Ranking the 9 most obscure Masters champions

By Joel Beall

Now that the Masters reign of Danny Willett has come to an end, we rank his standing -- for now, at least -- among the unknown entities that won a green jacket.

Photo by J.D. Cuban

Herman Keiser -- 1946

How he won: A WWII vet, Keiser's final-round 74 held off a charging Ben Hogan to win by one.Compelling narrative: Keiser was an outsider, and by his account, members of Augusta National tried to keep him from winning. Grantland Rice tried to assess Keiser with a slow-play penalty, which he had no authority to do. The club gave him the wrong tee time . . . and a 13-year-old caddie. Some of this could be apocryphal, but others throughout the years have validated some of Keiser’s claims.How obscure was he: Only one other major top-10 finish in his career.

Larry Mize -- 1987

How he won: In a playoff, ripped the heart out of Greg Norman with a chip-in from 140 feet on the 11th hole that provided one of the best shots in Masters history.Compelling narrative: Mize is an Augusta native and grew up playing Augusta Country Club -- on the other side of the fence from Amen Corner, where Mize would clinch the title. Oh, and did we mention the chip on the 11th?How obscure was he: Had one tour win on his resume four years prior.

Trevor Immelman -- 2008

How he won: Despite shooting final-round 75, cruised to three-shot victory as entire field struggled in tough conditions.Compelling narrative: Underwent surgery to remove a noncancerous tumor on his diaphragm four months before win.How obscure was he: Not a household name, but won 2006 Rookie of the Year and was 29th in world rankings before capturing green jacket.

Charles Coody -- 1971

How he won: Tied with Jack Nicklaus entering Sunday, Coody beat the Golden Bear to win the green jacket by two.Compelling narrative: Redemption, as Coody lost the ‘69 Masters thanks to bogeys on the final three holes.How obscure was he: Two previous wins, the Masters would be his final victory on tour.

Tommy Aaron -- 1973

How he won: Shot a 68 in the final round to beat JC Snead by one.Compelling narrative: Almost had to go into a playoff after partner Johnny Miller marked him down for a wrong score.How obscure was he: Aaron was -- and frankly, still is -- known for incorrectly marking Roberto De Vicenzo for a “4” instead of a “3” on the 71st hole of the ‘68 Masters to cost the Argentinian a playoff shot for the green jacket, rather than for merits of his own. Won three times in his career; after Masters, never finished inside top 25 at major.

Charl Schwartzel -- 2011

How he won: Fired final-round 66 while leader Rory McIlroy posted an 80.Compelling narrative: Finished with four consecutive birdies . . . but seriously, what happened to Rory?How obscure was he: A rising star on the European and Sunshine Tours, and a top-30 player in the world, but Masters win was his introduction to many around the globe.

Danny Willett -- 2016

How he won: Shot Sunday 67, aided by a certain someone's quadruple bogey at the 12th hole.Compelling narrative: The guy not named Jordan Spieth who won the Masters.How obscure was he: Top 15 player in the world, but relatively unknown outside of England.

Mike Weir -- 2003

How he won: Shot Sunday 68 and beat Len Mattiace in an ugly playoff (5 to 6).Compelling narrative: First left-handed player -- and Canadian -- to win the Masters.How obscure was he: Because his game fell apart after his Masters triumph, history has not looked kindly on Weir. But in the moment, he was far from a Cinderella, with five tour victories -- including a WGC event and the 2001 Tour Championship -- before slipping on the green jacket.

Zach Johnson -- 2007

How he won: Shot a final-round 69 in windy conditions, winning with the highest score (289) in tournament history.Compelling narrative: Dispelled notion a player has to be a bomber to win at Augusta: Johnson failed to reach a par 5 in two during the week.How obscure was he: This has aged well, as Johnson added the claret jug to his resume. However, his only pre-Masters win was the 2004 BellSouth Classic, a lower-tier tour event. Entered week outside the top 50 in the world.