Binge Sports: The 2015 Masters
“Hello friends.” Those two words let me know that it’s time for my favorite sporting event of the year, The Masters. Welcome back to Binge Sports. We’ve got a lot to get to as we’ll get into the favorites, the odds, and of course, Tiger Woods. Speaking of which, can you believe that it’s been ten years since this happened?
Just incredible. Even ten years later, it’s still amazing to watch. But that’s just what The Masters is about. Seemingly more so than any other golf tournament, this one creates unparalleled drama. Even that 2005 Masters didn’t end with that dramatic chip. Tiger actually bogeyed 17 and 18. His playing partner, Chris DiMarco, nearly holed out his own chip on the last to win it. Then, in the playoff (also played at the 18th hole), Tiger made a great birdie to win his fourth green jacket.
That was drama at its best, and that was only over the span of four holes on a Sunday in 2005. Over the course of time, The Masters has given us so many great moments and champions. Maybe someday I’ll give you a “best of”, but there’s certainly too many to list today. But even over the past few years, we’ve been treated to some high drama. Last year, Bubba Watson held off the future of American golf, Jordan Spieth, and won by three shots. But just two years before that, in 2012, Watson treated us to one of the great clutch shots of all time in a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen.
And only a year after that, the clutch performances continued in the way of one of my favorite players on tour, Adam Scott. It started with this putt on 18….
….and continued in the playoff against Angel Cabrera. He had a 15-footer to become the first Australian in history to win The Masters.
That’s not even scratching the surface of how great this tournament can be. It’s not just the golf action itself, but it’s the overall beauty of the event. It’s not just the drive up Magnolia Lane to the exquisite clubhouse.
It’s not just the golf course itself.
It’s everything. It is Magnolia Lane. It is the clubhouse. It is the golf course. But it’s also the history. It’s Amen Corner. It’s the classiest crowd in sports. It’s Nicklaus. It’s Palmer. It’s Player. It’s a drink that doesn’t make you take out a second mortgage on your house. It’s 56 minutes of golf action every hour because they don’t have or need sixty sponsors. It’s triumph. It’s heartbreak (ask Greg Norman). It’s watching the best players in the world on golf’s biggest stage. It’s the ceremonial tee shot to start the tournament. It’s the back nine on Sunday to finish it. It’s getting lost for four days in a world of azaleas and pine straw. It’s sports drama at its very best. It’s……..The Masters.
So what does the 2015 version have in store for us? There’s certainly no shortage of stories this week. We now know that Tiger will be playing, but there’s certainly more to talk about than that. So come Sunday evening, who will be wearing the green jacket? I’ve looked at the numbers, and there are fourteen players who make up the ten best odds to win. Let’s start at the top with the best player in the world.
RORY MCILROY (11/2)
Rory McIlroy is the number one player in the world, and it’s really not even close in the Official World Golf Rankings, so of course he’s the favorite. He comes in with a lot of pressure on him. He’s won the last two major championships. He’s attempting to become only the sixth man in the Masters Era to win the “Career Grand Slam”. Only Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, and Gene Sarazen have accomplished that feat. And McIlroy is only 25. Hopefully, he’s not too pumped up for this week and settles in to play his game, which really does set up nicely for Augusta National. His high draw works for the slick greens, and if it gets as wet as they’re expecting, he’ll be looking to throw darts out there.
JORDAN SPIETH (8/1)
The world number four comes into this weekend white hot. His last three tournament finishes are a win, a second, and a tie for second. He’s been in the top 20 in each of his last six starts. He’s making a ton of clutch putts right now, which you obviously need to do at Augusta. He held a lead late last year before faltering on Sunday, but he’s another year older. The future may be now for the future of American golf.
BUBBA WATSON (10/1)
He’s won two out of the last three Masters. Is there much more I need to say than that?
JASON DAY (14/1)
The world’s number five should be in the mix this week. He’s already got a win this year at Torrey Pines, and he’s been so close so many times in the majors. Outside of three top fives at the U.S. Open, he’s got a T2 and a T3 at Augusta. You figure he’s got to break through at some point.
DUSTIN JOHNSON
A lot of people I’ve talked to recently are picking Dustin Johnson to run away with this tournament. After his mysterious six month hiatus (would somebody just tell us if it was a suspension), he’s come back playing some very good golf. He’s climbed back up to seventh in the world, he had a T4 at Pebble Beach, a T2 at the Northern Trust, a win at the WGC-Cadillac, and a T6 at the Texas Open. He’s got the game to win here, but he also missed the cut last year. Let’s hope he can put it together this week.
