Masters 2019: Latest Expectations for Golf's Top Favorites and Sleepers

Back in 2015, Jordan Spieth went into the Masters as one of the favourites and more than lived up to the billing as he led wire-to-wire to claim his first career major.

In the last three editions of the storied Augusta National tournament, though, the winners have been somewhat unexpected.

Danny Willett, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed were hardly rank outsiders before their respective victories, and all would have had their backers.

But they were not among the top favourites, and none had won a major before taking the Masters, proving it is not always the player most widely backed who comes out on top at the first major of the year in Georgia.

Here are the leading favourites for the 2019 Masters (via Caesars):

Rory McIlroy 8-1

Dustin Johnson 10-1

Jordan Spieth 12-1

Justin Rose 14-1

Tiger Woods 14-1

Rickie Fowler 16-1 

John Rahm 16-1

Expectations for Favorites

Dustin Johnson (10-1)

Dustin Johnson has gone into the Masters several times among the favourites.

The American infamously had to pull out on the Thursday morning of the 2017 tournament after a fall in his rental home, but in his three most recent appearances at Augusta, he has finished in the top 10.

The 34-year-old has also enjoyed a fine 2019 with five top-10 finishes, including his impressive five-shot victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February. 

If he produces that kind of performance at Augusta, he should come away with his first green jacket.

Johnson has the form and quality to blow the field away at the 2019 Masters, but his temperament at major championships is still in question.

He should have more majors in his trophy cabinet than just the 2016 U.S. Open, and he may fall just short again at this year's Masters.

Tiger Woods (14-1)

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After returning to the winner's circle with his Tour Championship victory at the end of last season, Tiger Woods has made a solid, if unspectacular, start to 2019.

The 14-time major winner has had only one top-10 finish—at the WGC-Mexico Championship—but he has also not finished outside the top 30 yet. And he beat Rory McIlroy in the last 16 of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play before losing in the quarter-finals to Lucas Bjerregaard. 

Last year was a huge one for Woods as he proved he can compete for majors again with a tied-sixth finish at the Open and second place at the USPGA.

If the 43-year-old is ever going to move another step closer to matching Jack Nicklaus' record of 18 major wins, it is most likely to be at Augusta.

Woods has four green jackets to his name and has finished in the top 10 on eight other occasions.

It is a course the American knows how to conquer, and another top-10 finish could be on the cards in 2019 as long as he is fully fit.

As well as marking his return in 2018, though, Woods also showed he is no longer quite as clinical at closing out victories as he was in his prime, which could prevent him winning a fifth Masters this year.

Expectations for Sleepers

Paul Casey (30-1)

Paul Casey has never won a major before, and despite his fine form over the last few years, he will not be widely tipped to break that duck at the 2019 Masters.

However, he has to considered after an opening to 2019 that has seen him claim third place at the WGC-Mexico Championship before defending his title at the Valspar Championship.

The 41-year-old believes he is only getting better:

That should be a warning sign to the rest of the Augusta field, as Casey has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four Masters.

The Englishman will expect to be competing at the top of the leaderboard going into Sunday of this year's tournament, and he should not be discounted as a potential victor.

Louis Oosthuizen (40-1)

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South Africa had four major winners between the 2008 Masters and 2012 Open, but the country's representatives have been on a barren run ever since Ernie Els won the Claret Jug nearly seven years ago.

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion, could be the man to change that in 2019 at the Masters.

His recent major record is not fantastic, with just one top-10 finish since 2015, but the 36-year-old has proved in the past he has what it takes to win at the highest level.

Oosthuizen has blown hot and cold in 2019. He has missed some cuts, but he also finished fourth in January's Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and then second to Casey at the Valspar.

If he finds some consistency in time for his opening rounds at Augusta, he could be an outside bet to triumph.