlroy has moved to the precipice of blowing the field away at Augusta before. His natural right-to-left ball flight and immense power are suited for the pristine course as well.
With all the headlines Day and Spieth have made over the past year or so, look for McIlroy to rise to the challenge, piece together his game and emerge with his fifth major championship this Sunday.
Note: Stats courtesy of PGATour.com.
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