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| Sport |
Nobody can claim Gerry Lester
"Bubba" Watson won his second
Masters in three years the easy way.
Not with a straight face, at least.
Watson let a three-shot lead fritter
away on Saturday. As Jordan Spieth
brilliantly holed out from the bunker
at the front of the 4th green during
round four, Watson trailed the 20-
year-old by the same margin. Watson
matched Spieth's birdie two,
moments later; the battle between
eccentric major winner and fresh-
faced pretender had commenced.
This slugging match continued until
the crucial period of this, the 78th
Masters. Spieth stumbled from eight
to five under from the 8th tee to the
12th green. As Spieth left his tee shot
at the 12th short and in Rae's Creek,
Watson had claimed a level of
initiative that he didn't look of a
mind to throw away.
Watson sat at seven under by the end
of the same stretch, with his score
and advantage improved further
with a birdie on a 13th hole which a
combination of power and technology
allows the left-hander to butcher.
At nine minutes to seven local time,
Watson confirmed his aggregate total
of 280, eight under par and three
better than both Spieth and Sweden's
Jonas Blixt. A three-stroke lead on
the 72nd tee was comfortable
enough, even for this jittery and
emotional character. Watson still
took three-wood, just to be safe.
He has been re-acquainted with the
Green Jacket. Augusta National has
been witness once again to Watson's
victory tears. Starting with Mike
Weir, there have now been six left-
handed winners of the Masters since
2003.
So Watson joins an illustrious list. The
stellar names who have won this
famous tournament more than once
include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer,
Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Sam
Snead, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and
Seve Ballesteros. Just like Horton
Smith, the very first Masters victor,
Watson's three-year run here reads:
win, loss, win. And all this, for a man
who has never had a single golf
lesson, let alone a coach.
For all the intensity and drama of day
four, and there was plenty, a glance
back to Friday is necessary in the
context of Watson's success. Then, he
embarked on a run of five back-nine
birdies in a row which kick-started
not only the champion in waiting but
the event itself. At the time, Watson's
spell looked ominous for the
remainder of the field; it ultimately
proved precisely that.
Even in defeat, Spieth emerges with
immense credit. He was seeking to
become the youngest ever winner of
the Masters. Only three players in
history had claimed the first major of
the year on their debut.
Instead, the Texan fell narrowly short
but displayed a spirit and maturity in
defeat which many of his professional
elders should take note of. He simply
refused to give up, as a superb chip
from the right of the 17th green
which almost dropped into the cup
illustrated.
Spieth won the hearts of the golfing
public in Georgia and identified
himself as this sport's brightest young
star. More importantly, he proved
both to himself and others that he
can go toe-to-toe with the best
without feeling in any way
inadequate. "It still stings, as any
close call in a major would do,"
Spieth admitted.
Given Spieth's showing, there would
be an argument for experience being
overrated, but for the exploits of
Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
The 50-year-old pot-bellied, chain
smoking Spaniard recorded his best
ever Masters finish of fourth. Never
mind thoughts of a vice-captaincy
role at the Ryder Cup in September,
Jiménez has every chance of playing
in it.
"Yes, technology helps me," Jiménez
said. "Of course. But if you don't
know how to hit the ball then
technology doesn't do anything."
Blixt, too, is worthy of immense
praise. The 29-year-old Swede
carded four sub-par rounds on his
maiden Augusta appearance. He'll be
a force, here and elsewhere, in the
near future.
As ever on the Sunday of a major
championship, there were early
charges. Rory McIlroy made one,
with the Northern Irishman clawing
back to level par from a starting
point of plus three by the time he
reached the 13th tee. However,
McIlroy's second shot to that hole, a
generous par five, fell agonisingly
into the water hazard and that was
that.
McIlroy can file this tournament
firmly in the category of what might
have been. Still, there was a first
ever place inside the top 10 as a
consolation.
"I played the par fives in even par
this week, which you just can't do out
here," McIlroy admitted. "I'm even
par for the tournament and even par
for the par fives. You are looking to
play the par fives somewhere around
10 to 12 under par. Obviously if I had
done that it would have been a
different story."
Matt Kuchar held more legitimate
aspirations of glory. Kuchar chipped
in for a dramatic birdie from the
back of the 3rd green and tied for
the lead but then four-putted the
next hole and was never a threat
thereafter.
Lee Westwood, who finished seventh,
used the putter three times from 10ft
on the 4th to trigger a double bogey.
He was only ever going to make up
the numbers after that. "I had a
chance and didn't put any pressure
on," admitted the Englishman. It is an
all-too familiar major story, as
Westwood knows all too well.
Watson's narrative, specifically in
relation to Augusta National, is one of
stunning success. If you are going to
be a horse for a particular course,
where better to choose?
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