The Masters 2016: 6 potential winners
By Andy Erk
5. Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen was all but forgotten just a few years back when he went out with a bad back. Oosthuizen has battled back issues for the past few years, but finally seems to be back to his pre-back issue form. Armed with an easy looking, powerhouse of a swing, Louis could easily find himself in contention at Augusta.
It was only four years ago that Louis finished second at the 2012 Masters to Bubba Watson, where Bubba hit that miracle hook around the tree on the second playoff hole. Since the 2012 Masters, Oosthuizen missed the cut in 2013, finished 25th in 2014 and had a 19th place finish in 2015. On top of this, compared to the others on the list so far, he has experience winning a Major. Oosthuizen dominated the 2010 Open Championship winning the tournament by seven strokes. That experience can’t go unnoticed when picking favorites for any tournament, especially Major Championships.
Looking at Oosthuizen’s stats it is hard to picture that he is the 11th ranked golfer in the world. He doesn’t find himself in the top 25 of any major stat category on the PGA Tour, according to the PGA Tour stats page. This guy is fourth on the list with numbers like that?! Hear me out, Louis is one of those golfers who finds his way into contention at events. Look at his performance this season: 14th at the WGC Cadillac, seventh at the Vaslpar, second at the WGC Dell Match Play. Even with a missed cut at the Shell Houston Open, Louis has been playing his best golf in years.
Louis is sneaky and has faired well at Augusta, while not the most popular pick by many, his beautiful swing, seemingly healthy back and a previous Major winning experience, places Louis as a favorite for me this week.
Next: 4. Jordan Spieth