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April 8 2012
9:24 pm
Celeb tweet-outs for Bubba
New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow was among those weighing in on Bubba Watson’s Masters win. The two share a strong faith, so Tebow was ectastic.
@Tim Tebow: Doesn’t get any better then winning the Masters on Easter Sunday! Way to go @bubbawatson!
Others athletes and celebrity tweetouts?
Michael Waltrip @mw55: Now that was a great Easter Sunday. Congrats @bubbawatson
Matthew Stafford @Staff_9: Congrats to @bubbawatson on masters win. Great golf! #GoDawgs
Mike Vick @MikeVick: First I shoot a 81 then Bubba Watson win his first Green Jacket……What a day!!
Paula Creamer @ThePCreamer: How good is @bubbawatson!?!?! Wow I hope when I grow up I can be just like him!! Amazing Sunday finish! Congratulations! #bubba
Daryl Johnston: @DarylJohnston: One of the greatest quotes I’ve heard by an athlete, “I never made it this far in my dreams” Bubba Watson. You look great in green!
Luke Bryan: @LukeBryanOnline I’m killin a turkey in the morning in honor of bubba watson winning the masters. go ga
9:19 pm
History, but no Green Jacket
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Who wouldn’t have thought about destiny?
Who wouldn’t have figured this was going to be their day?
Louis Oosthuizen wasn’t any different than the rest of us. After his historic double-eagle on the second hole — the first on that hole and only the fourth in tournament history — it was hard to settle down.
"I mean, you know, when something like that happens early in your round, you think that this is it,” he said. "That was my first double‑eagle ever. So it was tough; it was tough the next five holes to just get my head around it and just play the course.
"But I felt like I found my rhythm going down 11, and you know, played well in from there.”
Just not well enough to walk off with his second major.
Oosthuizen, who started the day two shots behind third-round leader Peter Hanson, grabbed the lead with that albatross on the second hole, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Bubba Watson, who birdied four consecutive holes on the back nine — 13, 14, 15, and 16 — to tie him and force a playoff. Two holes later, Oosthuizen bogeyed the 10th hole and Watson parred for the win.
"He played brilliant,” said Oosthuizen, who won the 2010 British Open. "And, you know, I don’t feel like I could have hit two better putts in the playoff. So, it’s a hard day, but you know, congrats to Bubba.”
The two couldn’t have more dissimilar games, but they both parred the first playoff hole. But Oosthuizen got into trouble at the second playoff hole — the 10th.
"For me it’s an easy tee shot,” he said. "It’s 3‑wood, I turn a 3‑wood over quite easy, and I just caught it a little bit off the heel and it went to the right. I wanted to get it down there to have a little bit flatter lie, and hit a great second shot, the ball didn’t go anywhere.
"I had exactly the same distance as I had on 10 in regulation round, and hit the same club. I just wanted to pitch it somewhere five, six yards onto the green, and the ball just didn’t go anywhere. So yeah, it’s just one of those . . . "
A few minutes later, he watched Watson two-putt for the win.
"He hit an unbelievable shot there," Oosthuizen said. "I played well. This is not one I felt like I played badly. Great stuff to him. He deserves it."
As for the albatross? He gauged it as 210 yards to the front of the green — a good 4-iron for him.
Instead, he hit a great one.
"I needed to pitch it about five, six paces on the green, and I knew if I get it right, it’s going to feed towards the hole,” he said. "But never thought it would go in.”
It did. For history. Just not for a Green Jacket.
9:10 pm
Albers: Wardrobes and a waiting game
By Fred Albers, PGATOUR.COM correspondent
I often wonder if players dress on Sunday morning, trying to find something that doesn’t clash with the Green Jacket. It’s hard to coordinate something with that vibrant green color, but if you win you’re going to forever be remembered in that Green Jacket — and don’t want something that clashes. If you select an appropriate color shirt, is that a sign you’re a confident player?
Waiting game: Everything about the Masters is different from a regular PGA TOUR stop and that includes the start time. The final group hits tee shots at 2:40 p.m. The late start means players have a long morning and afternoon before even leaving for the golf course. That’s a lot of time for demons to start creeping through a player’s mind.
Gentle warmup: If you read any of Alister MacKenzie’s writings, he says the ideal first hole should be a gentle warm up of a par 4. There was nothing gentle about the first hole this week. The 445-yard hole played to a stroke average of 4.3905, the toughest on the course. The hole saw just 11 birdies all week with 109 bogeys or worse. Of course when MacKenzie laid out the Augusta National, the nines were reversed and today’s 10th hole was the first.
