Imagining The Best and Worst Case Scenarios For 10 At The Masters

9. Jordan Spieth

Best Case: Augusta National continues to be a happy hunting ground for Jordan Spieth in 2022 as he turns in his most memorable performance to date. The putter that was ice cold in San Antonio last week suddenly sparks back to life, and a week after gaining over ten strokes from tee to green Jordan is able to replicate that at the Masters. The result is glorious as he wins by an astonishing eight shots over the rest of the field, doubling his previous margin of victory at Augusta when he won by four shots in 2015.

After winning his fourth Major Championship, and second at Augusta, Jordan starts a petition to have every event played at Augusta National. The proposal is quickly shot down and Jordan decides to take some time off by taking a vacation trip to Fiji.

Worst Case: Spieth is so convinced that he will turn things around on the familiar Augusta greens this week that he has a custom golden putter made specifically for this week. The idea that his putter could remain cold is beyond him, and he wants to look great as he makes nearly everything at the 2022 Masters. Well, that does not happen, not even close as Spieth continues to struggle with the flat stick. This comes a week after he lost over seven strokes putting in San Antonio.

Jordan is horrified as he has one of the best ball-striking performances of his career and yet can’t buy a putt. He manages to make the cut but finishes a career-worst 49th at Augusta. The golden putter has got to go, so he decides to gift it to the 2022 Masters winner Jon Rahm after his sensational performance on the greens this week.

10. Xander Schauffele

Best Case: Xander Schauffele enters the 2022 Masters with fresh memories of another nearly finish at Augusta last year when he finished 3rd. It was his second top-three finish over the last three years at the Masters. He has been accused throughout his career of not winning any big events, this in spite of the fact that he won an Olympic Golf Medal last summer. He also has won a World Golf Championship event, a Tournament of Champions event, and twice at East Lake.

The doubters and naysayers are silenced after he finally wins his first major this week in the most dramatic fashion. The Sunday leaderboard in 2022 shapes out similarly to how things played out in 2019 with Xander, Brooks, DJ, and the incredible Tiger Woods once again at the top. It’s another nail-biting finish on Masters Sunday until Schauffele takes the decisive lead on the same hole that was his undoing in 2021, the par 3, 16th. He nearly records an ace after a spectacular tee shot but instead has to settle for what turns out to be the winning birdie.

Worst Case: Xander once again finds himself in contention at a Major Championship as he goes into Sunday within striking distance of the lead, yet again. He is so determined to not repeat his mistake on 16 again in 2022, that he overlooks another little par 3 hole, the iconic 12th. It is hard to envision that anyone could take Golden Bell lightly, especially after iconic collapses on Sunday there, by players like Jordan Spieth in 2016, and Francesco Molinari in 2019.

Schauffele does though, and his lack of focus and execution ends his Masters’ dreams. Then, as if things can’t get any worse for Xander, he is required to answer questions once again about another critical mistake on a par 3 at Augusta National. Articles are written about his collapse for months to come, and the question of whether he can win a big event remains a topic of conversation around the talented player.