Masters Favourites 2017: Updated Vegas Odds for Golf's Elite Talent
Dustin Johnson is the narrow favourite to win the 2017 Masters, according to the latest odds, just ahead of usual suspects Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
Per the latest from OddsShark, DJ leads the field at 11-2, while McIlroy is backed at 7-1 and Spieth at 8-1.
Their closest competitors are Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler and Jason Day, but the trio's odds are somewhat longer:
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| Dustin Johnson | 11-2 |
| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 18-1 |
| Rickie Fowler | 18-1 |
| Jason Day | 18-1 |
It's little surprise that world No. 1 Johnson is the player tipped for glory at this year's Masters, which starts Thursday.
The American won his first major at the U.S. Open last year, and he feels as though a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.
"After everything that I've been through in the majors—I've knocked on the door a bunch of times—to finally get that major win, it's huge," he told Scott Michaux of Augusta.com. "It gives me a lot more confidence going into every major to know that I can win. It's a big monkey off my back for sure. I feel a lot lighter."
Indeed, he not only appears to have greater self-belief in majors but in other events, too.
As noted by golf writers Jason Sobel and Ron Mintz, Johnson is in the form of his life, and it can be traced back to his U.S. Open win:
His recent finishes at Augusta are also cause for optimism—he tied for sixth in 2015 and tied for fourth last year, so he's heading in the right direction.
As demonstrated by the Golf Channel's Justin Ray, his biggest rivals also have an excellent recent record at the Masters:
Spieth, in particular, has shone at Augusta, having finished joint runner-up, first and joint runner-up again in his three appearances, though he'll need to overcome last year's disastrous finish to succeed here.
The 23-year-old led by five shots heading into the back nine, only to collapse, with a quadruple-bogey at the 12th doing much of the damage.
Spieth will have to deal with that added pressure as well as contend with his rivals.
Per the Guardian's Ewan Murray, Johnson is rightfully the favourite but not unbeatable:
"I think Dustin Johnson is the guy to beat in golf no matter where you are. Put him anywhere, I think just about anybody would agree with that. He's the guy to beat. If I play my best golf, I believe that I can take down anybody, and you have to believe that.
He knows which guys have taken him down and are capable of it and he knows which guys are probably not going to be able to. And fortunately I feel like, you know, I can.
"
As for McIlroy, he needs to win the Masters to complete a career Grand Slam. Like Spieth, he had his own costly meltdown at Augusta, though his was back in 2011, when he ultimately tied for 15th.
He's in strong form, though, having finished seventh or higher in his three PGA Tour events this year, and he certainly has the ability to win here.
The trio is shaping up to make the 2017 Masters an electric competition, and it will be fascinating to see how the likes of Matsuyama, Fowler and Day fare alongside them.
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