Masters 2015 Betting Odds: Tiger Woods Not Favored; McIlroy, Spieth Given Best Chance of Winning

Only five golfers in history have ever won all four major tournaments in their career. Rory McIlroy is one victory shy of joining that elite group, and he’s favored to do so this weekend at the 2015 Masters.

Having wins at the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in the last four years, McIlroy has a chance to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta. The 25-year-old’s success at recent majors have given him the best betting odds of winning the green jacket.

Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only other golfers to accomplish what McIlroy is hoping to achieve. Woods is the only one to have won all four consecutively, and McIlroy is halfway there. Winning the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015 would be comparable to the “Tiger Slam” that Woods completed from 2000-2001.

McIlroy hasn’t come very close to winning the tournament, performing his best last year with an eighth-place finish. Woods hasn’t won the green jacket in a decade, or any major since 2008. But he’s usually in contention at Augusta. Back surgery kept him out of the tournament last year, though he placed fourth in 2013. Since his victory in 2005, the 14-time major winner has finished in the top four at the Masters six times.

It wasn’t until last Friday that Woods announced that he’d be playing in the first major of 2015. He hasn’t played competitive golf since Feb. 5, taking a two-month absence and refusing to return until he deemed himself “tournament-ready.” A perennial favorite at the event, Woods is not expected to win this year. His 28/1 odds have him ranked behind nine other golfers.

Jordan Spieth might be the biggest threat to this year’s favorite. He’s been terrific in his last three tournaments, winning the Valspar Championship and finishing in second place twice. At just 21 years old, Spieth hasn't had much success in the majors, but he had his best finish at the 2014 Masters, tying for second with Jonas Blixt.

Spieth’s 8/1 odds have him just ahead of Bubba Watson. Last year’s Masters winner has been given the third-best odds in 2015. Watson won the tournament in 2012 and 2014, but he hasn’t won any of the other three major tournaments.

Dustin Johnson and Jason Day are tied for the fourth-best odds. They’re followed by Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Jimmy Walker and Phil Mickelson.

Below is a list of all the 2015 Masters participants that have betting odds better than 100/1, courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Rory McIlroy 6/1

Jordan Spieth 8/1

Bubba Watson 11/1

Dustin Johnson 14/1

Jason Day 14/1

Henrik Stenson 20/1

Adam Scott 22/1

Jimmy Walker 22/1

Phil Mickelson 22/1

Patrick Reed 28/1

Rickie Fowler 28/1

Tiger Woods 28/1

J.B. Holmes 33/1

Justin Rose 33/1

Matt Kuchar 33/1

Brandt Snedeker 40/1

Louis Oosthuizen 40/1

Sergio Garcia 40/1

Billy Horschel 50/1

Lee Westwood 50/1

Jim Furyk 60/1

Hideki Matsuyama 66/1

Keegan Bradley 66/1

Paul Casey 66/1

Ryan Palmer 75/1

Angel Cabrera 80/1

Brooks Koepka 80/1

Charl Schwartzel 80/1

Ian Poulter 80/1

Martin Kaymer 80/1

Ryan Moore 80/1

Victor Dubuisson 80/1

Zach Johnson 80/1