Masters 2012: Bubba Watson's Unpredictable Victory Exemplifies Beauty of Golf

Bubba Watson came into the 2012 Masters ranked 81st in putting per hole. At a course like Augusta, that generally spells disaster.

But when Watson donned the green jacket on Sunday, that exemplified the beauty of golf.

A lot of people thought this would be a classic Masters because of the three favorites headed into Augusta—Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

But while Mickelson sniffed his fourth career green jacket, McIlroy and Woods tanked. Woods ended up with a five-over-par 293. McIlroy? A five-over-par 293.

Even Sergio Garcia, once hailed as Woods' heir apparent, said after a three-over-par third round that he wasn't good enough to win a major championship.

Meanwhile, Watson and his driver moved along, scorching the fairways. Coming into Augusta, Watson had appeared at the Masters three times, with 20th place being his best finish. Last year, he tied for 38th.

We saw Charl Schwartzel win the green jacket last year out of nowhere. Then Rory McIlroy, before he was Rory McIlroy, captured the world with a historic U.S. Open. Then 42-year-old Darren Clarke won the British Open for his first major in 20 years and 54 attempts. Then a rookie in Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship.

You get where I'm going with this?

Golf is great because it's so unpredictable. Anybody—and I mean anybody—can catch fire and win a tournament. Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson were all playing solid golf headed into Augusta—but only one of them didn't simply implode.

Granted, Watson was playing pretty good golf himself coming into the Masters, placing second and fourth at the Cadillac Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational respectively. But few had him as the favorite—or even the favorite American—to win the green jacket. Even in the later rounds, people (including myself) expected him to falter.

After Watson's victory, a lot is being made of Padraig Harrington's quote from Saturday.

Harrington said, via Masters.com:

"

"It's not the player that plays the most consistent that wins at the Masters. The player who plays probably some of the most exciting golf wins at the Masters."

"

On the second playoff hole on Sunday, Watson hit his tee shot into the pine straw and 153 yards from the center of the green, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He then hooked his second shot 52 degrees and 40 yards to the right, plopping it 15 feet from the hole.

But while that is certainly exciting golf, we aren't giving Watson enough credit by saying he merely played exciting golf and won.

He was, in fact, one of the most consistent golfers at Augusta, scoring rounds of 69, 71, 70 and 68. Watson wasn't only one of the most exciting golfers on the course, he was consistently one of the best.

Yet, if someone would have said they picked Watson to win it all before the tournament, a chorus of laughter would have ensued.

This is why golf is the one of the most unpredictable and, thus, magical sports in the world.

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