There are the familiar favorites that you regularly see on the front page of the leaderboard - Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, and Tiger Woods - and there are also the 5,000 to 1 "long shots" which should also be considered as they were all major champions.
Ian Woosnam, Larry Mize, Sandy Lyle, and Jose Maria Olazabal; these four former champions still have a chance at winning The Masters...even at odds upwards of 3,000-1, according to the Action Network.Woosnam won The Masters in 1991, Mize won thirty years ago in 1987, Lyle had his moment in the sun in 1988 and Jose Maria Olazabal donned the green jacket twice, once in 1994 and again in 1999.
The chances of a sixty-something professional golfer are unheard of, putting Woosnam, Mize, and Lyle at a distinct disadvantage but, with strength training and better eating habits, a tour winner from the senior set is bound to happen.
Bernhard Langer won the Senior PGA Championship at fifty-nine years of age but, on the PGA Tour, the oldest winner in a PGA Tour tournament is said to be Slammin' Sammy Snead (52 years old, 1965 Greater Greensboro Open)
So, at fifty-three years of age, it stands to reason that Olazabal could win a third Masters - he has been playing against top pros like Langer and Singh on the Champions Tour and has been placing in the middle of the pack - he knows the Augusta golf course well and has eight top-10s there...
Olazabal could be the "comeback kid" from the list of former Masters champions!
Just because a golfer is considered a longshot, don't count him out - in 1999, Olazabal had 3000 to 1 odds. Time may not be on his side, or with the older set but experience often wins out over long hitters on Augusta National as long as the short game (and putting skills) are exceptional.
Enjoy watching The Masters this week and may the best golfer win!
Who is your choice to win The Masters? Let us know in the comments section of our Golf for Beginners blog and tag us on Twitter @Golf4Beginners with your pick!
Photo: Wikipedia
