The 2020 virtual Masters: The 10 statistical favorites

Gary Player, 1961, 1974, 1978 (1959-1968), -1.25

Imagine a championship event at which Gary Player, in his peak, is only the tenth favorite. That’s how stacked the virtual Masters field is.

Player is the only non-American among the front rank of contenders. Curiously, two of his three victories fall outside his period of peak performance, which was from 1959 through 1968.

During that decade Player turned his 1961 victory into the first of five consecutive top 5 finishes. Only once during that span –in 1966 – was he outside the top 10. By contrast, his 1974 and 1978 Green Jackets are isolates: his 1975 through 1977 finishes were t30, t28 and t19.

Player’s 1961 victory is memorable as much for what Arnold Palmer did – making a double bogey on the final hole – as for Player’s play. Player actually led by four strokes entering the final round, but he played the 10th through 15th holes Sunday in four over par to give Palmer the temporary lead.

He came as close as it’s possible to come to stringing back-to-back titles, taking Palmer and Dow Finsterwald to a playoff in 1962 before losing with a 71 to Palmer’s 68; Finsterwald shot 77.

When Jack Nicklaus ran away with the 1965 championship, Player in second place stood five back through three rounds. He finished with a 73 that allowed Arnold Palmer to catch him for the honor of running runner-up, nine shots aft of Nicklaus’ enormous wake.

Virtual Masters projection: 10th.

On Tuesday, we will look at a dozen golfers who shouldn’t be overlooked. Although they aren’t among the top ten, they still have a strong chance, come the playing of the Virtual Masters.