The 2010 Masters

Online Sportsbooks Sports Golf The Masters The 2010 Masters

The 2010 Masters will host the top ranked golfers in the world, as the seasons first major championship.  The tournament is one of the most prestigious events in sports, rich with history and full of tradition.  The 2010 Masters Tournament will be held the week of April 5th-11th at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.  Practice rounds will be held on Monday and Tuesday, while the annual Par-Three tournament, an event unique to the Masters, will commence on Wednesday, as per tradition.  The winner of the 2010 Masters will forever be cemented in history as a major champion, and a winner of one of the true great events in the world.

The 2010 Masters Golf Tournament could be without the biggest superstar in the game of golf today.  As of now, it is uncertain whether Tiger Woods will participate in the tournament come April*.  The Masters News has yet to confirm if Woods will play, but he has several months before he must decide.  Amidst a controversial car crash back in November, and admissions of infidelity, Woods has not been seen publicly in nearly two months.  Woods has won The Masters Tournament four times (97', 00', 01, 05').

* Woods has indicated that he will be participating in the 2010 Masters Tournament.

Coverage of The 2010 Masters

Coverage of the 2010 Masters will be broadcast on TV for Thursday-Friday on ESPN, and Saturday-Sunday on CBS.  CBS has covered the Masters every year since 1956.  Check back for times as the tournament nears.  In addition, DirecTV will have it's Masters Coverage. The satellite TV provider broadcasts live feeds from around the course which normally wouldn't be on network coverage. Generally this includes 3 or 4 extra channels of The Masters. Also available, on ESPN.com and Masters.com, are Internet web-casts of "Amen Corner".  Live 2010 Masters Coverage of the 11th, 12th and 13th holes can be seen via the Internet, in addition to television coverage.  Westwood One has covered the Masters through Radio since 1956 to bring live shot-by-shot action.

Favorites To Win The 2010 Masters

In Woods' absence, Online Sportsbooks have formulated odds without Tiger included for the 2010 Masters Tournament. We've tabbed new favorites to claim the coveted Green Jacket in April.  Here is a look at the Top Five heading into the tournament.

#1 - Tiger Woods made the announcement that he will return to competitive golf inside the ropes at Augusta National for the 2010 Masters. This comes amidst a four-month long, self-imposed hiatus while he dealt with personal failings off the course.  Woods last competed in the Australian Masters in November of 2009, in which he won.  This is the second longest period Woods has gone without competing.  From his 2008 U.S Open victory at Torrey Pines in June of that year, to the WGC Accenture Match Play Tournament in February of 2009, Woods was out of action for eight months while rehabbing from knee surgery.  This situation however, is a far cry from a recovery from injury, as he is trying to recover his once spotless image.  Despite what he has endured since his single-car accident outside his Florida home on Thanksgiving night, oddsmakers will tell you that this is still Tiger Woods here.  As such, the top-ranked golfer in the world has been established at the betting favorite for the 2010 Masters, currently installed at 4/1.

#2 - Phil Mickelson, the world's second-ranked player, is the favorite to claim his third Masters title. "Lefty" knows his way around the course and if his putting is on, watch out! Mickelson knows exactly how to roll the ball on the undulating greens of Augusta National Golf Club. Mickelson won the event in both 04' and 06'.  He has collected three Major Championships in his career. Currently, his odds to win the 2010 Masters is 9/1.

#3 - Ernie Els went nearly two years without a victory on the PGA Tour until he captured back-to-back title at the CA Championship and the Arnold Palmer Invitational in 2010.  Else comes to Augusta as arguably the hottest player in the field.  The South African has won two U.S Opens and a British Open, but the Masters has eluded him, despite several close calls, including 2004 when he finished runner-up to Phil Mickelson.  Els will look to continue hit fantastic play of late as he heads to Augusta looking to don the green jacket and the title of Masters Champion.  He has been established with odds at 10/1 to win.

