Masters 2013 Leaderboard Reveals Golf Is More Unpredictable Than Ever

Whether you are gambling on golf or just a casual fan, The Masters is once again proving that it is impossible to predict major tournaments. 

At the end of three rounds, there is a tie for first between Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera at seven strokes under par. These two players have had plenty of success in the past, but few would have believed that either would be where they are on the leaderboard.

Cabrera won the 2009 Masters, but has not come close to this level of success in the past few years. In 2012, he only made nine cuts in 20 tournaments and has dropped to No. 269 in the world rankings. 

Meanwhile, Snedeker missed two consecutive cuts heading into The Masters and has not looked good since injuring his ribs before the WGC Cadillac Championship. 

Despite the odds, these are the two players that will compete in the final pairing on Sunday.

The rest of the top 10 is full of even more surprising names. Marc Leishman started the week off with a 66 on Thursday and held on to remain tied for fourth with one round to play. The 29-year-old Australian has only participated in the Masters once in his career and missed the cut in 2010.

Age also does not appear to be a concern for this field. Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples have both put together impressive showings despite each being over 50 years old. 

Golf leaderboards always feature surprises, but it is rare to see this many new and very old faces near the top. 

On the other hand, some of the biggest names in the sport have struggled heading into the final round.

Rory McIlory entered the week as the No. 2 player in the world. Although he had struggled at Augusta in the past, his two major titles and overall success made many believe he had a good chance of winning the tournament.

After two rounds, this dream was still alive as he began Saturday at two-under par. Unfortunately, he fell far out of contention with a 79 in Round 3. He finished with a back nine that included a bogey, a double-bogey and a triple-bogey.

Of course, McIlroy has had a solid week compared to Phil Mickelson. The three-time Masters champ was listed as the third-most likely to win heading into Thursday, according to Vegas Insider. Lefty will head into Sunday at eight strokes over par after a 76 and 77 in consecutive days.

So if the oddsmakers cannot predict a winner, maybe we can use past success as a decent indicator. Obviously, Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen know the course well after battling in last year's tournament.

Watson won the 2012 green jacket, but he is only tied for 28th after three rounds. Oosthuizen, the man who lost in the playoff a year ago, did not even make the cut.

This brings us to Tiger Woods, who was the overwhelming favorite to win his first major since 2008. The superstar won three of four stroke-play tournaments in 2013 and came in as confident as ever.

While he has generally played well, he stands four strokes off the lead thanks in part to a two-stroke penalty assessed after his second round (via Bob Harig of ESPN). Still, Woods has reached the point where anything less than a win is considered a disappointment.

He will start Sunday tied for seventh place, but being even this low on the leaderboard should be considered a surprise.

In golf, the best players usually stand out over time. However, there are plenty of opportunities for lesser-known competitors to shock the world by winning a tournament.

This has never been more evident than at the 2013 Masters. 

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