Masters 2014: The Biggest Takeaways from Augusta

The first major tournament of the year did not have the back-nine drama that the Masters regularly showcases.

There was no playoff this year, as Bubba Watson shook off third-round doldrums and played superb golf on Sunday to capture his second Masters championship in three years.

The combination of Watson's power and precision was too much for the rest of the field, as he won the tournament by three strokes with an eight-under par score of 280.

Bubba was not the only story at Augusta. Here's a look at the biggest takeaways from the 2014 Masters.

Young Lions Make Their Mark

Chris Carlson

Rookies are not supposed to contend when they get their first go round Augusta. The greens are too tough and precision and distance control are required on every shot.

It's one thing for a rookie to have one good round at the Masters but conventional wisdom says its impossible to do it four rounds in a row.

None of the rookies stopped Watson from winning his second green jacket but a pair of rookies in Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt tied for second place in the prestigious tournament.

Spieth said coming so close and failing to win was "stinging badly," but he is hungry to win his first major. Blixt said he can't wait to get back to the "atmosphere" of Augusta and compete in another major.

Additionally, first-timers Kevin Stadler and Jimmy Walker finished tied for eighth.

Those four rookies earned invitations to return to the 2015 Masters based on their performance, and that's an exceptional showing indicative that a new group of young lions are ready to put their imprint on the PGA Tour's biggest events.

Couples Falls Short on Sunday

Chris Carlson

Fred Couples had himself in a position to contend for the Masters title once again as the weekend got underway. In past years, he struggled on moving day and took himself out of contention.

While Couples did not have his best round on Saturday as he shot a one-over par 73, he was still within four strokes of the leaders. That meant he had work to do, but he still had a reasonable chance to make a run at the crown.

Those chances increased considerably when he birdied the first two holes. It seemed that Couples was going to climb the ladder and join Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth as they fought it out.

However, that was just an illusion. Couples had two bogeys and two double bogeys the rest of the way and just one more birdie. His final round of 75 left him two over for the tournament.

Couples plays at Augusta because he believes he still has a chance to win. He is not out there from a nostalgic point of view.

"I'm not here just to play golf and think that I can't compete on this course," Couples told Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times (h/t Chicago Tribune). "I can't compete with these guys over a year, but on one week I can compete."

Power and Precision Wins It for Bubba

Chris Carlson

Bubba Watson is the longest hitter on the PGA tour. His distance off the tee is pretty much a given on an every-tournament basis. However, his accuracy is not always as consistent whether he's hitting off the tee or from the fairway.

The same thing goes with his touch around the greens and his putting. While he is exceptional when he is on his game, his game can swing badly in the wrong direction when he makes a couple of poor shots early.

Watson's power, accuracy and touch were all in superb form at the Masters. He bombed a 366-yard drive on the par-five, 510-yard 13th hole, something runner-up Jordan Spieth said he will "never forget."

Bubba's touch around the greens and his putting was superb. Once he built his lead on the ninth hole, nobody was able to challenge him on the back nine.

Watson nailed his final approach shot on the 18th hole, twirled his club and walked up the fairway to hear an ovation that goes to the champion. He clinched that title two putts later and won his second Masters title in three years.

Watson believes that his second Masters title—which makes him the 17th player to win the green jacket more than once—gives him more credibility for the future. ''This one's a lot different,'' Watson told the Golf Channel. ''The first one, for me, it was almost like I lucked into it.''

No left-handed player had won the Masters in the first 66 years of the tournament; now six of the last 12 winners have been southpaws.

Adam Scott Does Not Defend His Title

Matt Slocum

Adam Scott appeared to be on the cusp of becoming the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world at the start of the Masters.

With Tiger Woods out of action because of his bad back, and Scott in good form as the tournament got underway, he had the opportunity to climb to the top position in the rankings.

Scott was three-under par through 36 holes and he appeared to be looming to make a run at the title, especially considering the quality of his swing and shot-making.

