Masters Odds 2017: Breaking Down Best and Worst Selections in Augusta Field
Dustin Johnson is the betting favourite headed into the 2017 edition of the Masters at Augusta, Georgia, that starts Thursday. However, fellow American Jordan Spieth may be the better selection thanks to his strong history in the first major of the year.
Spieth and Johnson ensure the tournament remains sufficiently loaded even after Tiger Woods withdrew on Friday because of an ongoing back complaint. Rory McIlroy will be in action at Augusta, along with Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson and Hideki Matsuyama.
It figures to be a three-way tussle between top-ranked Johnson, the always dangerous Spieth and a McIlroy threatening to reclaim his best form in time for the year's first major.
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Here are the best and worst selections to be aware from Thursday at Augusta. All odds are per OddsShark:
| Golfer | Odds | Best/Worst |
| Dustin Johnson | 11-2 | Best |
| Rory McIlroy | 7-1 | Best |
| Jordan Spieth | 8-1 | Best |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 18-1 | Best |
| Rickie Fowler | 18-1 | Worst |
| Jason Day | 18-1 | Worst |
| Jon Rahm | 25-1 | Worst |
| Justin Rose | 25-1 | Worst |
| Phil Mickelson | 28-1 | Worst |
| Henrik Stenson | 30-1 | Worst |
Preview
No player is producing better golf than Johnson at the moment. The 32-year-old tops the rankings and has won three tournaments in a row.
Yet for all his talent, form and momentum, history is not on Johnson's side in his bid to don the famous Green Jacket. Specifically, "no favourite has won since Tiger in 2005," according to Scott Murray of the Guardian.
Of course, Johnson is playing well enough to reverse history. However, a lot will depend on how well he handles the pressure at Augusta, having finished fourth in last year's event.
Coping with such pressure is something Spieth has managed well in the past. In fact, the Texan has a fine record at the Masters, per Murray: "three visits, two ties for second place, and one wire-to-wire, record-tying, 18-under-par win."
Spieth's ability to turn on the style at Augusta may make him a better selection than his higher-ranked countryman.
If there's one non-American capable of upsetting the field, it's McIlroy. The Northern Irishman hasn't always been at his best in recent years, but he has been slowly showing signs of getting his form back on track.
McIlroy has never won as Masters, though, and it's a prize he dearly wants, according to BBC Sport's Iain Carter: "He says he would not be able to feel proper fulfilment if he never wins one. It is a lot of self-imposed pressure and explains ruinous nine-hole spells that have peppered and scarred so many of his Augusta attempts."
Getting it right this time will demand McIlroy making sure his short game is up to scratch. Sinking putts under pressure on the Georgian greens has been a problem for McIlroy on previous visits.
At his best, there is no doubt McIlroy has the all-round game to leave Johnson, Spieth and the rest disappointed. He is methodical enough to keep himself in every round and not make the early mistakes leading to bogies others may be prone to.
In particular, McIlroy's tee-to-green game remains as strong as ever. He still boasts the power and stroke to make quick work of many of the holes at Augusta.
Yet he needs his putting to show real improvement. If he's composed from the pin, few can rival McIlroy as a complete player.
The best outside selection after McIlroy is undoubtedly Japan's Hideki Matsuyama. What the 25-year-old has going for him is momentum.
In fact, Matsuyama can rival any player's form at this Masters after winning the WGC-HSBC event in Shanghai before also claiming victory at February's Phoenix Open. If he makes a fast start on the first day, Matsuyama will figure strongly in the final reckoning.
Like Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler is another golfer in good form. Yet the 28-year-old California native's edge may come from his steady efficiency in both the long and short games.
Golf.com's Sean Zak detailed how Fowler's numbers point to success this week: "Fowler's tee-to-green game (fourth on tour) has never been better during past trips down Magnolia Lane, and his putter is as good as ever (ninth in strokes gained: putting)."
Those numbers will encourage those who bet on Fowler, but there's just too many quality selections ahead of him to believe he'll be wearing the Green Jacket.
This year's Masters should still be won by an American, with Johnson and Spieth looking too strong for the rest of the field. Johnson appears the favourite, but Spieth's talent and history at Augusta perhaps make him the best selection.
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