McIlroy slashed to miss Masters cut after Florida walk-off

Rory McIlroy’s petulant storming off the course at Palm Beach Gardens has seen his odds slashed to miss the cut in Augusta.

With The Masters just over a month away, the Northern Irishman has been slashed to 3/1 to miss the cut after his miserable showing in the Florida Classic.

He’s currently sharing 6/1 favouritism for the first major of the season with Tiger Woods, but if he puts in a repeat of his performance in Florida, that saw him card seven over par for the day before walking off the course, he stands no chance of justifying this.

The PGA Tour have demanded an explanation from McIlroy as to the reason behind his antics, who cited toothache as the cause of his withdrawal. If his excuses don’t suffice, the 23-year-old could face a fine, or even a ban.
Ever since a change in equipment at the start of the season, McIlroy has struggled for form, missing the cut in his first tournament of the year in Abu Dhabi, as well as suffering defeat in the opening match of the WGC Match Play.

With the Northern Irishman nowhere near his best going into the Masters, punting on another individual at longer odds must be the way to go and, with British stars Lee Westwood and Justin Rose hitting the ball well in the Florida Classic, either could prove a shrewd investment.

Both are rated at 20/1 for the first Augusta successes of their careers and currently sit three shots off the pace at Palm Beach Gardens.

Last year’s runner up, Louis Oosthuizen, is also well-poised to go one better this time around. Akin to the best British outside-hopes, he’s a 20/1 shot too, but having recorded a European Tour win already this term, as well as carding a top-20 finish, he looks in excellent shape ahead of the Augusta showpiece.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date