Masters Dark Horses: 10 Under the Radar Picks for Augusta

Jim Furyk

OWGR: 50th

Odds: 125/1

It’s been nearly 15 years since Furyk won his first and only major title, but this 46-year-old still has what it takes to compete with the best of the best. If he can draw upon his wealth of experience and find some good fortune on the greens, he’ll have a chance to pass the great Jack Nicklaus as the oldest Masters champion in history.

Although he’ll qualify for the Champions Tour in less than five years, Furyk defied his age by contending at last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, rocketing onto the first page of the leaderboard thanks to a final round 66. That’s exactly the kind of firepower he’ll need to compete at Augusta, where he’s notched nine top 15 finishes in his career. Furthermore, while his results to this point in the year have been underwhelming, he’s been statistically strong. On the new season, the Pennsylvania native ranks fourth in driving accuracy and 18th in strokes gained: putting.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a player of Furyk’s age come out on top at a major — Hall of Famer Julius Boros, at age 48, is the only player in history to have done it. With just one PGA Tour win in the last six years, Furyk lacks the killer instinct of a Woods or a Mickelson, but if he’s going to give us a major thrill as he rides off into the sunset, you have to think it’s coming soon.