Three times out of the last 10. That’s how often a player inside the top 10 of the official world golf rankings has won the Masters over the past decade. Despite the rich history and prestigious list of players who have donned the green jacket, Augusta National has actually lent itself to producing a surprise champion.
Jack Nicklaus won six Masters tournaments over his career. Tiger Woods has notched five green jackets. But names like Danny Willett, Charl Schwartzel, Trevor Immelman and Mike Weir have all come out of nowhere to win the Masters. Even household names like Patrick Reed, Angel Cabrera and Zach Johnson, who have all slipped on the green jacket, caught many off guard by winning at Augusta.