Hello friends… we’re giving away a TaylorMade SLDR driver over on Facebook page. Go make your pick to enter. Now, onto a tradition unlike any other: Hurricane Golf’s annual Masters preview and picks column. 

It’s a majestic and beautiful creation that is best accompanied by soft piano music and a green jacket. It’s a sacred place where lasting memories and legends are made. Well, historically it’s actually a place where incorrect picks are made, but the reality is rarely as good as the myth - which can sometimes be said about The Masters. It’s my favorite tournament of the year, but the way most of the media spends a week waxing poetic with metaphors can be a little much. 

Which is funny because The Masters is probably the one tournament that doesn’t need any of that hype, but gets the most of it.

Let’s take a look at some of the favorites. We’ll go in order by betting odds according to VegasInsider.com, because… why not?

Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott - 10/1 odds

McIlroy is having a decent year, with a second place finish at The Honda Classic in February as his highest finish of 2014.  He was plagued by a change to Nike equipment last year that truly hurt his game, but he has shown more comfortability with the Swoosh this year. I think those odds are too high. McIlroy is always a threat, but I think people are just hoping to see him win, rather than thinking he’s a huge favorite. He’ll be a huge ratings boost for CBS if he’s in contention on Sunday without Tiger around.

Scott is the defending champion and he’s had three top ten finishes in 2014. Repeating at The Masters champion is no easy task, but Scott is playing really good golf heading into Augusta this year. He’s hoping his first win this year comes with a green jacket. He’s got a big bullseye on his back as defending champion, but if other golfers are thinking about beating Scott and not Augusta, they’re in for a long, hard tournament. 

Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, and Jason Day - 15/1 odds

There are two big factors for Phil Mickelson at The Masters that determine whether he will win or lose: his health and if the high-risk shots he makes pay off. If you put a checkmark in both boxes, Lefty rarely loses, especially at The Masters where big risk brings huge reward. 

Matt Kuchar and Jason Day are the guys no one really likes to pick at major tournaments because they’re not huge names and they don’t draw ratings. For now, at least. Overlooking either golfer is a mistake. Day won the WGC Match Play in February and finished second at the Farmers in January, so his 2014 resume is solid. Kuchar has six top ten finishes this year and a 2nd place finish in last week’s Houston Open. 

The Field and Dustin Johnson - 20/1 odds

Either pick here is a good betting choice. I think Johnson is on the verge of a breakthrough on the PGA Tour. He crushes the ball off the tee, but needs a little more maturity in his mental game to really hit his potential. He has a tendency to fall apart late in tournaments. Maybe having Paulina Gretzky following you around isn’t great for concentration, but I don’t think he’s complaining.

Jordan Spieth - 22/1; Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia, Brandt Snedeker, Bubba Watson, and Zach Johnson - 25/1; Justin Rose - 30/1; Jason Dufner and Keegan Bradley - 35/1; Hunter Mahan - 40/1; Charl Schwartzel, Lee Westwood and Harris English - 45/1

Here’s a full list of odds for The Masters.

The big headline going into The Masters has been Tiger Woods not playing the tournament in 2014 due to back surgery. We’ll hear a lot about it until The Masters is over, but as this year’s edition unfolds and the drama plays out, Tiger’s absence will take a backseat. Augusta is the real draw of The Masters, along with all the tradition and legendary history. That’s what I really love about The Masters and I’m sure you all do too. 

So, who will wear the green jacket when all is said and done on Sunday? Here are my picks:

1. Jason Day

2. Rory McIlroy

3. Jordan Spieth

4. Matt Kuchar

5. Phil Mickelson

Hurricane Golf staff picks:

Customer Service - Jason Day

Warehouse - Jason Dufner

Website/eBay - Keegan Bradley

Accounting - Rory McIlroy

We’re giving away a TaylorMade SLDR driver over on our Facebook page. Go make your pick to enter. Don't forget we're also offering half off shipping for all of Masters week.

Enjoy The Masters!