But Scott was not going to win his second Masters in a row or claim the top spot in the world. He had a four-over par 76 on moving day and could only rebound with an even par score of 72 on Sunday. 

The consistent Scott could not hold it together over the weekend and has more work to do before he can be called the best golfer in the world.

He said he has to improve his putting if he is going to win additional majors. “It's not been my best week with the putter," Scott told the Golf Channel. "My pace was off on the long putts. And when it gets on fire around here, you're going to have a lot of long putts. And I left so much work with them, that nothing was talking distance.

Two-Hole Swing Changes Tenor of Tournament

Chris Carlson

Jordan Spieth was in an exceptional position through the first seven holes. 

The 20-year-old phenom had a two-stroke lead over Bubba Watson and it appeared he just might be able to put his stamp on the 2014 Masters and become the tournament's youngest champion.

Spieth was not just surviving on Sunday, he appeared to be thriving under pressure. However, that all changed on the eighth hole. He bogeyed the eighth while Watson birdied the hole, and that meant his lead was gone as the two men were tied at seven under.

Then the same thing happened on the ninth as Watson nailed a birdie on the 460-yard par-four, while Spieth made another bogey.

In the blink of an eye, Watson replaced a two-stroke deficit with a two-stroke lead. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee pointed out that Watson's distance, accuracy and ability to hit greens in regulation placed him in rare company and made him a deserving champion.

Second Round Blues Keeps McIlroy from Contending

Matt Slocum

Rory McIlroy was gathering a lot of support as the Masters got underway.

Much of that came from McIlroy's improved play. Last year, McIlroy said he hoped to play well. This year, he said he expected to play excellent golf every time he stepped on the course.

McIlroy followed his game plan in the first, third and fourth rounds when he was five under for those three rounds.

However, McIlroy shot a five-over par 77 on the second day of the tournament. That score was just enough to allow him to make the cut by one stroke. Even though he played well the rest of the way, he was never a contender for his first green jacket.

McIlroy was actually quite happy with the way he played, but he knows that he needs a little more luck with his putter. 

“Hopefully I can start seeing a few more putts go in, and get more confidence,” McIlroy told Rex Hoggard of the Golf Channel.

Where Were the Stars?

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

There are no guarantees at the Masters. No matter how many tournaments players have won or how much cash has been earned over a career, it's all about playing well on the weekend of the tournament.

But the biggest tournaments usually bring out the best in the top players. That was not the case in the 2014 Masters.

Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Charl Schwartzel, Dustin Johnson, Graeme McDowell, Webb Simpson, Sergio Garcia, Luke Donald and Zach Johnson all failed to make the cut.

Watson, Spieth and Blixt put on a memorable show, but it seemed the Masters missed many of the big names during the final 36 holes of the tournament.

Tiger Woods' Absence Was Felt

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The news came out on April 1, and it was no April Fool's joke.

Tiger Woods had gone under the knife and could not play in this year's Masters. The golf world immediately deflated.

While Tiger had not won a major tournament since 2008 and he had not found his groove during the 2014 season, any time he competes in a tournament it has a chance to be a monumental event. When that event is a major tournament, the whole world is ready to stop and watch just in case Tiger finds his game and picks up his 15th major title.

Golf is a stellar test of an athlete's competitive instincts under all circumstances. But when the sport's top superstar and most charismatic can participate, it becomes a huge event.

When Tiger is on the sidelines, the air is out of the balloon and the Masters is not as meaningful without him.

Golf's Royalty Get the Masters Started

Andrew Redington/Getty Images

The Masters is all about tradition and history.

Tournament officials embrace it and want everyone to believe it is the biggest and best of all the majors. While that's a matter to debate, the Masters knows how to promote itself quite well.

Perhaps the best moment comes at the beginning. That's when the ancient lords of the game get the tournament started.

The sight of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus teeing it up on the first hole and driving the ball is a sight to savor and one of the best parts of the tournament.

There's something humbling and beautiful about the tournament's start on Thursday morning.