HOW TO MASTER AUGUSTA: BUBBA & JORDAN
Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth have won three of the past five Masters. So who better to guide you through the intricacies of Augusta National than the 2012, 2014 and 2015 champions?
Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth guide you through the intricacies of Augusta National.
Other than the fact, of course, that they both have Green Jackets hanging in their no doubt expansive closets, it is di cult to assert too many similarities between Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth. The 2012 and 2014 Masters champion Watson is a tall, lean, self-taught lefty who invokes incredulity with the ferocity of his driving and the extremity of his shot-shaping. In many ways, he is the epitome of the modern big-hitting Tour pro who can bring even the longest course to its knees with his raw power. Watson is also mercurial, tetchy and, dare we say, at times a little too precious.
The 2015 Masters champion Spieth is the articulate, impeccably mannered corporate-darling poster boy of the modern game. However, his aable demeanour disguises an intense killer instinct. Fellow Texan Ben Crenshaw’s first encounter with a 20-year-old Spieth left the 1984 and 1995 Masters champion reflecting that it was like “looking into the eyes of Wyatt Earp”. Spieth cannot overpower a course like Watson, and so relies on good old-fashioned preparation and course management to build a score. Blessed with a stunning short-game and a putting stroke to die for, he’s at his most comfortable on and around the greens.
It’s not surprising, then, to discover that Watson and Spieth take wildly contrasting approaches to overcoming the challenges provided by an often uncompromising Augusta National. Brian Wacker caught up with Watson and Spieth in Hawaii last month to talk to both players about how they play each and every hole. Over the next six pages, you’re given an all-access pass into the minds of two of the game’s modern greats and an invaluable lesson in strategy and course management.