Final Thoughts on the 2014 Masters: Bubba Watson wins his 2nd Masters to join elite company.

Bubba Watson won his 2nd Masters and in the process, joined all kinds of elite company. He is now a 2-Time Masters Champion, and 2-Time Major Winner. Watson is one of only 78 Multiple Major winners in the history of golf, and one only 17 golfers to win the Masters more than once. This is the list of two-time Masters winners that Bubba Watson has now joined, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw, Bernard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, and Horton Smith. That reads like part of a list of golfers in the Hall of Fame. Remember that Hall of Fame, we’ll talk more on that in the moment.

Before the tournament I said Watson was playing well enough to win the Masters if he could keep his emotions in check. He did keep his emotions under control even after falling behind Jordan Spieth on the front 9. Watson’s prodigious length makes him a a threat every time he tees it up at Augusta, and with two wins already this season, he could be headed towards towards a truly special season. We also have to consider at only age 35 Bubba Watson, may in fact be on the way to a Hall of Fame Career.

Sound crazy? The Golf Hall of Fame requires 15 or more top World Tour victories, or 2 Major Champion victories. Watson has two of those, and 6 PGA victories. Should he win a handful more tour events and another major, that Hall of Fame entry may not sound  so far fetched. That’s what a 2nd major championship can do for one’s career.

• Jordan Spieth is going to be a super star. At only 20 years old, his resume is already impressive. A 2-time US Junior Amateur winner, a College Golf All-American, and already a PGA Tour winner, he very nearly became the youngest Masters winner in history. He finished T-2 and looks to have major championship ability. Playing alongside Watson he got a great lesson in how to win a Masters that I’m sure he won’t forget. Spieth’s future seems incredibly bright, and I expect he’s going to win a lot of tournaments.
• Rory Mcilory was one of only two golfers to play both weekend rounds under par to end up T-8. Mcilory continues to get his game back in order after last season’s struggles. It’s only a matter of time before he wins another major.
• Phil Mickelson’s slow start to the year continues. He missed the cut at this week’s Masters. For Mickelson it seems his singular focus is the U.S Open this year to try and win the career grand slam, but you can’t like his results so. It’s very difficult to just try and turn things around in a given week, but if anyone can it’s Phil Mickelson, but you would certainly like to see him start playing better.
• One of the great things about the Masters is how veteren plays can still compete and do well there. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Bernhard Langer both part of the 50 something group, finished in the top 10. Fred Couples stayed on the leaderboard throughout the tournament before a back nine 9 on Sunday. Eventually someone is going break Jack Nicklaus’s record of oldest Master’s winner. There are just too many good players in their mid 40s and early 50, that keep showing up on the Masters leaderboard year after and year.
• Tigers Woods saw another major go by without a victory. This time due to injury he never even started the tournament. Those chances of catching Jack Nicklaus’s all-time major record just keeps getting slimmer and slimmer.
• Lee Westwood again finished in the top 10 of a major. This was an astonishing 12th top 10 in a major for Westwood since 2008. To be honest I just don’t think it’s ever going to happen for Westwood. He may be destined to be this generations Colin Montgomerie. I do believe he’s got a few more serious major runs him, but a win? I don’t know.
• My pre-tournament favorite Matt Kuchar, had a good tournament ending up 5th. That was his 3rd straight top 10 at Augusta. Kuchar has turned himself into one of the best golfers in the world, but he just couldn’t get any momentum going after front nine double bogey at number 4. Kuchar will be on my short list major favorites going into the U.S Open. Kuchar is getting close real close to that first major.