Masters 2015: The Biggest Takeaways from Augusta
Now that Bubba Watson has awkwardly slipped the green jacket over the shoulders of the steely-eyed veteran, er, third-year-pro, Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters Tournament is a wrap.
The biggest takeaway from this year's Masters? Twenty-one-year-old Jordan Spieth is the best player in golf right now. He just completed a historic and record-tying wire-to-wire conquest of Augusta National Golf Club, and he is the humble spokesperson for a new era in professional golf.
This Masters was all about Mr. Spieth and his on-course brilliance. It was, however, supposed to be a story of Rory McIlroy's inevitable progress toward the career Grand Slam. The fact that it wasn't was a major takeaway from the season's first major.
What were the other big takeaways from Augusta National? How many of them were Tiger Woods-related? Read on to find out.
Tiger Woods (Mostly) Has His Game Back
1 of 8
A little more than a week ago, we weren't sure if Tiger Woods would be competing in the 2015 Masters. And it was unclear whether or not his two-month break to get his game in shape yielded results.
By the end of Woods' second-round three-under 69, it was clear his game was ready for a return to golf's biggest stages.
Most importantly, the pitching and chipping difficulties that plagued the former world No. 1 at the Hero World Challenge and Waste Management Phoenix Open didn't travel with him to Georgia.
Woods indicated to Bill Macatee on the telecast after the round that he was pleased with his game but wished he would have made a few more putts.
He can't be happy with a final-round 73 that saw him fail to get anything going and some occasionally erratic driving. However, relative to where he was, a tie for 17th at the Masters is an impressive showing.
Jordan Spieth Has Tiger Woods' 1997 Masters Game
2 of 8
We knew Jordan Spieth was on a hot streak, having finished 1-2-2 in his last three starts. We knew he had an aptitude for Augusta National after he nearly beat out Bubba Watson for the green jacket in his first Masters appearance last year.
Still, who could have predicted the kid would trounce the field the way he did this week?
The 21-year-old broke Raymond Floyd's 36-hole scoring record by a stroke with his 14-under, 130 tally. He leapt to a five-stroke lead at the halfway point, and his victory seemed to be a foregone conclusion.
A third-round 70 saw him take ownership of the Masters 54-hole scoring record as well, and he entered the final round with a four-stroke lead.
In his final round, Spieth stepped onto the greatest stage in professional golf and made a pair of early birdies at holes one and three. Although he made bogeys (three of them, between the fifth and 12th holes), Spieth stuck to his gameplan, birdied the par-five 13th and 15th holes to take a five-stroke lead to the 72nd hole of the tournament.
In the end, after a sloppy missed putt for par at the final hole, the 21-year-old tied Tiger Woods' Masters scoring record at 18 under par, which is perhaps the way it ought to be.
Rory McIlroy Is Still Searching for the Career Grand Slam
3 of 8
The story of the 2015 Masters was expected to be that of Rory McIlroy's inevitable march to the career Grand Slam.
Instead, halfway through his second round, the Ulsterman was fighting to make the cut. McIlroy made three birdies in his final four holes Friday to move on, but it was clear as the sun set on the second round that his career Grand Slam bid would have to wait.
He battled back with a 68 Saturday to move inside the top 10 entering the final round. But he was still 10 strokes behind Spieth when he began his Sunday.
McIlroy put together a brilliant six-under Sunday performance to finish fourth. He'll take encouragement from the way he rebounded, but to fail to contend has to be disappointing.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
A Few Favorites Weren't Up to the Task
4 of 8
Bubba Watson, Henrik Stenson and Adam Scott were the third, sixth and seventh most heavily favored players entering the Masters, according to Odds Shark. They finished tied for 38th, tied 19th and tied for 38th respectively.
Watson shot 73, 74 on the weekend. Scott carded a pair of 74s. Stenson, for his part, gets something of a pass, as he was under the weather this week, but his play still wasn't what he wanted.
