Perhaps the most anticipated week in golf is here, as the 2012 Masters gets underway Thursday in Augusta, Georgia. Two weeks after snapping a long drought with a win at Bay Hill, Tiger Woods has resumed his place as the favorite to capture the green jacket this week.
Woods, who last won The Masters in 2005, is listed by Bovada as the 4/1 favorite to win his fifth green jacket and 15th major tournament title. Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson are also among the favorites.
| 2012 Masters Favorites | ||
| Golfer | Odds | Best Masters Finish |
| Tiger Woods | 4/1 | Won 4 times: 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 |
| Rory McIlroy | 11/2 | T-15th, 2011 |
| Phil Mickelson | 11/1 | Won 3 times: 2004, 2006, 2010 |
| Luke Donald | 16/1 | T-3rd, 2005 |
| Lee Westwood | 16/1 | 2nd, 2010 |
| Source: Bovada | ||
Woods, though he hasn't won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open, always seems to perform well at The Masters, finishing in the top six in each of the last seven years, including six finishes in the top four:
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2011: tied for fourth (four shots back)
- 2010: tied for fourth (five shots back)
- 2009: tied for sixth (four shots back)
- 2008: second (three shots back)
- 2007: tied for second (two shots back)
- 2006: tied for third (three shots back)
- 2005: won
The Masters gets underway Thursday, with television coverage provided by ESPN on Thursday and Friday, and CBS on Saturday and Sunday.