2012 Masters Odds

The first major championship of the 2012 golf season promises to be one for the record-books, as the return of Tiger Woods is sure to bring attention to Augusta National this week. As if compiling the best players in the world and awarding the winner a nice Green Jacket weren’t enough, the 2012 Masters will be highlighted by a showdown between Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

“It will be very different,” said McIlroy in anticipation of the 2012 Masters. “I wasn’t necessarily under the radar last year, but I’ll be going in there with a lot more attention, a lot of scrutiny, because of what happened last year. The spotlight will be on me, and it’s something that I’ll just have to deal with.”

But even as different as these players are perceived in the public eye, when they tee off this Thursday at Augusta National, they will have a lot more in common than people realize. After initially being listed with the exact same odds to win the 2012 Masters, Woods and McIlroy will not have one of those be a common thing between them.

According to the latest 2012 Masters Odds, Woods is listed as the outright favorite to win what would be his fifth Masters title. At 36-years of age, Woods appears poised for a comeback to the top of the world ranking after a three-year hiatus. Still chasing Jack Nicklaus’ record for most major tournament titles (18), Tiger could trim the Golden Bear’s lead just three with a win this week at the Masters.

“I’ve gone into Augusta with wins and without wins,” Woods said after winning the 2012 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. “You’re looking for one week, that’s all. Hopefully, everything comes together for that one week. I understand how to play Augusta National. And it’s just a matter of executing the game plan.”

For the 22-year-old, McIlroy, there’s a lot more to prove for him than there is for a guy like Woods going into this tournament. Not only with the Irishman have to prove that he is indeed the new face of men’s golf, but he will also have to battle his own demons in order to accomplish it. Oddly enough, the reigning US Open champ will have something in common with his Woods: doubters!

With the memory of his final round collapse in last year’s Masters still fresh in people’s minds, McIlroy will be returning to Augusta, Georgia, this week. With a 4-shot lead, he literally fell apart as the whole world watched it all unfold. It was a terrific experience for any professional athlete to have to go through. But for McIlroy, it was a great learning experience.

“It was definitely a defining moment,” he said. “It could have been the crossroads of my career. I could have did what I did on Sunday at Augusta and let it affect me, maybe go into a slump or feel down or feel sorry for myself. I had enough good people around me not to let that happen. I was able to go down the right path, and do the right things, and to put everything right and win the next major.”

Check out the latest 2012 Masters Odds:

• Tiger Woods 7/2
• Rory McIlroy 5/1
• Phil Mickelson 8/1
• Lee Westwood 12/1
• Luke Donald 12/1
• Adam Scott 25/1
• Charl Schwartzel 25/1
• Dustin Johnson 28/1
• Jason Day 33/1
• Justin Rose 33/1
• Martin Kaymer 33/1
• Nick Watney 33/1
• Sergio Garcia 33/1
• Webb Simpson 33/1
• Graeme McDowell 40/1
• Hunter Mahan 40/1
• Keegan Bradley 40/1
• Matt Kuchar 40/1
• Steve Stricker 40/1
• Bill Haas 50/1
• Brandt Snedeker 50/1
• Bubba Watson 50/1
• Rickie Fowler 50/1
• Alvaro Quiros 66/1
• Gary Woodland 66/1
• Geoff Ogilvy 66/1
• Ian Poulter 66/1
• K.J. Choi 66/1
• Padraig Harrington 66/1
• Angel Cabrera 80/1
• Anthony Kim 80/1
• Ernie Els 80/1
• Jim Furyk 80/1
• Martin Laird 80/1
• Paul Casey 80/1
• Y.E. Yang 80/1
• Zach Johnson 80/1
• Aaron Baddeley 100/1
• Bo Van Pelt 100/1
• Camilo Villegas 100/1
• Francesco Molinari 100/1
• Fred Couples 100/1
• Henrik Stenson 100/1
• Jhonathan Vegas 100/1
• Jonathan Byrd 100/1
• Louis Oosthuizen 100/1
• Matteo Manassero 100/1
• Retief Goosen 100/1
• Robert Karlsson 100/1
• Ryan Moore 100/1
• Ryo Ishikawa 100/1
• Stewart Cink 100/1
• Trevor Immelman 100/1
• Ben Crane 125/1
• Edoardo Molinari 125/1
• Jeff Overton 125/1
• Mark Wilson 125/1
• Ross Fisher 125/1
• Steve Marino 125/1
• Tim Clark 125/1
• Vijay Singh 125/1
• Darren Clarke 150/1
• Miguel Angel Jimenez 150/1
• Robert Allenby 150/1
• Rory Sabbatini 150/1
• Sean O’Hair 150/1