The finishes have to be disappointing for these three players, as not a single one of the three threatened Spieth this week.
Masters Goodbyes Are Special Things
5 of 8
The 63-year-old Ben Crenshaw bid goodbye to the Masters. The 44-time participant and two-time victor finished last in the field, but that wasn't on anyone's mind as he approached the 18th green Friday.
Crenshaw's longtime Augusta caddie, Carl Jackson, who was critical to his two victories, and Crenshaw's wife and daughters met him behind the green amid the ovation of the patrons.
Then, as the New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro wrote:
"When Jackson and Crenshaw met on the green, they embraced in a long hug with Crenshaw’s face buried in Jackson’s chest and tears streaming down his face. It was a scene reminiscent of his win in 1995, when Crenshaw collapsed into Jackson’s arms he was so overcome with the emotion of the victory.
"
It was a truly special moment, the kind that can only happen at the Masters.
A Ton of People Tuned in to Watch
6 of 8
There shouldn't be any doubt that Tiger Woods is still a substantial draw. The former world No. 1 has a unique ability to compel sports fans in general and casual golf fans in particular to tune in.
This was apparent from the Par 3 Contest through the final round this year.
Woods elected to compete in the casual Wednesday evening competition for the first time since 2004, and people tuned into the ESPN broadcast en masse. According to ESPN (h/t GeoffShackelford.com):
"The two-hour telecast averaged 1,084,871 viewers, surpassing the previous record of 1,007,274 that watched the 2010 telecast.
"
The telecast averaged a 0.8 rating, tying the record for the event’s highest rating on ESPN that was set in 2008 and matched in 2010.
The trend continued throughout the week. On Friday, for example, per an ESPN press release (via TV by the Numbers):
"ESPN’s live telecast of the second round of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on Friday, April 10, earned a 2.1 U.S. household rating, averaging 2.952 million viewers, according to fast national data from Nielsen Media. The telecast aired from 3-7:30 p.m. ET.
The rating and viewership rose from last year’s second round telecast, which earned a 1.8 rating and averaged 2.465 million viewers.
"
The takeaway: Golf viewership figures are doing pretty well when Tiger Woods isn't the primary focus of the competition.
Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose Proved Their Pedigrees
7 of 8
Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose both won majors in 2013. Both had unimpressive 2014-2015 campaigns, and neither player has a top-10 finish thus far this season.
Mickelson, of course, is a three-time Masters champion, and Justin Rose has a major of his own: the 2013 U.S. Open.
In other words, both golfers have impressive resumes, and neither has been playing particularly well recently due to numerous factors.
But both players were among the top-15 Masters favorites entering the tournament, per Odds Shark, and they played like they deserved the consideration.
Mickelson finished tied for second with Justin Rose at 14 under par. Two powerhouses of the game seem to have their major championship games dialed in again.
Augusta National Is Still a Bomber's Paradise
8 of 8
Conventional wisdom is that, in general, long hitters rule Augusta National, as FiveThirtyEight's Neil Paine notes.
Entering the week, the New York Post's Mark Cannizzaro quoted Mickelson suggesting the same would be true this year.
"I think that distance is going to be a huge element this week. The reason I think this week, especially, is that the greens are very soft and receptive, and so the longer hitters are going to be able to reach the par 5s and get the ball stopped on the greens.
"
Was it? Let's look at the top 10 finishers and their season driving averages.
- 1. Jordan Spieth: 293.5
- T2. Phil Mickelson: 296
- T2. Justin Rose: 297
- 4. Rory McIlroy: 305
- 5. Hideki Matsuyama: 296.7
- T6. Paul Casey: 297.3
- T6. Ian Poulter: 284.0
- T6. Dustin Johnson: 318.8
- T9. Morgan Hoffmann: 300.1
- T12. Rickie Fowler: 292.6
In other words, bombers ruled at Augusta yet again.
All stats courtesy of PGATour.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
