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SPORTSTuesday 12 April 2016
Willetts jacket
Continued from page 17
feel very fortunate to be
standing here, and you not
putting the jacket on your-
self again.”
This was Spieth’s to lose,
and he did just that in mat-
ter of three holes.
Staked to a five-shot lead
going to the back nine, Spi-
eth found a bunker at No.
10 and made bogey. He
hit into the trees right of
the 11th fairway that led to
another bogey. And then
one swing changed every-
thing. Spieth chose to fade
a 9-iron toward the right
pin on the par-3 12th and
came up short and into the
water. Going to the drop
zone for an awkward dis-
tance, he hit his wedge so
fat that it found the water
again.
The quadruple-bogey 7
put him three shots behind.
Those are the shots for
which this Masters will be
remembered, at least
in the immediate future.
The images are not Wil-
lett clenching his fist when
he made three birdies on
the last six holes, but Spi- of him doing what he did,
ethhanging his head as a
five-shot lead turned into a
three-shot deficit.
“It was a really tough
30 minutes for me,” Spi-
eth said, “that hopefully I
never experience again.”
Two weeks ago, Faldo was
reminiscing about his six-
shot comeback to beat
Norman in 1996. Everyone
Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Nigel de Jong, left, crashes into
Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe during the sec-
ond half of an MLS soccer game in Carson, Calif., Sunday April
10, 2016. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. goal canceled out Fernan-
remembers the short putts Masters champion Danny Willett, of England, gives a thumbs up after winning the Masters golf
the Shark missed, the tee tournament Sunday, April 10, 2016, in Augusta, Ga.
shot into the water on No.
12 that cost him the lead, Associated Press
and the 78 on his card. Fal-
do thinks more about the filled Walker Cup matches big stages in recent years. know him so well. He is so
fact he shot 67 — the same that year at Royal County Willett reached the semi- good and on the rise, and
score as Willett on Sunday Down that featured Rory finals of the Match Play at I’m very happy for him.”
— that was the lowest on McIlroy on his side, and an Harding Park before losing Willett goes to No. 9 in the
the weekend. American team of John- to Gary Woodland and world.
Willett had a bogey-free son, Rickie Fowler, Webb beat Jim Furyk in the con- Where does he go from
67 that matched the low- Simpson and Billy Horschel solation match. He won in here? For starters, home to
est score on the weekend on its roster. Dubai at the start of this England to see his wife and
this year. What slowed his arrival were year, and then finished two their son, born March 30.
He started the final round back problems, which he shots behind Adam Scott Willett wasn’t expecting to
only three shots behind, described as a step below at Doral in another World play the Masters this year
tied with Jason Day, the a stress fracture. He wound Golf Championship. because the due date was
No. 1 player in the world, up having to withdraw from “We all know how good Sunday of the Masters.
and Dustin Johnson. The about a half-dozen tourna- Danny is,” said Soren Kjeld- He had that date circled
other three players ahead ments a year until he could sen of Denmark, who joined to become a father. That’s
of him, and even those be- get it sorted out by chang- Willett in pushing Spiethon now the day he became
hind him, couldn’t sustain ing his swing and sticking to the front nine Sunday. “It’s a major champion. And as
the round of golf that Wil- exercises that kept it loose. no surprise, certainly to the much as Spieth lost it, Wil-
lett put together. He has been showing up on European Tour players who lett earned it.q
Yes, Spieth lost it. But some-
one had to win it.
“I just feel fortunate that
I was in the position that I
was able to pounce on the
opportunity,” Willett said.
“If I had been 5-over par,
then it wouldn’t have mat-
tered what Jordan had
done. Fortunately, I was in
a position where we were
in second place, playing
quite nicely, and as a result
we were able to stay at the
lead.”
The victory was a surprise
only in the way it unfolded,
not the name on the tro-
phy.
Willett was the No. 1 ama-
teur in the world nearly a
decade ago, the English
Amateur champion in 2007
who played in the star-
Nat Borchers’ own goal helps
Galaxy avoid rare home loss
The Associated Press clear Sebastian Lletget’s derson’s cross deflected off
CARSON, California (AP) — cross in the 84th with a div- goalkeeper Joe Willis and
A late Nat Borchers’ own ing header, which deflect- defender Raul Rodriguez.
ed into the Timbers’ and Giles Barnes scored for
do Adi’s opener for Port- conceded the equalizer. Houston in the 35th minute,
Associated Press land and allowed the Los The Galaxy are unbeaten when he turned and flicked
Angeles Galaxy to salvage in 39 of their last 41 home a pass from Jalil Anibaba
a 1-1 draw in a game be- games. into the upper left corner
tween the last two MLS Cup from 15 yards.
champions on Sunday. At Houston, Chad Marshall
Adi opened the scoring in scored four minutes into New York City was held
the 52nd minute, driving in stoppage time as the Se- 0-0 at home by Chicago,
a low, right-foot shot from attle Sounders earned a with Matt Lampson making
Diego Valeri’s pass. 1-1 draw. eight saves to keep a clean
Veteran center back Marshall buried a shot from sheet for the third succes-
Borchers attempted to close range after Oalex An- sive game for the fire.q