All eyes will be on Dustin Johnson when he tees off Thursday afternoon at the Masters.Johnson is the top-ranked player in the world, he is sitting atop the FedEx Cup standings and is on a three-tournament winning streak.His numbers are sensational, but the most impressive thing about his game is the way he hits the golf ball. The tour is filled with scintillating players who can fire it long and straight, but none of them do so with the same power and consistency as Johnson.The numbers bear this out, as Johnson is the longest hitter on the tour with his average drive of 316.2 yards. In addition to that distance, Johnson keeps it straight in big situations, and that also sets him apart from some of the other top players on the tour.After a sensational 2016 season, Johnson appears to be even better this year. As a result, he is the favorite to win the event. He is plus-550 to win the Masters,according to OddsShark, meaning a $100 bet on Johnson would give the handicapper a $550 profit if he were to end up with the green jacket.Prior to winning the U.S. Open in 2016, Johnson had a history of heartbreak in the tour's major events. However, that victory has allowed Johnson to play tension-free golf, and he is clearly at the top of his game.If Johnson is sharp with his putter, he has every chance to fulfill expectations and win the Masters.Rory McIlroy is the second betting choice at plus-700, and there's little doubt about his remarkable talent. McIlroy is also the second-ranked player in the world even though he is 48th in FedEx Cup points.The reason he does not have a higher ranking in the FedEx Cup standings is that he has not been very active to this point in the year, but he has the game to get the job done at Augusta as long as his putter is working.McIlroy has played in just four tour events in the 2016-17 season, and he has three top-10 finishes. The 27-year-old Northern Ireland native may not be an imposing looking golfer at 5'10" and 160 pounds, but he gets remarkable power off the tee and is an excellent shotmaker.Jordan Spieth may feel like he has unfinished business after last year's troubled back nine on the final day of the Masters. He appeared to be in a wonderful position to win his second green jacket, but troubles on the 12th hole showed that he was not a machine, and he could not overcome his issues during the tournament's final six holes.Spieth is the third choice in the Masters at plus-800, and while he does not hit the ball as hard or as far as Johnson or McIlroy, he is a sharp and accurate hitter capable of honing in on the flag stick with every approach shot.The 23-year-old is the sixth-ranked player in the world, and he is seventh in FedEx Cup points. He has one victory on the tour this year and four top-10 finishes, and he has earned more than $2.5 million this season.When Spieth is playing his best golf, he makes few mistakes. Not only is he an accurate hitter, he uses the proper strategy and rarely puts his game at risk by taking unnecessary chances.Spieth ranks first on the tour in shots gained on his approach shots, with an average of 1.200 per round.If he can continue to play like that at Augusta, he has an excellent chance to contend for the title on Sunday.Hideki Matsuyama could be ready for a breakthrough at Augusta this year. The 25-year-old from Ehime, Japan, is the second-ranked player in FedEx Cup points and the fourth-ranked player in the world.He has shown he can compete with the best players in the world and is now looking for a big performance at the first major championship of the season.Matsuyama comes into the tournament at odds of plus-1,800. He has two victories and two second-place finishes in the 10 events he has entered, and he has made the cut nine times. He has already banked more than $4.5 million and appears to be on his way to a sensational season.However, to earn true recognition as one of the game's elite players, he needs to have a memorable performance in one of this year's major tournaments, and contending for the Masters would be a superb achievement for one of the game's rising stars.Rickie Fowler has a tremendous following among golf fans, and he is the game's reigning fashionista with his flashy, vibrantly colored outfits.The 28-year-old is also one of the most accomplished players in the game, and he ranks eighth in FedEx Cup points and in the world rankings. Fowler is plus-1,800 to win the Master. He has four top-10 finishes and one victory so far this season, and he has earned more than $2.3 million.Fowler appears to be an all-of-nothing kind of player in that he has not been able to string outstanding rounds together at some of the biggest tournaments, and while he can reel off birdies like few others, he can also do the same with bogeys and double-bogeys.Fowler needs to stay calm at the biggest moments in the Masters, and if he can remain in contention through moving day, he could be a player that puts it altogether on Sunday.All statistics and ranking courtesy of PGATour.com.
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