Standout Moments from the 2015 Masters
Jordan Spieth at the 2015 Masters, image: thebiglead.com
From chasing Jordan to Tiger’s turnaround, the 2015 Masters provided golf fans with the thrill and excitement that only the fairways of Augusta National can bring.
This year’s event belonged to none other than Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old Texas sensation that has led a new generation of golf pros into the spotlight in sophisticated form, capturing the attention of fans and audiences both young and old. Jordan’s four-day stint in Augusta shattered long held records by some of golf’s most prestigious players, all while demonstrating to the world an unwavering professional performance.
Of course, the current Masters champion wasn’t the only shining star during last week’s event, as other players including Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods fought for leftover limelight through the tournament.
These are some of our favorite moments to come out of Augusta National Golf Club during this year’s Masters tournament.
Sunday Highlights At Augusta National
The most exciting day of the Masters is by far the final round. The Sunday finale wraps up in epic form, four long days of tense competition between the best golfers in the world. It’s where the dreams of every pro golfer can be realized or shattered with one incredible putter stroke or a single shank into the trees.
- Justin Rose Flirts With No. 7– Speaking of the trees, the shot of the tournament was almost Justin Rose’s third shot on the 7th hole during the final round. Chasing Spieth’s lead throughout Sunday’s event, Rose hit it in the trees off the tee and had trouble getting it back in the fairway with his second shot. While his third shot didn’t have any trees in the way, it was still a very hard chip shot on a hard surface that almost fell in (watch here). Unfortunately, that shot would be indicative of Rose’s Masters performance: while his four-day showing at 14-under was incredibly impressive, it just didn’t hit the mark.
- Tiger Woods Is Back– At least, we hope he’s back. Amid a season chock full of injuries, ailments, and all-time highs from one tournament to the next, the four-time Masters champion certainly turned heads during this year’s event. Although Tiger’s performance didn’t hearken to his success at Masters past – putting a decade between this year and the last time he donned the green jacket – it was a decent showing for his first tournament event since February, finishing the week 5-under while placing 17th.
- No. 1 In the World, For Now– After Jordan Spieth’s unrelenting performance at the PGA tour season’s first major, Rory McIlroy has got to be a little worried about his long-coveted No. 1 position in the world golf rankings. While the four-time major champion and new face of Nike Golf, is still holding on to the No. 1 spot, Jordan Spieth is now a close second. With Spieth’s recent streak, No. 2 is probably too close for comfort for the Irishman.
Other Highlights from Tea Olive to Holly
Everyone may be talking about the man of the hour, Jordan Spieth, but there was plenty of excitement elsewhere on the course at Augusta National during the first major tournament of the year.
Jimmy Walker may have finished the week with a 1-over 289, but he still took home the title for the most insane shot of the tournament. Walker’s shot from the bunker onto the 4th hole green during Sunday’s event took the long way around before sweeping into the hole for birdie. Check it out here.
Phil Mickelson also retained his title as the best runner-up in professional golf, sharing the second-place tie with Justin Rose at 14-under for the tournament. Interestingly enough, in the 79 years the Masters tournament has been played, Rose’s and Mickelson’s scores would have been good enough to win 74 of them.
That would certainly make most pros feel better about their performance, but when it comes to chasing a kid that’s been determined to take the Masters since he was a teenager, 14-under just isn’t good enough.