Lucky 13: Phil Mickelson must love the 13th hole. The lefthander can play a sweeping cut off the tee. Through the years, Mickelson has played the 13th in 64 under, including 5 under this week. He birdied the hole three times and eagled it on Saturday.
Practice: At times, Louis Oosthuizen gets too active with his shoulders while putting. Just before his par putt on the 72nd hole, the South African repeatedly practiced a one-handed stroke while his left hand touched his right shoulder. Following his practice routine, Oosthuizen drilled home his par putt forcing the playoff.
Bubba time: Bubba Watson leads the TOUR in driving distance at 316.9 yards, so it wasn’t surprising to see him attack Augusta National. At times his drives are side notes to a tournament, on Sunday they were a large portion of why he won. Twice, Watson uncorked massive drives on the 465-yard 18th hole. On the 72nd hole, Watson had 123 yards to the pin, and in the playoff he had just 131 yards.
Working it: Bubba Watson hits more draws and cuts than any player on any TOUR. He routinely works the ball so much that some view it as a deterrent to his game. All that practice paid off on the playoff hole where Watson hit a big hook from out of the woods onto the 10th green. Ten minutes later, Watson added a Green Jacket to his wardrobe.
Fred Albers is a course reporter for SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio. For more information on SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio, click here.
7:44 pm
Bubba Watson wins Masters in a playoff
By staff and wire reports
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Louis Oosthuizen hit one of the most historic shots in Masters history. But it was playing partner Bubba Watson who walked away with the Green Jacket.
Watson beat Oosthuizen with a par on the second hole of the playoff to win his first major championship.
“I never got this far in my dreams,” an emotional Watson said during the Green Jacket ceremony at Butler Cabin.
The left-handed Watson hit a few of his own spectacular shots, none more important than his approach on the second playoff hole that set up an easy two-putt par. Watson had found trouble off the tee at the 10th, but it was Oosthuizen who bogeyed the hole when his approach came up short of the green.
"I was there earlier today in regulation,” Watson said of his shot off the pine straw. “I hooked it 40 yards . I’m pretty good at hooking it.”
The playoff capped a spectacular back-nine performance in which Watson birdied four consecutive holes after a bogey at the 12th dropped him two shots behind Oosthuizen.
Watson had lost a playoff to Martin Kaymer for the 2010 PGA Championship, but now has his first major. Since 2003, five Masters have been won by left-handers – one by Mike Weir, three by Phil Mickelson, and now by Watson.
With the win, Watson moves to second in FedExCup points.
Both Watson and Oosthuizen finished regulation at 10-under 278.
With his bubble gum-pink driver and his all-white outfit, Watson is one of those guys who stands out and he did, indeed, at Augusta National. After missing a 10-foot putt that would have won it on the 18th green in the first playoff hole, he pushed one so far right, it was actually behind the gallery.
No punching it out on this day. Instead, he lined it up, curved it in and when Oosthuizen couldn’t get up and down from in front of the green, Watson simply had to two-putt to capture the green jacket.
He almost made the first one, rolling it a few inches past the hole. As the crowd began cheering, he held out his hand to playfully calm down everyone, then tapped it in. The tears started flowing immediately.
"He hit an unbelievable shot there," Oosthuizen said. "I played well. This is not one I felt like I played badly. Great stuff to him. He deserves it."
Oosthuizen grabbed the lead with a double eagle at the par-5 second — the first albatross at that hole in Masters history. He held the lead by himself for the next three hours, 10 minutes until Matt Kuchar tied him with an eagle at the par-5 15th.
Less than 10 minutes later, though, Oosthuizen regained the lead by himself by making one of several clutch putts on the day, this one for birdie at the 15th to go to 10 under.
Playing partner Watson also birdied the hole to move to 9 under. Watson then followed with another birdie to gain a share of the lead by making birdie at the par-3 16th.
Both players then parred the final two holes in regulation. Watson had a good look at birdie at the 72nd hole after hitting his approach shot pin high, but his putt stayed to the right.
In the playoff, both players hit excellent approach shots to the 18th, with Watson’s ball landing inside Oosthuizen’s. While Oosthuizen missed his putt to the right, Watson followed with a miss to the right.
On the second playoff hole, the par-4 10th, Watson’s drive found the pine straw to the right of the fairway. Oosthuizen’s drive also went right, but kicked near the fairway, leaving him a shot of 231 yards. His approach came up short of the green, though.
From 153 yards, Watson then shaped a wedge shot that landed on the green. Oosthuizen’s chip left him outside of Watson’s ball and he could not drain the par putt.
As for the others contenders?
