Page 19 - Aruba Today
P. 19
SPORTS A19
Monday 11 April 2016
Danny Willett wins the Masters
after shocking Spieth collapse
Defending champion Jordan Spieth, left, helps 2016 Masters DOUG FERGUSON was shocking even by Au- National, and he became
champion Danny Willett, of England, put on his green jacket fol- AP Golf Writer gusta National standards. the first player from Eng-
lowing the final round of the Masters golf tournament Sunday, AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Dan- With a five-shot lead head- land in a green jacket
April 10, 2016, in Augusta, Ga. ny Willett in a green jacket ing to the 10th tee, he since Nick Faldo in 1996.
was hard to believe con- dropped six shots in three How fitting.
Associated Press sidering he wasn’t even holes and could never Twenty years ago, Faldo
sure he could play the catch up. also shot a bogey-free 67 in
Masters two weeks ago. “It was a really tough 30 a final round remembered
No one was more stunned minutes for me that hope- just as much for Greg Nor-
than Jordan Spieth. fully I never experience man throwing away a six-
Nine holes away from an- again,” Spieth said. shot lead.
other wire-to-wire victory, Even more painful for Spi- Spieth was trying to be-
the defending Masters eth? come only the fourth back-
champion threw it away He had to go to Butler Cab- to-back winner of the Mas-
Sunday with a collapse in and to the 18th green ters, and the first player in
around Amen Corner that ceremony to present the 156 years of championship
green jacket to Willett. golf to go wire-to-wire in
“I feel very fortunate to be successive years in a ma-
standing here, and you not jor. And it looked inevi-
putting the jacket on your- table when he ran off four
self again,” Willett said to straight birdies to end the
Spieth at the trophy pre- front nine and build a five-
sentation. shot lead.
Willett always had this Sun- This didn’t look like one of
day circled on his calen- those Masters that would
dar — the due date of his start on the back nine Sun-
first child. He wasn’t plan- day.
ning to be at Augusta Na- But it did — quickly.
tional until his wife gave Spieth made bogey from
birth to their son, Zachariah the bunker on No. 10. A
James, on March 30 and tee shot into the trees on
sent the 28-year-old English the 11th, missing an 8-foot
on an improbable path to par putt. He still had a two-
becoming a major cham- shot lead and only needed
pion. It was a comeback to get past the dangerous
that ranks among the most par-3 12th to settle himself,
surprising at the Masters. especially with two par 5s
Five shots behind with six in front of him.
holes to play, Willett bird- His 9-iron sailed to the right,
ied three of his last six holes bounded off the slope and
to polish off a round that into the water. His wedge
might not get its due be- from the drop area was
cause of the unforgettable fat, and Spieth turned his
images of Spieth’s melt- head as the ball plopped
down. Willett closed with a into the water again. He
5-under 67, with no bogeys had to get up-and-down
on his card, to match the from a bunker just to make
best score of the weekend. a quadruple-bogey 7.
He won by three shots at “It was a lack of discipline
5-under 283, the highest to hit it over the bunker
winning score at the Mas- coming off two bogeys, in-
ters in nine years. stead of recognizing I was
It already was early Mon- still leading the Masters,”
day in England — his wife Spieth said.
Nicole’s 28th birthday. The turnaround left him
“We talk about fate, talk dazed. Spieth was five
about everything else that shots ahead on the 10th
goes with it,” Willett said. tee and three shots behind
“It’s just a crazy, crazy when he walked to the
week.” 13th tee.
Willett ended Europe’s 17-
year drought at Augusta continued on next page