#4 - Steve Stricker is the second ranked player in the world and comes to the 2010 Masters looking for his first major victory.  Phil Mickelson long held the title as the "best player never to win a major" and that torch has now been passed on to Stricker.  He has already won once in 2010, and performed consistently throughout.  Stricker's best finish in the Masters is a tie for sixth place last year in 2009.  Stricker is one of the best scramblers in the game, and that will be very advantageous to him, as Augusta National is renowned for its difficulty around the greens.  Given his success of the last year, and spilling into 2010, Stricker has been set as a 14/1 favorite to claim the coveted green jacket and capture that elusive first major title.

#5 - Irishman Padraig Harrington is the second leading favorite heading into the 2010 Masters Tournament, according to Sportsbooks. Harrington is currently the sixth ranked golf in the world.  His best finish in the Masters is a tie for fifth, which he did twice in 00' & 06. He has three major championships to his list of wins.  Harrington is a 16/1 favorite in the 2010 Masters.

#6 - Rounding out the Top five favorites to win The 2010 Masters tournament is South African Retief Goosen.  Goosen has come very close to claiming a Masters title.  He finished second twice, both in 02' and 07'.  The two-time U.S Open winner is currently the 17th ranked player in the world.  Oddsmakers has installed him as a 20/1 shot to break through, and win his first at the 2010 Masters.

#7 - Paul Casey has played four times on the 2010 PGA Tour, and tabbed four top-ten finishes, which includes a second place finish at the WGC Accenture Match Play tournament.  Casey has been reasonably successful at the Masters, with his best performance coming in 2006 when he recorded a sixth-place finish.  Casey possess both the length and short game to navigate his way through the difficult golf course.  His performance on the 2010 PGA Tour has sparked the attention of oddsmakers, as they have established him as a 22/1 Masters Betting favorite to break through and win the first major championship in his career.

#8 - Lee Westwood is one of the players who can lay claim to the title "Best Player Never to Win a Major."  Westwood has come so close to breaking through in a major championship, but has yet to do so.  Coming into the 2010 Masters, Westwood is a 25/1 favorite to claim his first green jacket.  His best finish at Augusta National is a tie for sixth-place back in 1999.  Last year however, Westwood played well in the other majors, finishing third in both the Open Championship and the PGA Championship.

#9 - Young Irishmen Rory McIlroy is the leader among the new generation of golfers.  McIlroy has one of the most complete games on the European Tour.  He is a long driver of the golf ball, and possesses a phenomenal short game.  McIlroy has yet to win on the PGA Tour, but has won on the European Tour.  He finished in a tie for 20th place in the 2009 Masters. Sportsbooks have McIlroy as a 28/1 shot to break through, and win his first major.

PGA Tour - US Masters 2010 With Tiger Woods - Courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook
Tiger Woods 4/1 Phil Mickelson  9/1 Ernie Els  10/1 Steve Stricker 14/1 Padraig Harrington  16/1 Retief Goosen  20/1 Paul Casey  22/1 Lee Westwood  25/1 Rory McIlroy  28/1 Geoff Ogilvy  28/1 Jim Furyk  33/1 Hunter Mahan 33/1	Henrik Stenson 33/1 Camilo Villegas 33/1 Ian Poulter 33/1 Anthony Kim 40/1 Zach Johnson 40/1 Angel Cabrera 50/1 Sean O'Hair 50/1 Robert Allenby  50/1 Sergio Garcia 50/1 Nick Watney 50/1 K.J. Choi  50/1 Chad Campbell 50/1	Adam Scott 66/1 Mike Weir 66/1 Ross Fisher 66/1 Stewart Cink 66/1 Luke Donald 66/1 Justin Rose 66/1 J.B. Holmes 66/1 Robert Karlsson 80/1 Tim Clark 80/1 Steve Flesch 80/1 Lucas Glover 80/1 Kenny Perry  80/1	Andres Romero 80/1 Graeme McDowell 80/1 Rory Sabbatini  80/1 Stuart Appleby  100/1 Justin Leonard  100/1 Boo Weekly 125/1 Field (Any Other Golfer) 5/2