US Masters 2016: Live coverage on the final day at Augusta
Jordan Spieth had the Masters in the bag before a remarkable implosion let Danny Willett in for victory | WATCH
Englishman Danny Willett has taken advantage of a stunning meltdown by defending champion Jordan Spieth to win his first major title at the 80th Masters.
FINAL LEADERBOARD: Danny Willett -5; Jordan Spieth -2; Lee Westwood-2; Paul Casey -1; BJ Holmes -1;Dustin Johnson -1;Matthew Fitzpatrick Even.; Søren Kjeldsen Even; Hideki Matsuyama Even. Others:Jason Day +1; Rory McIlroy +1; Sergio Garcia +8; Bubba Watson +9; Adam Scott +11.
10.50am: And that concludes our live coverage of the 2016 Masters, we’ll leave the last word to Willett. “Obviously Sandy (Lyle) and Nick (Faldo) were the last two Brits, a long, long time ago. And to follow up with them it’s fantastic. They were great champions to win the Masters. And I still can’t believe I’m going to be in and amongst them. And in the Champions locker room. It really boggles me.”
Meanwhile, you can check out some of the most famous Masters meltdowns, including Greg Norman’s 1996 collapse, here.
10.25am: It was another miserable Masters for Rory McIlroy as he failed in his bid to become just the sixth player to win all four majors. The four-time major winner came in with a creditable 71, but that left him on 1-over for the tournament, six shots worse off than winner Danny Willett.
“Yeah, this is the one that I haven’t won and this is the one I want to win more than anything else,” he said. “I won a Claret Jug (British Open), I want to win more. I won a Wanamaker (PGA Championship), I won the US Open, but this is the one that I haven’t. Once I overcome that mental hurdle that I’m struggling with at the minute, then I know how to play this course.
10.10am: The comparisons with 20 years ago are hard to ignore. Nick Faldo, the last Englishman to win the Masters, also shot a bogey-free 67 in a final round remembered just as much for Greg Norman throwing away a six-shot lead. Fate? Willett thinks so: he always had this Sunday circled on his calendar - the due date of his first child, who was born last week.
9.45am: Golf can be a cruel game. After his on-course meltdown Spieth, as last year’s champion, has had to present the green jacket to Willett. The American looked as though he was fighting back the tears but Willett is all smiles after winning the Masters and becoming a father for the first time this week.
9.30am: It is hard to move past the fact that 20 years ago Greg Norman suffered a similar implosion at Augusta. How will Spieth move on from this? But for England it is a first Masters success since that day in 1996, when Nick Faldo won the last of his three green jackets.
9.20am: Jordan Spieth is gracious in defeat but the American is hurting. “It’s tough, really tough. Just a lack of discipline. It was juts a very tough 30 minutes for me.”
Also a tough day, in fact four days, for Jason Day who finished with a one-over-par 73 to finish tied for tenth. Earlier, Adam Scott shot 76 to finish +11 for the tournament and tied for 42.
The proudest man in the UK tonight? Danny Willett’s brother PJ whose Twitter timeline is definitely worth a visit.
Speechless.I once punched that kid in the head for hurting my pet rat.Now look.#bbcgolf #TheMasters
— P J Willett (@P_J_Willett) April 10, 2016
9.10am: No, it is a par for Spieth on the 18th and a final round of 73 to finish three behind the champion. Jack Nicklaus remains the youngest player to ever win two Masters and Willett is the winner at Augusta. Remarkable last two hours.
9.05am: Spieth will just want to get out of here as quickly as possibly but will have to present Willett with the green jacket, as Augusta tradition dictates. A remarkable collapse from Spieth after four straight birdies on holes six through nine. He then dropped six shots in the next three holes, including a 7 at the par three 12th. His approach shot to the 18th at least leaves him with a 25-footer for birdie and chance to finish second outright.
.@Danny_Willett well done that man.... And I new baby that was due today... The name Augusta sounds pretty good.
— Ian Poulter (@IanJamesPoulter) April 10, 2016
Looking like pie and mash for the champions dinner next year! #Willett #TheMasters
— Luke Donald (@LukeDonald) April 10, 2016
9am: Great scenes from the clubhouse as the cameras catch Danny Willett on Facetime with his wife Nicole, who gave birth last week. It is midnight in the UK but she won’t mind - Spieth has to settle for a bogey on the 17th and her husband is about to become Masters champion.
8.55am: Danny Willett has been speaking to the BBC after his superb bogey-free round. Willett nearly gave the tournament a miss as his wife was due to give birth this week. “It’s not like we slowly crept into the lead - Jordan chucked a number in at 12 so it was a weird one. Luckily enough I was able to keep my head on and keep composed. There’s two holes left and the boy can do most things. My wife was born on this day 28 years ago, my little boy was due today...you never know.”
Spieth on 17 - and his approach shot is well short. It would take an extraordinary effort to deny Willett now.
8.45am: More frustration for Spieth as a makeable birdie attempt at 16 slips by. It is a simple equation for the American now. Two birdies in the final two holes or Willett is the Masters champion.
Relieve some of the tension by checking out the most remarkable hole-in-one you will ever see by Louis Oosthuizen at the 16th.
8.35am: Hold on a second. Spieth is not done yet and shows plenty of heart to sink a knee-trembling six-footer on the 15th for birdie. He needs two birdies from the final three holes to force a playoff. An hour ago this tournament was sleepwalking its way to a conclusion - could we be headed for a grandstand finale? Meanwhile, a double bogey on 17 has ended Dustin Johnson’s chances.
