The dogwood and azaleas are in full bloom and the best golfers in the world are in Augusta, Georgia, for the Masters this week. Expect them to put on a display as spectacular as the setting.Is the Masters the most important tournament of the year' That's a matter of debate for golf media members and fans, but it is the first major of the year, and the best golfers in the world can set a tone for their performance in the biggest tournaments.All eyes will be on Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world. Johnson is first in the FedEx Cup rankings, and he has been playing remarkable golf.Johnson finished third in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in mid-February, and since then he has reeled off three consecutive tournament victories.As a result, Johnson is the clear favorite to win the Masters. OddsShark has Johnson as the plus-550 favorite to win the event.Johnson's distance has long been his signature on the golf course, and nobody has been hitting the ball longer and truer this season. However, Johnson has a complete game because he excels with his irons and short game. If his putting is sharp at Augusta, he will be difficult to beat.Jordan Spieth won the Masters in 2015 and was in great position to win last year before he had troubles on the back nine during the final round of the tournament. Spieth is an excellent technician who understands the angles of the golf course and generally makes the right choice when it comes to devising his strategy.Spieth's putting is the key to his championship aspirations. While that aspect of his game is almost always good, he can run away and build a big lead when his putting is at its best. Spieth is the second favourite at plus-700, and he is the seventh-ranked player in FedEx Cup points.Spieth has one victory and a third-place finish on the tour this year, and he has earned more than $2.5 million.Jon Rahm is not a household name at this point in his career, but he could be by the end of this weekend. Rahm engaged Johnson in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, and after falling behind early in the title match, Rahm came back and put a scare in the eventual champion.Rahm finished second in that event and he has a win, a second-place and a third-place finish to his credit this year, and he has earned more than $3.5 million. Rahm is a huge hitter and he also has a complete game.He comes into the Masters with odds of plus-1800.Johnson, Spieth and Rahm are our choices among the favorites, but there are several sleepers who also have a chance to contend and possibly win this tournament.Brandt Snedeker is an established player on the tour, but he is not off to a great start in the 2017 season.Snedeker ranks 35th in FedEx Cup points and is the 22nd-ranked player in the world. His scoring average this season is 70.386 and he has earned slightly more than $1 million this season.As a result of his relatively undistinguished play this season, Snedeker has odds of plus-5000 to win the Masters. That's quite a payoff for a player who can get hot with his putter and turn those type of expectations around in a hurry.Veteran Louis Oosthuizen is another player who could contend for the title even though he comes into Augusta with odds of plus-5500.Oosthuizen has one of the best swings in the business, and he has had success at the Masters during his career. Oosthuizen was in a playoff in the 2012 Masters and finished second, and he has been in the top 20 in each of the last two years.The 34-year-old South African has made the cut in all seven events that he has played, and he has one third-place finish to his credit.The reason Oosthuizen has a chance here is the consistency and crispness of his swing. He doesn't appear to get agitated during big moments.Patrick Reed is also an underdog in the Masters, as he comes into the event with odds of plus-7500. While Reed has not been having a stellar season and ranks 86th in FedEx Cup points, he was one of the American heroes in last year's Ryder Cup victory.Reed has the power and shot-making ability to turn his season around at Augusta. While we admit it's a long shot because Reed has just one top-10 finish in 11 events this season, the odds are simply too attractive to ignore.The payoff would be huge, and Reed deserves consideration as a sleeper in this tournament.All statistics and earning courtesy of PGATour.com.
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