PHIL MICKELSON (18/1)
Well, here we are again with Phil. Personally, I’m not a big Mickelson guy, but the fact remains that he’s got three green jackets. He tied for third in 2012, but in 2013 he tied for 54th and then missed the cut last year. His best finish this year is a T17 at the Honda and in Houston, but only one top 25 besides that. He missed the cut in Phoenix and at Torrey Pines, so he’s certainly not playing his best golf right now. But if there’s a place he’s comfortable with, it is Augusta National. Can Lefty regain the form we’ve been used to for 25 years? We’ll find out Thursday.
HENRIK STENSON (18/1)
Little did most of you know that Henrik Stenson has quietly moved to the second ranked player in the world. He’s one of the most solid and consistent players on tour and got a big win last year in a very tough field in Dubai. He tied for 14th here last year, and comes in playing very well. His last three finishes are a T4 at the WGC-Cadillac, a solo 4th at Valspar, and a 2nd at Bay Hill. Stenson would be a very good bet.
ADAM SCOTT (20/1)
Still one my favorite players on Tour, world number six Adam Scott comes in with the experience of winning a green jacket two years ago. The former number one player in the world tied for fourth at the WGC-Cadillac, but missed the cut at the Valspar and tied for 35th at Bay Hill. But look at his body of work over the last four years here. He’s got a T2, a T8, a win, and a T14. I think it’s safe to say he’ll be in the mix.
JIMMY WALKER (22/1)
Have you ever seen a player that’s virtually unrecognizable as a top ten player? Meet Jimmy Walker. In case you didn’t know, Walker already has two wins this year, claiming titles at the Sony Open and just a few weeks ago at the Texas Open. He tied for eighth in his Masters debut a year ago and finished in the top ten in three of the four majors last year. The rest of you may finally get to know Jimmy Walker come Sunday evening.
PATRICK REED (28/1)
Golf’s newest bad boy, Patrick Reed, comes into Augusta ranked 15th in the world, already has a win in 2015 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, and a T2 at the Valspar. However, he missed the cut in his first and only appearance at the Masters last year. One thing is for sure this week. He’ll be entertaining.
RICKIE FOWLER (33/1)
Rickie Fowler’s 2015 season has not been going as well as I’m sure he would like it to. His best finish was a T12 at the WGC-Cadillac, but outside of that, we’ve seen a T46, a T61, a T41, a T29, and a 71st place finish. Not quite what I expected from this extremely talented player. After his 2014 major season that saw a T5 at The Masters, a T2 at the U.S. Open and Open Championship, and a T3 at the PGA Championship, let’s hope that Rickie’s been waiting for Augusta to flip on the switch. Things are really entertaining when this guy is involved on Sundays.
MATT KUCHAR (33/1)
Matt Kuchar started his 2015 nicely, with a T3 at Sony and a T2 at the Humana Challenge, but he’s been no better than 15th since, including a 70th place last week in Houston. But he always seems to play well at Augusta. The last three years have seen a T3, a T8, and a T5. This is where the world discovered Matt Kuchar. I’m sure he’d like it to be the place where he discovers what it’s like to win a major.
JUSTIN ROSE (33/1)
Where exactly is the 2013 U.S. Open champion version of Justin Rose? He’s played in five tournaments in 2015, missing the cut in three of them. When he did play the weekend, he finished 55th at the WGC-Cadillac and tied for 37th in Houston. He had a T14 here last year, but his best finish (T5) came eight years ago.
TIGER WOODS (33/1)
I’ve never seen the 111th ranked player in the world get so much attention. But then again, Tiger Woods hasn’t been ranked this low in nearly two decades. He hasn’t played a competitive round here in two years (he did finish tied for fourth in 2013), he’s only played 47 holes of tournament golf this year, shot a career worst 82 in Phoenix, and his short game is on the fritz. But if there’s anybody that could surprise us, it’s this guy. Like it or not, he’s still Tiger Woods. You know CBS is rooting for him.
So that’s the top ten and ties as far as the odds are concerned. But there’s more than 80 other players in the field this week. Can Sergio Garcia finally break through and win a major? I could ask the same question about Lee Westwood. Can more of the young guns like Billy Horschel or Bill Haas get hot? Can J.B. Holmes keep his momentum going? We do know that we’ll get a nice moment, most likely on Friday, when two-time winner Ben Crenshaw plays his final round at Augusta. But as far as the tournament is concerned, it’s anybody’s guess. And by anybody, I mean you. As you know I like to do, here’s your chance to vote for the winner of the 2015 Masters. I’ve got the fourteen from above listed, but if you think it’s going to be somebody else, just write them in.
[yop_poll id=”211″]
That just about does it for Binge Sports this time around. But not to worry, the NBA and NHL playoffs are right around the corner, and you know I’ll be here with wall-to-wall coverage. Until then, justify your pick below or hit me up on Twitter @BingeSports and/or @THElukenorris. Enjoy The Masters.