Watson beats youngster to win second Masters
AMERICA’S Bubba Watson won his second Masters title in three years in Augusta late last night, after 20 year-old Texan Jordan Spieth blew a chance to become the tournament’s youngest ever winner.
The pair went into the final day level on five under par, with Spieth storming to a two-shot lead after the 2013 rookie of the year birdied four of the first seven holes.
Yet Watson kept his nerve and a 12-foot birdie at the ninth put him eight under par, while a bogey saw Spieth drop to six under. Once in the lead there was no let up from the 35-year-old, who ended on eight under par having carded a final round 69. The victory means Watson becomes the 17th man to have won two Masters.
Meanwhile Spieth, who was making his Masters debut having only turned pro at the end of 2012, was caught by Sweden’s Jonas Blixt who ended level on five under par.
Blixt was the highest placed European, at an event that has not been won by anyone from the continent since Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999. England’s Lee Westwood finished in seventh place, one under par, while former world No1 Rory McIlroy finished on level par, after a respectable final day 69.
Spieth sounded conflicted over his achievement at the conclusion of the event in Georgia in the US.
“I’m mixed. It stings a little but I pretty much played the whole 18th hole realising what was going to happen,” Spieth said.
“I had the tournament in my hands. I still thought if I got to make two birdies coming in I could put pressure on.”
Meanwhile Watson said he had been determined to reclaim the title, having lost it last year to Australian Adam Scott.
“This one is a lot different. The first was almost like I lucked into it. This was a lot of hard work. After giving the jacket back last year, I wanted it back. I told Adam we should just keep going back and forth. I really don’t know how I did it,” Watson said.
BUBBA TOPS LEADERBOARD TO CLAIM GREEN JACKET
-8 Bubba Watson (US) pictured left
-5 Jonas Blixt (Sweden)
-5 Jordan Spieth (US)
-4 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)
-2 Rickie Fowler (US)
-2 Matt Kuchar (US)
-1 Lee Westwood (England)
0 Bernhard Langer (Germany)
0 Jimmy Walker (US)
0 Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland)
0 John Senden (Australia)
0 Kevin Stadler (US)
0 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark)