For the first time in his career, Bubba Watson will come to Augusta National on Sunday morning of the Masters as the favorite, but barely. Sitting on a share of the lead, Bubba is currently a 10/3 favorite to win another green jacket, holding off co-leader Jordan Spieth, who's 7/2 about six hours before he tees off in the biggest round of his life.
Spieth has exceeded expectations, which were already high as one of American golf's top prospects, at every stop over the last 15 months of his nascent PGA Tour career. And even with that record of success and contention, I'm amazed that he's already played his way into the Sunday final pairing at the game's biggest event. He's not been particularly flashy this week, grinding out three rounds just under-par with no major charge or big birdie streak. Now he's on the verge of becoming the youngest ever to win the Masters.
If we're going off Saturday's round, Spieth is the better choice. After two near-perfect days, Bubba came back to earth and was leaking oil all over Augusta. He stayed solid off the tee, bombing it without getting wild. But the putting stroke left him, and he was lucky to sneak into the clubhouse still at 5-under and in a share of the lead. Spieth has somehow mitigated the damage whenever there's been a rough hole, and there will be one or two on Sunday. We'll see how he holds up in what will be an entirely different experience and stage, but it's hard to doubt him after the record he's posted so far in his career.
After Bubba and Spieth comes Matt Kuchar, a 4/1 favorite to win his first major. Kuchar has been a top 10 player in the world for a few years, making tons of cash and picking up wins along the way. But he's still without a major, and Augusta seems the natural place to get that first one. He's got a history here since he was low amateur in 1997, and he's finished inside the top 10 the last two years. The last two Sundays on Tour, where he played in the final group each week in Texas, have not been pretty but he's the third member of a group that have separated themselves as the top three choices for the oddsmakers.
Here are your Sunday morning odds for the 2014 Masters:
Player | Odds to Win |
Bubba Watson | 10/3 |
Jordan Spieth | 7/2 |
Matt Kuchar | 4/1 |
Rickie Fowler | 9/1 |
Jonas Blixt | 10/1 |
Lee Westwood | 12/1 |
Miguel Angel Jimenez | 16/1 |
Jim Furyk | 20/1 |
Justin Rose | 30/1 |
Thomas Bjorn | 30/1 |
Fred Couples | 66/1 |
Ian Poulter | 70/1 |
Adam Scott | 75/1 |
John Senden | 80/1 |
Kevin Stadler | 80/1 |
Gary Woodland | 100/1 |
Jason Day | 150/1 |
Jimmy Walker | 200/1 |
Rory McIlroy | 200/1 |
Chris Kirk | 250/1 |
Kevin Streelman | 250/1 |
Russell Henley | 250/1 |