Masters 2014: Top PGA Storylines Following Final Leaderboard from Augusta

Between the raw emotion he shows, the incredible shots he pulls off, his ridiculous driving distance and one of the most organic, original golf games ever, Bubba Watson's greatness can truly be appreciated following his 2014 Masters triumph.

On Sunday, Watson won the first of golf's four annual majors for the second time in three years, shooting a final-round 69 to win by three strokes over Jordan Spieth and Jonas Blixt.

What he does from here is difficult to predict, as Watson is a bit of a wild card. But in rising to No. 4 in the latest world rankings, he's proved that he is among the game's elite players after a slight letdown last season. Not only has Watson already won twice in the 2013-14 PGA Tour campaign, but he's also had four other top-10 finishes.

However, he isn't the only big storyline to emerge from what was a spectacular week at Augusta National Golf Club.

Here is a closer look at Watson's victory and its significance along with the other notable developments that occurred among the top Masters finishers.

Note: Statistics are courtesy of PGATour.com and Masters.com's leaderboard.

Bubba Watson's Game Tailor-Made for Augusta

Rob Carr/Getty Images

The course has lengthened over the years to compensate for modern technology, but it may need to do even more to prevent Watson from overpowering the field in future Masters events.

To his credit, Watson prefers to mash a right-to-left cut shot off the tee, which is ideal for the multiple dogleg left holes. It is amazing how far Watson can boom it even when he's hitting cuts, as draws generally produce more distance.

Advancements in golf ball and club technology allow for more forgiveness and generally allow players to hit it straighter, making the movement Watson can generate on the ball all the more impressive.

ESPN analyst and past major winner Paul Azinger included a quote from Byron Nelson in his take on Watson's playing style:

Watson definitely falls into the first category Azinger lays out, but he knows all he needs to about Augusta. Having never received a formal lesson in his life, Watson relies on feel and casts all technical conventions aside.

With the number of short clubs he has in his hands for approach shots—even for the challenging par-fives—Watson has enjoyed a massive advantage over most of his peers at the Masters. Kyle Porter of CBSSports.com notes how consistent Watson was overall at the 2014 Masters:

At age 35, Watson is in the prime of his career and is figuring out how to win and put himself in contention on a more consistent basis. That's a scary thought for everyone else.

Watson was humble when he spoke about winning one of golf's most prestigious tournaments, per Masters.com's Vartan Kupelian:

"

If people say that I'm a good player, that's great. But I'm not. I'm not trying to play golf for everybody to tell me how great I am or I'm one of the greats of the game. I play golf because I love it, I love the game, I want to grow the game. The game has brought me everything that I've ever owned in my life.

"

Even with that happy-to-be-here attitude, there is a quiet, burning passion stirring inside Watson when he's in the heat of competition. It's gotten him to the brink of perhaps becoming the next world No. 1, as Kelly Tilghman of Golf Channel alluded to:

Since his game is malleable and can translate to any weather and any course, there's reason to believe Watson is far from done winning majors.

Winning at least one more green jacket seems feasible, as does winning more hardware at the other three majors.

Golf's Youth Movement Stays Strong

Charlie Riedel

For the first two rounds, Spieth and Rory McIlroy were paired together. While Spieth was clearly superior to the two-time major winner, McIlroy had a quietly impressive weekend after making the four-over-par cut on the number.

McIlroy finished tied for eighth thanks to a closing round of 69, and there's no doubt he is continuing toward the level of play that made him the best golfer in the world back in 2012. The Northern Irish superstar knew what he had to work on at the end of the week:

Let's not downplay just how sensational Spieth was, though. He held a two-stroke advantage entering the eighth hole Sunday. It took a lot of firepower from Watson just to answer the 20-year-old's hot start, which featured four birdies in the first seven holes.

Steve Elling noted that the joint runner-up finish puts Spieth just ahead of McIlroy in the rankings hierarchy—another indicator of his meteoric rise:

While McIlroy and Spieth figure to have the most upside of golf's young guns, the steady play of Rickie Fowler was perhaps lost in that static.

Although he's won just once on the PGA Tour, Fowler is showing signs of immense improvement since beginning work with swing coach Butch Harmon to start the year.

Tim Rosaforte of Golf Digest noted that Fowler's childhood mentor was reassuring about the work Harmon would do with him:

It has produced some encouraging results, and it seems like only a matter of time before Fowler really starts to put everything together. Harmon has overseen the pinnacles of both Tiger Woods' and Phil Mickelson's careers, so that is working in Fowler's favor.

Blixt played well in his own right, displaying the short-game prowess necessary to conquer Augusta National. As strong as he was in saving a lot of strokes, the Swede burned so many edges with putts on the weekend and could have fared even better.

Nevertheless, the 29-year-old's best years of golf seem to be ahead of him. Golf Channel's Steve Flesch pointed out that Blixt was the only player with four rounds under par at the Masters:

He may not be as young as his fellow high finishers, but Blixt is just shy of 30 and has proved he can compete in majors, backing up his fourth-place effort at the 2013 PGA Championship.

Experience be darned at Augusta, because both Blixt and Spieth proved that 20-something Masters rookies can seriously threaten for the top prize.

Perpetual Major Contenders Fall Short Yet Again

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The aforementioned three players in their 20s have plenty of opportunities ahead of them to seize the green jacket. The same can't be said for some of the aging veterans who were in the hunt on Masters Sunday.

Matt Kuchar was just one stroke off the lead entering the last 18 holes. But as he had in his two previous starts, he floundered in the final round, shooting a two-over 74.

It was the third consecutive time Kuchar finished in the top eight at Augusta National but couldn't close the deal, continuing a discouraging recent trend, per ESPN's Justin Ray:

Kuchar is the same age as Watson, so he figures to have his breakthrough eventually after knocking on the door so often. At the same time, his patience has to be wearing thin considering the heights he's reached, including a win at what's considered to be the "fifth major" in The Players Championship.

Lee Westwood's window is closer to closing. The Englishman, 40, has 17 top 10s in majors, 10 top fives, six third-place finishes and two runner-up finishes, including at the 2010 Masters.

PGA Tour Media highlighted the agony Westwood has experienced in majors past:

Westwood went out in 39 on Sunday and never really recovered, posting a 71 to finish alone in seventh at two under overall.

Then, there's Miguel Angel Jimenez, who vaulted into contention on the strength of a third-round 66. The 20-time European Tour winner finished in solo fourth in his bid to become the oldest Masters champion at 50 years old, but his resume still lacks a major title too.

At least "The Mechanic" figures to have another crack at Augusta in 2015, per Tilghman:

These players have the games to win majors if they can stay healthy, but it has to be discouraging to compete with youngsters.

The diversity in age on the final leaderboard is a testament to how stocked with talent the PGA is throughout its ranks. Major fields are deeper than ever and lend themselves to first-time winners in the future.

Watson has the perfect makeup to thrive at Augusta, and he is the only repeat winner in the past eight years. The Masters is the only major played at the same venue every year, making it just a touch easier to predict who will be in the running down the stretch.

Players young and old rose to the occasion this past weekend. The next three majors should continue the trend of maiden victors, creating a plethora of fresh players making history.