8.30am: A brilliant 67 from Willett and the Englishman is in the clubhouse at -5 for the tournament. No European has won at Augusta since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999. That will change unless Spieth can somehow conjure up a bit of magic over the closing stretch.
8.25am: Dustin Johnson finds the bunker on 17 and that could be the end of his challenge. Willett finds the fairway with his drive on 18 and his 7-iron approach is safely on the green. Par at worst for the world No. 12 and means Spieth needs to somehow find three birdies on the final four holes to tie.
8.15am: Willett makes his par on the 17th and one more par down the 18th could see him leave Augusta with the green jacket. The Englishman tied sixth in last year’s Open but only made his Masters debut last year, finishing tied for 38th.
Meanwhile, if you can bear to watch, check out Spieth’s implosion below.
8.10am: Spieth shows a lot of heart to get down in two at the 13th for birdie to move to within three of the leader, with plenty of opportunities for birdie remaining. But his drive at the 14th is in all sorts of trouble, finding the trees down the left.
8am: It is all happening at Augusta now. Lee Westwood sinks a monster on the 15th for eagle to move to within one of Willett. And Dustin Johnson has an eagle putt on the 15th to tie with the leader. Spieth’s troubles continue on the par 5 13. After a wonderful drive his second slips long and he’ll do well to make a birdie.
But then Willett sinks his birdie putt on the par three 16th to go two clear at the top of the leaderboard.
7.50am: And it is a 7 from Spieth at the par three 12th. He falls to -1. Remember, he was -7 after the ninth, We have a new leader.
7.45am: This is remarkable. Not long ago, Spieth had a five-shot lead but the champion has found water at the 12th. It was 20 years ago that Greg Norman suffered his Augusta implosion, will we see the same today? Spieth finds water again with his third and then the bunker with his fifth. We really have a tournament now - and Spieth could be out of it.
7.35am: Paul Casey is now the clubhouse leaders after a wonderful 67 leaves him on the -1 mark. An eagle putt from Dustin Johnson slips by but Chris Willett sinks another birdie on the 14th to move within two shots of Spieth. Make that one; Spieth makes bogey on the 11.
7.25am: Glimmer of hope for the others? A rare Spieth bogey on the tenth followed by a wayward drive on the 11th that nestles into the trees. Day misses the par 5 13th green with his second shot as the Aussie’s struggles continue.
7.15am: Incredible hole-in-one on the 16th from Louis Oosthuizen! His tee shot finds the heart of the green, bumps into playing partner JB Holmes’ ball and trickles into the hole.
Meanwhile, another birdie attempt by Day trickles past the hole on the 11th, and his tee shot on the par three 12th leaves him with a lot of work for his birdie.
It is the third hole-in-one on the 16th today. Check out the aces from Shane Lowry and Davis Love III.
7.06am: This is turning into one of the great Augusta performances from Spieth. After a solid approach into the ninth the American sinks the 21 footer for a fourth birdie in a row. Remember, the 22-year-old is looking to surpass Jack Nicklaus to become the youngest two-time Masters winner.
7am: Day agonisingly short with a rescue attempt on the tenth to fall back to +1 and is that the end of the world No.1’s challenge?
6.55am: Superb from Spieth. A three-footer on the par five eighth makes it three birdies on the spin and the champion moves to -6 for the tournament. Day plays through the trees on the tenth but has a lot of work left to rescue a par.
6.45am: Matthew Fitzpatrick cards a 67 for the clubhouse lead of level oar. Fine round from the young Englishman. More frustration for Day on the par four 10th as he leaks an approach shot to the left of the green. Will struggle to get up and down.
6.35am: Great save on the ninth for Day to stay at level for the tournament. It is all going wrong for McIlroy though; the Northern Irishman is +1 for the day and +3 for the tournament and has just found water at the 11th.
6.30am: Back-to-back birdies for Spieth after a beautiful approach shot on the seventh. And then he booms a drive down the eighth, splitting the fairway. Good recovery from Day on the ninth after he finds the trees with his drive but leaves himself with a monster birdie attempt.
6.25am: Englishman Lee Westwood has never won a major but is in red figures for the day after a birdie on the ninth. Dustin Johnson just short with an eagle attempt on the eighth but he is now level for the tournament.
6.20am: Is this the start of a charge from Day? He has made a testing birdie putt on the eighth and is now within four of the leader and par for the day. England’s Paul Casey just short with an eagle putt on the 14th but taps in and that is -4 for the day for the Englishman, level for the tournament,
6.15am: Big putt for Jordan Spieth on the par three sixth for birdie after that dropped shot on the fifth. That is why he is champion. He now leads the field by two.
EARLY WRAP-UP
Spieth had held firm in the lead on the final day of the Masters on Sunday.
The defending champion started the day with a one-shot lead and a birdie at the second allowed him to pull three strokes clear by the fourth hole. However, a dropped shot at the fifth gave the chasing pack hope again.
Playing partner Smylie Kaufman fell away with bogeys at the second and fourth holes as did German veteran Bernhard Langer, who opened with a bogey and then dropped two more shots at the third.
Closest to 4-under Spieth was Dane Soren Kjeldsen, who picked up shots at the third and fifth to get to 1-under, the same mark as Kaufman and England’s Danny Willett, who had a birdie at the sixth.
World number one Jason Day was 1-over after a wayward approach shot at the fifth, while Rory McIlroy stayed at 2-over through eight holes.
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