Augusta (Georgia), April 11 (IANS) Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri scored three-over 75 in the fourth and final round to finish tied 42nd, while Danny Willett produced a stupendous five-under 67 to snatch the Masters title from American defending champion Jordan Spieth (73).
Lahiri, who had three previous rounds of 76, 73 and 75, on Sunday suffered a big blow on the par-four third hole, which the 28-year-old completed in seven shots. Another couple of bogeys on the fourth and seventh made it five-over till the first seven holes.
However, he executed a recovery path, scoring two birdies on the eighth and 10th and later made par efforts till the 18th hole to settle for a 75 at the Augusta National Golf Club.
But the ignominious third hole performance marred his show as he got a four-day total of 11-over 299, at the tied 42nd spot — seven better than his last edition’s show here.
Meanwhile, during the race for the top spot, Spieth was not able to maintain the lead he had accumulated during the first three days and lost the first Major of the year to Willett by three strokes, reports Efe.
Spieth had set himself up for an impressive win on the first nine holes of the Sunday afternoon final round, leading the field by five strokes midway through, having birdied the final four holes and sitting pretty at seven-under par — a secure five strokes in front of his nearest challenger.
He appeared in control of himself and the tournament — leading from the first day — as he headed toward a second-straight Green Jacket to become just the fourth player to successfully defend his title at Augusta National, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Nick Faldo.
He went on to bogey the 10th and 11th holes, and it was looking like he would notch the first consecutive wins in Masters history, but then he suddenly fell apart in stunning fashion on the 12th hole sending two shots into the water hazard.
Willett, who started the round three strokes behind the 22-year-old Spieth, wound up shooting a 67 for a total 283 to secure the green jacket by three shots over the American sensation — who shot 66, 74, 73, 73 for a two-under 286 total — and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood, also with a total 286.
The Briton joins Nick Faldo as the only Englishman ever to win the Masters and is the first European to win the tourney since the last victory by Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal in 1999.
It was also 28-year-old Willett’s first Major title. “A very surreal day when you look back at the ebbs and flows,” Willett told pgatour.com.
Spieth said: “Ultimately you just have to have your ‘A’ game every single part. I just didn’t have those iron swings, as it showed on the back nine.”
Another Englishman, Paul Casey also scored a 67 that took his total to one-under 287 — same as J.B. Holmes and Dustin Johnson.
World No.1 Jason Day of Australia (73), No.3 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (71), Justin Rose (70), Daniel Berger (71) and Brandt Snedeker (72) shared the 10th spot on a 289 total.