McIlroy seeks career grand slam as favourite on Masters odds

Rory McIlroy. (Eric Gay/AP)

Rory McIlroy will be aiming to complete a career grand slam in major golf tournaments when he tees off on Thursday at Augusta National as a +700 favourite on the 2019 Masters odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

McIlroy has four career major tournament wins to his credit, but victory has eluded the 29-year-old in 10 previous appearances at this event. A shaky final-round performance doomed McIlroy to a fifth-place finish at last year’s Masters. However, McIlroy sits in second place in the FedExCup standings, and won THE PLAYERS Championship while sporting +1200 odds.

While McIlroy looks poised to challenge for his first green jacket, Patrick Reed has plenty of work to do as he defends his Masters title as a distant +5000 wager.

Reed enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2018, following up his first major tournament win with a fourth-place performance at the US Open and closing out the season with seven finishes in the top ten. However, Reed has struggled in recent outings, ending up in a tie for 47th place at THE PLAYERS and missing the cut at last month’s Valspar Championship.

Reed’s victory a year ago extended a current trend at Augusta, with each of the past four editions of the Masters being won by first-time major tournament winners. However, none of the recent winners sit among the favourites. Sergio Garcia joins Reed at +5000, well ahead of Danny Willett at +17500.

Jordan Spieth, who won the first of his three major titles to date at the 2015 Masters, sits off the pace at +2200 on the Masters odds. The 25-year-old Texan has struggled with consistency, missing the cut at THE PLAYERS as a +3300 wager on the golf odds, and finishing a distant 30th at last weekend’s Valero Texas Open.

And this year’s Masters will feature additional Canadian content, as Corey Conners makes his second career appearance at Augusta sporting lengthy +15000 odds. The Listowel, Ontario native marched to his first-ever win on the PGA Tour last weekend at the Valero Texas Open, but missed the cut in his only previous Masters appearance, as an amateur in 2015.

Dustin Johnson, at +1000 odds, will also be aiming for his first-ever Masters win and second career major victory. The 34-year-old American claimed his lone major title at the 2016 US Open and has finished among the top ten in his past three Masters appearances.

Justin Rose pursues his second career major victory as a +1200 wager on the odds to win the Masters, just ahead of Tiger Woods at +1400, while Rickie Fowler sits knotted with Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas at +1800.

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