Masters Odds 2019: Round-by-Round Predictions for Augusta

Rory McIlroy's route to a career grand slam won't be without its problems at the 83rd Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, beginning on Thursday.

The 29-year-old is the betting favourite, but competition is intense thanks to the host of quality players set to participate. And the Masters doesn't always go to form and justify the odds, as evidenced by Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed wearing the green jacket in the last two years.

Tiger Woods winning the tournament for a fifth time would add an exclamation point to his remarkable comeback from injury.

The 43-year-old's power with the driver means he's a good bet to top the leaderboard early, before McIlroy and others make their moves after Thursday.

Oddschecker has the projected odds for Round 1 and Round 2:

Round 1

• Rory McIlroy: 14-1
• Dustin Johnson: 18-1
• Justin Rose: 22-1
• Tiger Woods: 22-1
• Jon Rahm: 25-1

Round 2

• Jon Rahm: 22-1
• Justin Thomas: 22-1
• Jason Day: 30-1
• Paul Casey: 30-1
• Thomas Pieters: 40-1

Woods to Lead the Way after Round 1

Few players know what it takes to win at Augusta as well as Woods.

He recently described how advice he received earlier in his career helped to shape his Masters success, per Golfweek's Steve DiMeglio: "The best advice I received from a lot of the past champions I was lucky enough to play with was to stay below the hole."

DiMeglio noted how "sloping greens" can make it tricky to be on the right side of the pin. Fast greens also pose a problem.

Despite his comfort and experience, Woods endured a challenging opening round in Georgia last year. USA Today's Adam Woodard and Martin Rogers detailed how bogeys on the par-4 11 and par-3 12 made it an uphill struggle for him after the opening day.

Ultimately, he finished one over par. Even so, Woods can feel confident about making significant improvement 12 months on.

He's a better player thanks to being further along in his comeback from spinal fusion surgery. His recent dismantling of McIlroy at the WGC Match Play, which followed winning the Tour Championship in 2018, proves Woods still has what it takes to compete with the best.

Woods also still has enough power from the tee to make quicker work of the 445-yard first hole par-4 and the mammoth par-5 second, accounting for 575 yards.

In-Form Justin Rose to Boss Second Round

Justin Rose is another golfer who often underlines his talent at Augusta. While he doesn't have the historic credibility of Woods or Phil Mickelson, he is no slouch when it comes to negotiating the tricky elements of the course:

This kind of consistency will help the Englishman assert himself on Day 2, as will the confidence accrued from being named the new world No. 1 just prior to the tournament.

Rose moved above Dustin Johnson after the Valero Texas Open, despite not playing. Holding the top spot in the rankings hasn't always translated to success at Augusta, but the 38-year-old isn't viewing the distinction as a curse.

He explained his thinking, per Neil Squires of the Daily Express: "I'm not going to take on that story. I have won as world No. 1, which is something that was important to me—I was able to do that in San Diego this year—but clearly to win a major as No. 1 would be even more fantastic. I use it as maybe a little inspiration."

No player is entering this Masters with as much momentum as Rose. His buoyancy will prompt a slight lead at the halfway point.

Fleetwood the Man for Day 3

Tommy Fleetwood is rarely short on confidence, but he has been humble enough to learn from his mistakes at the Masters. Having missed the cut in 2017, he rebounded to finish in a tie for 17th 12 months ago.

A score of four-under hinted at what the Englishman can do when he gets it right on this course. He is also in form, having finished 13 under and tied for fifth at the Players Championship in March.

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The strong effort at Sawgrass followed a nine-under par score at this year's Arnold Palmer Invitational. Fleetwood is closing the gap on the sport's more established names.

The 28-year-old has promised to stay on the attack in Georgia, even though going bold cost him when trailing McIlroy by two strokes on the penultimate hole at the Players, per Neil McLeman of the Daily Mirror: "I'm always going to play to win. Why would people expect me to play for the middle of the green if I had a chance of catching Rory?"

Expect Fleetwood's aggression to pay dividends and put him in a strong position ahead of the final day.

McIlroy Takes the Last Round and the Green Jacket

So much points towards it being McIlroy's year. His grand slam hopes will be renewed on Sunday, when the 29-year-old will make his move to take top spot.

The Northern Irishman has revived his game after winning the Players and finishing second in the WGC-Mexico. Taking the prize at Sawgrass ended a year-long wait for a win and restored some of the swagger to perhaps the most technically gifted player in the game.

The ability to manufacture shots is back, giving McIlroy an advantage at Augusta National, a course demanding both a varied range and steady hand.

McIlroy has even shown improvement on the greens during this calendar year, and he is confident he can build on past performances in Georgia, per BBC Sport: "I think I've handled it OK. I haven't won and I didn't play at my best in the final round last year, but I've had four top-10s in a row since going there (chasing the Grand Slam)."

Provided he avoids a rough start, McIlroy will stay in touch long enough to justify his status as favourite and come through in the clutch late to finally secure the one major that has eluded him.