The Masters: What we learned from Augusta National in 2014

JS – Well, whatever you think about Bubba Watson, that was a champion’s performance on Masters Sunday. Jordan Spieth put his fellow American under pressure in the early stages but Bubba responded. The question now is how many Green Jackets can Bubba win?

DM – My abiding memory of the week will be Bubba’s tee shot on the 13th. It was in the air for what seemed like hours on a line that looked different to any I have seen. Then it landed and he had a wedge in. As Ken Brown said, ridiculoso. Whatever that means.

JS – It was a shame no one really came from the pack as we may have been expecting on the final day. It was nice to see Rory finish well but the damage was done in his second round. I felt he put too much pressure on himself and got very frustrated when things didn’t go his way. It will happen, he just needs to be patient.

DM – Rory must be torn between being convinced that he will win at least four Green Jackets and terrified that he is going to make a mess of it every season. People say that the course is made for Bubba, but it’s just the same for Rory. He should be almost unbeatable around Augusta but he hasn’t yet quite made it happen. He looks to me like he snatches at the week as a whole because he knows he should be winning the Masters.

JS – I was hugely impressed with the way Bubba kept his emotions in check right up until the 18th green. Spieth came firing out of the blocks but Bubba responded. I had worried about Bubba if he went into the final round with a lead on his own. Spieth was a big story this week and that also helped take a bit of the focus away from Bubba and that certainly helped him.

DM –  I think Bubba was helped by Spieth’s succession of unlikely birdies on the front nine. The truth is that neither of them began convincingly but they did score very well. Because Spieth was going forward it made Bubba play properly and stop trying to protect his position. He’s a far better golfer when he plays with positive intent.

No one came at Bubba and his course management was very sound coming home. JS – It was a very strange tournament with the likes of Jimenez, Bjorn and Couples in contention on Sunday rather than Donald, Garcia, Dustin Johnson or Phil Mickelson. I think everyone was impressed with the way Jordan Spieth played but I thought we learned just as much from his post-round interviews. For a 20-year-old he has a very mature head on his shoulders. He admitted he has learned more from coming second than he would shave from winning it. It would be easy for him to get caught up in the moment but he was always able to summarise his thoughts in a calm and considered manner.

DM – I was hugely impressed by Jonas Blixt. So many others in his position would have fallen away late on but to make eight pars and a birdie on the back nine in that atmosphere was wonderfully steady and gutsy stuff. I’m sure we’ll all be watching him closely in the coming months – as will Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

JS – Indeed. Speith v Blixt in the singles at Gleneagles. Bring it on.

DM – It was a flat back nine, truth told. No one came at Bubba and his course management was very sound coming home.

JS – Looking at the leaderboard before Sunday’s round started, I was excited by the potential stories that might unfold. Westwood, Rose, Scott and Poulter had all left themselves too much to do but it would have been fascinating if one of those could have put a charge together. In fairness the tournament slightly fizzled out once Bubba got two shots clear. Full credit to the American though, he was a very worthy winner and closed it out very professionally.

DM – I think the event did lack something in the absence of Tiger all week and Phil for the weekend. In the circumstances, it was crying out for Rory or Adam to do something special and it didn’t quite happen.

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