There are a bevy of ways to look at the Masters, but most of the time we focus on its champions. From Horton Smith to Danny Willett, only 50 men have ever slipped into a green jacket. They can be categorized and sliced and diced any which way, but today, I want to look at three of those and what that could mean for the 81st edition of this event.
Five wire-to-wire wins
- Craig Wood (1941)
- Arnold Palmer (1960)
- Jack Nicklaus (1972)
- Raymond Floyd (1976)
- Jordan Spieth (2015)
That’s a man-sized list. You go the distance at Augusta National, and you know you’ve accomplished a real feat. Winning any major is tough, but to go Thursday through Sunday with the weight of the most important tournament in the world on your shoulders takes some intestinal fortitude.
Long time, first time
Only six golfers have won this event for the first time after having played in 12 or more Masters, but the list is an incredible one. Those six golfers are as follows:
- Adam Scott (12 tries)
- Raymond Floyd (12)
- Phil Mickelson (12)
- Ben Crenshaw (13)
- Billy Casper (14)
- Mark O’Meara (15)
The average number of attempts before getting your first Masters is six. Among the favorites, this is Dustin Johnson’s eighth Masters. It is Rory McIlroy’s ninth and Jason Day’s seventh.
Age is a number
There are a couple of records that could fall this year. The youngest two-time winner is in play. Jack Nicklaus was 25-years old when he pulled it off in 1965. Jordan Spieth is 23. The oldest winner is also in play, Nicklaus was 46 years and just shy of three months in 1986 when he grabbed his sixth. Phil Mickelson is 46 and nearly 10 months.
Some other interesting age stats:
- Average age of winner: 32.5
- Average age of first-time winner: 31.2
- Average age of two-time winner: 32.9
I don’t want to jinx it, but Johnson checks the average age box almost exactly. He will be 32.8 during the tournament. He’s won three in a row, too, and looking to become just the second golfer other than Tiger Woods since 1953 to win four straight on the PGA Tour.
