Schwartzel comes from behind to win Masters
Charl Schwartzel became the first Masters Tournament champion to birdie the final four holes, capping off a 6-under 66 and a two-stroke victory over Aussies Jason Day and Adam Scott. He becomes the first champion to play the final four holes in 4-under since Jack Nicklaus (E-B-B-P) in 1986. Schwartzel wins the 75th Masters Tournament and becomes the third South African winner, joining Gary Player (1961, 1974, 1978) and Trevor Immelman (2008). His win comes 50 years after Player became the first international winner of the Green Jacket in 1961.
Schwartzel entered the final round four strokes behind Rory McIlroy, turning in the largest come-from behind win at the Masters since Nick Faldo came from six down to defeat Greg Norman in 1996. His winning score of 14-under 274 is the lowest by an international champion at the Masters and equals the sixth lowest of all time, behind Tiger Woods (270, 1997), Jack Nicklaus (271, 1965), Raymond Floyd (271, 1976), Woods (272, 2001) and Phil Mickelson (272, 2010).
Rory McIlroy held at least a share of the lead all three rounds this week but carded a final-round 80 to fall to T15.
Jason Day birdied the final two holes for a 4-under 68 and Adam Scott birdied two of the last five for a 5-under 67 to finish tied for second, two strokes behind Charl Schwartzel.
Tiger Woods closed with a 5-under 67 to finish T4. It is the best closing round of his career at Augusta National, but still left him four strokes behind Charl Schwartzel. Woods entered the final round seven behind Rory McIlroy, but a front-nine 5-under 31 – highlighted by a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch on Nos. 6-8 – had him tied for the lead as he made the turn at Augusta National. The owner of 14 Major Championships, Woods has still never come-from-behind to win a Major. It is the 10th top-5 finish of his career, moving out of a tie with Phil Mickelson, Ben Hogan, Tom Kite, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead and Tom Watson. The only player with more top-5s at the Masters is Jack Nicklaus with 15. Since his last Green Jacket in 2005, Woods has finished T3, T2, 2, T6, T4, T4.
Making his 40th start in a Major Championship, K.J. Choi carded a final-round even-par 72 to finish T8, the third top-10 finish of his career in nine starts at the Masters (3-2004, T4-2010, T8-2011). He now has nine consecutive par-or-better rounds at Augusta National, the best streak of his career at the Masters.
Fred Couples (51 years, 6 months, 7 days) finished T15 in his attempt to become the oldest winner of a Major Championship. Julius Boros won the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48 years, 4 months and 18 days. The oldest player to win the Masters is Jack Nicklaus (1986), at the age of 46 years, 2 months, 23 days.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson finished T27 for his worst finish since missing the cut in 1997.
