If history serves as any guide at the Masters, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose should feel very good about their chances to slip on their first green jacket on Sunday evening.
Spieth, who is at 16-under 200 through 54 holes of the Masters, will be paired for the final round with 2013 U.S. Open champion Rose, who is four shots behind the 21-year-old Texan. So what’s the big deal? In the last 24 Masters, 20 champions have come from the final group on Sunday.
However, until Bubba Watson won his second Masters title last year from the final group – playing alongside Spieth, who then was vying to become youngest-ever Masters winner – the prior three Masters winner had come from outside the final group.
In 2011, Charl Schwartzel was tied for second place after three rounds, four shots behind Rory McIlroy. However, he wasn’t in the final group. The South African was one of nine players to hold at least a share of the lead on Sunday, but Schwartzel birdied the final four holes of the tournament – a Masters record – to win by two shots over Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott.
A year later, Watson wasn’t in the final group at Augusta National but the penultimate group with Louis Oosthuizen, who wound up meeting Watson in a sudden-death playoff for the green jacket. Watson shot 68, while Oosthuizen shot 69. Then on the second extra hole, Watson’s curved wedge from the pine straw led to a Masters-clinching par.
When Adam Scott ended the Aussie Masters curse in 2013, he did it from outside the final pairing as well. Like Watson the year prior, Scott was in the next-to-last group, a shot behind 54-hole co-leaders Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker. Scott’s 69 was good enough to tie Cabrera, who shot 70, and head to a playoff that again went two holes. This time, Scott made birdie to beat the 2009 champion and take his first major title.
Of course, like with investments, past results are not indicative of future performance – especially with the familiar Sunday hole locations at the Masters.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow @RyanBallengee
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