Masters Leaderboard 2014: Day 4 Score Updates and Tournament Predictions

With three days of action now in the books at the 2014 Masters in Augusta, the stage is set for a historic finish on the tournament's final day. 

Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth will enter the day with a target on their backs. The 2012 Masters champion and the American phenom will attempt to protect a one-stroke lead on Day 4. 

They'll have plenty of competition gunning for the green jacket, too. At just one stroke off the lead, Jonas Blixt and Matt Kuchar will be the primary candidates to unseat Watson and Spieth, while players such as Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rickie Fowler are also in the running.

Here's a look at the current leaderboard, along with predictions for how the rest of the tournament will play out. 

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Predicted Finish	Golfer
1	Jordan Spieth
2	Matt Kuchar
3	Rickie Fowler
T-4	Jonas Blixt
T-4	Miguel Angel Jimenez

Predicted Winner: Jordan Spieth

Fans tuning into the final day at Augusta could be treated to a bit of history. If the 20-year-old Spieth is able to capture the green jacket, he'll be the youngest winner in the tournament's prestigious history.

As Brian Wacker of PGATour.com points out, Spieth is gunning for the record held by Tiger Woods:

With Woods unable to compete in the tournament this year, it's only fitting that Spieth has the chance to break onto the scene as the next big thing in golf. 

If Spieth is able to pull off the victory, he'll have some incredible consistency to thank for it. He took the lead into the clubhouse heading into Day 4 by avoiding bogeys and shooting 70 twice in the first three days. 

However, Spieth will have to hold off a furious comeback attempt from a few players who turned in strong performances in Day 3. Specifically, Kuchar. With 68, the 35-year-old fired one of the best rounds of the day and heads into the day with very little ground to make up. 

With Top 10 finishes in the last two Masters tournaments, this could very well be Kuchar's time to finally put on the green jacket. After all, as ESPN Stats & Info tweeted, his 68 is the best he's done at The Masters:

Of the top four contenders heading into Day 4, Watson is most likely to suffer from a final day collapse. After taking the lead into the clubhouse on Day 2, his third round turned out to be more of a practice in survival than separating himself from the pack.

Watson ended up shooting a 74 that featured five bogeys, and he will need to find himself set up for better success on the greens if he hopes to be in the mix heading onto the back nine. 

With the leaderboard featuring nine players within three shots of each other on the final day, there's plenty of intrigue left in Augusta.