Peter Hanson, the 54-hole leader, bogeyed two of his first three holes en route to shooting 73.
Phil Mickelson, the three-time Masters champ who was one shot back of playing partner Hanson when the round begin, suffered his second triple bogey of the week when he found trouble at the par-3 fourth. He tried to hit out of the brush right-handed, but had to take another stroke, then found the bunker.
Mickelson fought hard to get back into the mix with birdies at the par-5 13th and 15th holes but could never get closer than two strokes in shooting even-par 72.
Lee Westwood shot 32 on the back nine to finish at 8 under, good enough for a tie for third with Kuchar (69), Hanson and Mickelson.
7:40 pm
Playoff update: Oosthuizen vs. Watson
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Here’s a look at the playoff between Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen for the 2012 Masters title.
MORE MASTERS: Leaderboard | Course statistics | Complete coverage
PLAYOFF UPDATE (all times ET)
7:40 p.m. — Now it’s off to the Green Jacket ceremony. You can bet there will be more tears shed.
7:38 p.m. — “It was a great day,” Louis Oosthuizen tells CBS’s Bill Macatee. “We had a lot of fun. … I played well. This is not one where I felt like I played badly. Great stuff to (Bubba).”
7:34 p.m. — Bubba Watson hugs his caddy Ted Scott and then collapses, crying into his mother Molly’s arms. Rickie Fowler, Ben Crane and Aaron Baddeley, among others, are also on hand to congratulate him. Watson turns, his lip trembling and fighting back tears, and waves his visor in salute to the crowd.
7:32 p.m. — Bubba Watson putts to tap-in distance. He takes his right hand and settles the crowd down, then taps in for the win.
7:31 p.m. — The par putt is a left-to-right breaker. It looks good but slides to the right of the hole, bringing Louis Oosthuizen to his knees. Bubba Watson has two putts to win.
7:28 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen’s chip went across the green. Turns out he is still away.
7:27 p.m. — Bubba Watson had 151 yards to the green. He took a wedge and then ran for the fairway as the ball hit the green and spun left of the pin.
7:25 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen’s approach landed short and on the slope of the hill leading up to the green.
7:23 p.m. — Once again, Louis Oosthuizen’s ball appears to have hit a tree and settled in the rough. Security guards have cleared a path to Bubba Watson’s ball, which is well into the woods and on the pine straw.
7:19 p.m. — The 10th hole is a dogleg left but both players hit their drives right into the trees. Bubba Watson appears to be in deeper trouble, though.
7:18 p.m. — Bubba Watson’s putt veers right and slides below the hole. He taps in and we’re headed to No. 10.
7:16 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen’s putt comes tantalizingly close but slides just right of the hole.
7:12 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen takes a deep breath. He has 151 yards to the green and hits it right of the pin to about 25 feet. Bubba Watson is 20 yards closer in the fairway. His wedge lands long, catches the ridge and sucks back to to 18 feet.
7:08 p.m. — Bubba Watson puts his tee shot nearly in the same spot he did during regulation — long and in the fairway near the bunkers. Louis Oosthuizen hugs the left side of the fairway, too.
7:06 p.m. – Both players are on the 18th tee. Bubba Watson will tee off first.
7:04 p.m. – This is the 16th playoff in Masters history. The last one came in 2009 when Angel Cabrera beat Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell on the second playoff hole.
7: 01 p.m. – Watson is 2-1 in playoffs on the PGA TOUR, having won the Zurich Classic and the Travelers Championship and losing in the 2010 PGA Championship to Martin Kaymer. This is Oosthuizen’s first playoff on the PGA TOUR.
7:00 p.m. – The playoff will start at the par-4 18th, then go to the 10th if necessary.
7:00 pm
Round 4 updates: News, notes and more
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Sunday’s final round of the Masters is under way. Keep it here the rest of the day as we’ll refresh this page often with the latest happenings at Augusta National.
MORE MASTERS: Leaderboard | Course statistics | Complete coverage
PLAYOFF UPDATE: Louis Oosthuizen vs. Bubba Watson
Click here for updates on the playoff that will decide the Masters champion
FINAL ROUND UPDATES (all times ET)
6:58 p.m. — Phil Mickelson left his birdie putt at the 17th hole about 3 inches short of the hole. He then hit a stellar shot from the trees to 20 feet at the 18th but missed his fourth straight birdie there.
So Mickelson ends up in a tie for third with Matt Kuchar, Lee Westwood and his playing partner, Peter Hanson, who birdied the 18th hole to get there. Westwood has now finished third or better in seven majors, more than anyone else in history without a win since 1934.
