Masters 2016: Live Updates for Leaderboard Scores on Thursday
A tradition unlike any other began Thursday, as the golf world once again descended upon the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia for the 80th playing of the Masters.
This year's Masters is particularly intriguing, as a new power trio in golf—Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day—has emerged. Spieth is the defending champion, McIlroy is a green jacket away from completing a career Grand Slam, and Day is the hottest player in the world dating back to last summer.
So, yes, all eyes will be on that trio. And you can keep track of each player's score all tournament long with the live, updating scoreboard below.
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But let's take a closer look at this year's event, shall we?
For starters, let's take a look at the odds for the favorites:
| Jason Day | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 9-1 |
| Rory McIlroy | 19-2 |
| Bubba Watson | 12-1 |
| Adam Scott | 12-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 16-1 |
| Phil Mickelson | 18-1 |
| Dustin Johnson | 20-1 |
| Justin Rose | 22-1 |
| Henrik Stenson | 25-1 |
| Louis Oosthuizen | 25-1 |
| Charl Schwartzel | 33-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 40-1 |
| Patrick Reed | 40-1 |
| Brandt Snedeker | 40-1 |
| Sergio Garcia | 40-1 |
| Zach Johnson | 40-1 |
| Brooks Koepka | 50-1 |
| Marc Leishman | 66-1 |
| Branden Grace | 66-1 |
| Matt Kuchar | 66-1 |
| Jimmy Walker | 66-1 |
| Danny Willett | 66-1 |
| Paul Casey | 66-1 |
There aren't many surprises about the five most favored golfers. Day, as mentioned before, is absolutely on fire. He's won his past two events and a total of six tournaments since he won the RBC Canadian Open in July 2015, including the PGA Championship.
It's one of many reasons why Shane Bacon of Fox Sports thinks Day is the prohibitive favorite:
"Day is 20th in driving distance, third in strokes gained putting, 12th in overall strokes gained and 10th in birdie average. In 324 holes played this season, Day has three-putted just six times, and has yet to miss a putt all season from inside four feet.
I've said it a few times now, but I would be more surprised if Day wasn't the champion come Sunday. That's how great he's been playing. It's his Masters to lose, and I think even his B- game could put him in contention with a chance to win on Sunday.
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But there are so many talented players—and players who have had success at Augusta—nipping at his heels, none more dangerous than Spieth.
Golf's young darling won the Masters last year and finished tied for second at Augusta in 2014. He also won the U.S. Open last year and finished in the top four of all four majors. This year, he has a win and four top-10 finishes under his belt.
He's looking to become the first player to win the Masters in consecutive years since Tiger Woods pulled off the feat in 2001-02 and just the fourth player in history to go back-to-back.
And he's learned to deal with that pressure and the pressure he faces on the course. Well, for the most part.
"I've...kind of gotten over external pressure," he told of the Boston Herald. "It's more the internal stuff that's trickier for me. The only way it affects my golf is if I'm on the course and in a tournament round, and I feel like I'm giving strokes away, and therefore, I make an aggressive play that is unnecessary."
He added, "I'm putting pressure on myself to contend this year, just like last year, and I feel like I'm in form as well. But it's also going to be a lot of fun walking these fairways, reliving those memories with the crowds and the roars and the echos."
He's one of three of the five most favored players to have won at Augusta. Bubba Watson earned the green jacket twice (2012, 2014) and is always capable of doing something spectacular, while Adam Scott won in 2013 and was a runner-up in 2011.
Go a bit further down in the odds, and you'll see three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson and 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel. If you're looking for a player who has won this tournament and played well at Augusta, you have no shortage of picks.
And then there's McIlroy, the man looking to make history and the man who continues to improve at Augusta. In 2014, he tied for eighth. Last year, he finished fourth. While he doesn't have a win this season, unlike fellow favorites Day and Spieth, he does have two top-10 finishes.
Oh, and he also has many in the golf community rooting for him to become just the sixth man in history to accomplish a career Grand Slam.
Add it all up, and what you have are all the makings of a fantastic Masters Tournament.
You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.
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