The Masters: Ranking the 25 most exceptional performances at Augusta
By Bill Felber
12. Bubba Watson, 2014 Masters, 280 (-8), Std. Deviation -2.48
By the time the 2014 tournament teed off, Bubba Watson was already a legend at Augusta National for his remarkable 2012 playoff victory. That one, over Louis Oosthuizen, featured his physics-defying wedge out of the woods on the second playoff hole that seemed to bend 90 degrees before alighting in the middle of the green.
In 2014, Watson needed no such feats of magic, just steady play.
His first round 69 placed Watson in a three-way tie for second with Oosthuizen and Adam, Scott, all of them one shot behind Bill Haas. Watson raced through Friday’s back nine, successively birdying holes 12 through 16 on his way to a 68 that left him three in front of John Senden.
But a lethargic Saturday 74 cost him all of that lead; he began the final round deadlocked with Jordan Spieth, both at five under par 211.
Sunday’s final round may as well have been contested at match play, none of the other competitors making a run at the lead. Spieth seized that lead with a birdie on two, expanded it to two shots when Watson bogeyed No. 3, but gave a stroke back on five.
Following his third hole mis-step, Watson turned up his game, making four birdies on the front nine’s final six holes. His 33 allowed him to make the turn two ahead of Spieth, who took 35.
The outcome was settled at the par 5 13th when Watson birdied to extend his lead to three strokes. He played it safe from that point in, and Spieth was never able to make a charge at him.
Afterward, Watson told reporters he felt vindicated by his performance, particularly given the extraordinary circumstances that had surrounded his 2012 win. “The first one I kind of lucked into,” he said. “This is a lot of hard work.”