The 9 Most Unlikely Masters Champions
Browse the list of Masters champions since Horton Smith won the first tournament in 1934. Mostly, you'll see the legendary figures of the game—men whose names are synonymous with golf in their given eras: Hogan, Nelson, Snead, Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Watson, Ballesteros, Faldo, Woods, Mickelson.
You'll also see long-suffering journeymen breaking through. Consider, in the past 15 or so years, we've watched Adam Scott (2013), Angel Cabrera (2009), Phil Mickelson (2004), Mike Weir (2003), Vijay Singh (2000) and Jose Maria Olazabal (1999) taste major glory at Augusta.
Along with these two varieties of green jacket winners, the Masters has produced some truly unlikely champions.
Click through for the full list of Augusta's most unexpected victors.
Herman Keiser: 1946
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Herman Keiser won five tournaments on the PGA Tour, but the 1946 Masters was his only major victory. He never finished better than tied for 14th in another major.
The Springfield, Missouri, native did just enough in the final round of the first post-war Masters to hold off Ben Hogan. Keiser fired a Sunday 74, which was good enough to secure the $2,500 winner's share after Hogan famously three-putted the slippery 18th green from inside 20 feet.
Bantam Ben wouldn't win a green jacket until 1951. The Missouri Mortician, as Keiser was referred to thanks to his dour demeanor, lived out his golden years in Ohio as a driving range owner.
Gay Brewer: 1967
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The unheralded Gay Brewer captured the 31st edition of the Masters Tournament. The victory was the Ohio native's only major triumph. Even more interestingly, perhaps, Brewer nearly won the green jacket the previous year, losing in a playoff to Jack Nicklaus.
The 10-time PGA Tour winner made three birdies in a row from the 13th through 15th holes Sunday to card a final-round 67. His eight-under, 280 tally beat Bobby Nichols by a stroke. Arnold Palmer finished five strokes back.
While Brewer's win was significant, the '67 Masters is perhaps best remembered for 54-year-old Ben Hogan's third-round 66. The master shotmaker carded six birdies on the back-nine Saturday for a then-nine-hole record 30.
Bob Goalby: 1968
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A year after Gay Brewer's improbable triumph, Augusta yielded another surprise victor, Bob Goalby, thanks to, what might be called, "The Roberto De Vicenzo Incident."
De Vicenzo, the reigning British Open winner, signed an incorrect scorecard, which cost him the green jacket. On the PGA Tour, a player's playing partner keeps his score. The Argentinian's partner, Tommy Aaron, marked De Vicenzo down for four on the 17th hole, rather than a three. De Vicenzo failed to realize the error and signed his card. Thus, under USGA rules, he had to accept the higher score.
Instead of finishing at 11 under par to get into a playoff with Goalby, De Vicenzo was forced to tally a 10-under 278 for the tournament.
The win was Goalby's only taste of major glory.
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Charles Coody: 1971
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Charles Coody added a green jacket to his closet in 1971. He beat Johnny Miller and Jack Nicklaus, who finished two strokes behind Coody in what would be his only major victory.
Coody birdied the 15th and 16th holes Sunday to pull ahead of a faltering Johnny Miller. Nicklaus, who entered the day tied with Coody, could only manage an even-par 72.
The Stamford, Texas, native finished at nine under to collect the $25,000 winner's share. The victory was the third and final PGA Tour win of Coody's career.
Tommy Aaron: 1973
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The man who was previously known to Masters fans as the guy who handed Roberto De Vicenzo an incorrect scorecard to sign was oddly looked upon kindly by the golf gods in 1973.
Tommy Aaron, 36 years old at the time, fired a final-round 68 to beat J.C. Snead by a stroke. Jack Nicklaus finished two back.
Interestingly, Aaron's playing partner, Johnny Miller, recorded an incorrect score on the golfer's card. Fortunately, Aaron looked at his own card with more scrutiny than De Vicenzo did in 1968, and he caught the mistake.
The '73 Masters was Aaron's only major triumph. He won a total of three times on tour.
Jack Nicklaus: 1986
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It's odd, of course, to include the man who has won more majors than anyone else on this list of unlikely champions. However, nobody expected 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus to take home another green jacket. And even though he finished tied for sixth at the 1986 Masters, the consensus was Nicklaus would retire with 17 major victories.
Jack hadn't won a major since the 1980 PGA Championship. He entered the final round of the '86 Masters at two under par, four strokes behind leader Greg Norman. While Norman and Ballesteros faltered on the back nine, Nicklaus caught fire. He poured in an eagle putt on 15, birdied 16 and 17, and parred 18.
The Golden Bear carded a back-nine 30, and his inspired final-round 65 beat Greg Norman and Tom Kite by two.
The win was Nicklaus' sixth Masters triumph and his 18th and final major.
Larry Mize: 1987
7 of 9Before reading any further, watch the video above (unless you're Greg Norman, in which case, avert your eyes).
Not only was Larry Mize one of the most improbable Masters winners in tournament history, but his hole-out for birdie from in front of the 11th green in a sudden-death playoff was one of the most unlikely ways to win a green jacket.
The Augusta, Georgia, native won a total of four times on the PGA Tour, and the 1987 Masters was his only major.
Trevor Immelman: 2008
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Many of the unlikely champions on this list caught lightning in a bottle for a back-nine flurry of birdies or an inspired Sunday performance. South African Trevor Immelman caught four days' worth of lighting in 2008.
Immelman, who had never won on the PGA Tour prior to the 2008 Masters (and hasn't since), opened with a four-under 68 to take the tournament lead. He followed up with a second-consecutive 68 Friday and led by one entering the weekend.
Even with Tiger Woods creeping up on him, Immelman was steady Saturday, carding a 69 to take a two-shot lead into the final round.
Immelman didn't play well Sunday. Fortunately, nobody else in position to catch him did either: Only one golfer who finished in the top 10 shot under par for his final round.
Clearly feeling the pressure, Immelman double-bogeyed the 16th hole, but his closing 75 was good enough for a three-stroke victory over Tiger Woods.
Charl Schwartzel: 2011
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The 2011 edition of Bobby Jones' annual golf get-together wasn't so much the Masters Charl Schwartzel won as it was the Masters Rory McIlroy lost.
The boy wonder, who led the tournament entering the final round, famously melted down on the back nine en route to a final-round 80.
A slew of distinguished golfers had a chance at the green jacket on Sunday: Jason Day, Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Geoff Ogilvy, Tiger Woods. But it was Charl Schwartzel who seized the day, birdieing the final four holes to card a Sunday 66.
Schwartzel finished at 14 under par, two strokes ahead of Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day.
The now-30-year-old hasn't won on the PGA Tour since.
Stats and scores via PGATour.com and the PGA Tour media guide
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