Bogies, Birdies, and Eagles-oh my! Although snow is still covering much of the country, a spring sports staple is fast approaching (see what I did there?). Grab your clubs and admire the azaleas as the PGA prepares for their annual Masters Tournament at Augusta National. The event begins Thursday, April 5th and concludes Sunday, April 8th and we can almost hear the rowdy silence already! The tournament’s 82nd showing is set to be nothing less than entertaining as there is a re-emergence of some of golf’s biggest names: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy to name a few.
Woods has been named the favorite to win the coveted green jacket after some really solid play in both the Valspar Open (runner-up) and at Bay Hill, where he finished fifth. Not bad for a guy who hasn’t won a major since 2008 and has since undergone six surgeries to remedy ailments in his left leg, left knee, Achilles tendons, and back. Golf fans all over the country are certainly on “Tiger watch,” hoping to witness him claw his way to his fifth Masters win. His decade of disappointment is slowly being put to rest, and surely another win in Georgia would seal the deal.
All that being said, there does not seem to be any sort of one-man show in the golf world these days. We continue to see several dominant names ticking across the bottom of our screens, making the upcoming battle an even bigger one. Vegas has made it clear that no one should sleep on McIlroy, whose odds jumped from 18/1 to 10/1 due to his recent victory at Bay Hill as well as other impressive runs in 2018. After a tale of two Rory’s in 2017, his consistent play is turning heads from competitors. Other notables include Dustin Johnson (10/1), Justin Thomas (10/1), Justin Rose (14/1), Jordan Spieth (14/1), Jason Day (16/1), and reigning champ Sergio Garcia with 30/1 odds to victory – which will be near a $1.98 million payout.
