The 2020 virtual Masters: The 10 statistical favorites
By Bill Felber
Jordan Spieth, 2015 (2014-2019), -1.56
Spieth has competed in only six Masters, but his record since his 2014 debut merits this high a placement among the virtual Masters favorites.
As a tournament rookie in 2014, he shared the third-round lead with Bubba Watson and led by two through four holes of play on Sunday. But a bogey on the 8th hole, which Watson birdied, evened the score, and Watson took charge with another birdie on nine, Spieth again bogeying.
With Spieth producing nothing more dramatic than one-over-par golf on the back nine, Watson came home three strokes in front.
One year later there was no stopping Spieth. His opening 64 gave him a three-stroke advantage, he expanded it to five on Friday and was never really threatened, finishing four up on Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose.
He looked like a certain repeat champion in 2016, carrying a three-stroke lead to the 12th tee on Sunday. Then a pair of balls in Rae’s Creek produced a quadruple-bogey seven that dumped Spieth a stroke behind Danny Willett, who came home three-under-par to consign Spieth to a tie with Lee Westwood for second.
He tied for fourth in 2017 and for ninth in 2018 before producing his only run-of-the-mill Masters, a tie for 21st in 2019.