6:53 p.m. — We’ve got the 16th playoff in Masters history. Louis Oosthuizen makes his 5-footer to tie Bubba Watson at 10 under. The playoff will begin at the 18th hole and continue at No. 10, if necessary.
6:50 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen’s putt looked good for a while but finally veered left of the hole and stopped about 5 feet by. Bubba Watson putted to within tap-in distance as good friends Rickie Fowler and Aaron Baddeley, among others, looked on.
6:47 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen hits first from the fairway and puts his second shot on the back of the green. He’ll have a 30-footer downhill to the pin. Watson likes his approach, following it up the fairway as it lands about 20 feet left of the pin.
6:44 p.m. — Phil Mickelson finds the fairway and the green at the 17th hole but he’s left himself a long birdie putt.
6:41 p.m. — Bubba Watson has his game face on as he finds the fairway beside that gaping bunker with a big drive at the 18th hole. Louis Oosthuizen also finds the short grass.
6:40 p.m. — Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson both par the 16th hole to remain two and three strokes, respectively, behind the leaders.
6:38 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen hits his second shot into the greenside bunker, but recovers well and blasts to 3 feet. Meanwhile Bubba Watson hit his second shot from 156 yards over the trees and onto the green. His long birdie putt was tracking fast, but hits the hole and stops 3 feet past for the successful par.
6:28 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen’s drive at the 17th hole strays right, hits a tree and lands short in the fairway. He drops the club behind him as soon as he hits the ball.
6:26 p.m. — Minutes after Bubba Watson hits his drive at the 17th hole left into the trees, Phil Mickelson converts a 4-footer for birdie at the par-5 15th to move to 8 under. Peter Hanson was able to get up and down from behind the 15th green for another birdie, this one moving him to 7 under.
6:22 p.m. — Bubba Watson has calmly made his fourth straight birdie to tie Louis Oosthuizen for the lead at 10 under.
6:20 p.m. — Phil Mickelson found the green at the par-5 15th in two, but he’ll have a lengthy eagle putt.
6:19 p.m. — Bubba Watson had come up clutch at the par-3 16th, staking his tee shot 8 feet shot of the pin. He’ll get something of a read, too, as playing partner Louis Oosthuizen is about 30 short and on a similar line.
6:17 p.m. — Matt Kuchar pushed his par putt at the 16th left of the hole. With the bogey, he drops back to 8 under, two strokes back.
6:16 p.m. — Lee Westwood finished off a round of 68 with a 15-footer for birdie at the 18th hole. He came home in 32 and stands 8 under, two strokes off the lead.
6:12 p.m. — Pressure? What pressure? Louis Oosthuizen drained the 20-footer for birdie to regain the lead at 10 under. His playing partner, Bubba Watson, two-putted for a birdie of his own to join Matt Kuchar at 9 under.
6:11 p.m. — Matt Kuchar hit his tee shot at the par-3 16th well right of the green. He chips on and the ball slides about 10 feet short of the green.
6:07 p.m. — After a 324-yard drive at the 15th hole, Bubba Watson puts his second shot on the green, 25 feet from the pin for an eagle that could take him into the lead.
6:06 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen was waiting in the fairway as Kuchar made the short eagle putt. The South African hit his second shot to the right of the green and the bunker so he doesn’t have a lot of green to work with.
6:03 p.m. — While Louis Oosthuizen was in the process of saving par at the 14th hole, Matt Kuchar hit his approach at the par-5 15th to 5 feet for an eagle that would tie the Georgia Tech product for the lead. He makes it and the cries of "Kooch" echo through the tall pines.
5:58 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen didn’t clear the false front at the 14th hole. But he chipped to 20 feet and made the putt for par to remain at 9 under. Meanwhile, Bubba Watson gained a shot on his playing partner when he holed a 5-footer for birdie that brought him to 8 under.
5:53 p.m. — Phil Mickelson’s eagle putt teased the hole but stubbornly refused to fall. He’s now 7 under and two back. Peter Hanson, meanwhile, chipped on and two-putted for oar.
5:49 p.m. — Phil Mickelson has played the 13th hole in 63 under — and now he has a chance for an eagle for the second straight day after putting his approach to 25 feet. Peter Hanson found good fortune, too, as his ball bounced safely back and out of Rae’s Creek .
5:45 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen put his second shot at the par-5 13th in a perilous spot above the green. But his delicate chip caught the hole, then stopped 3 feet by and he made it coming back for a birdie that lifted the South African into a two-stroke lead. His playing partner, Bubba Watson, two-putted for birdie, holing a 5-footer to get back to 7 under.
5:40 p.m. – Lee Westwood just missed a 20-footer for birdie at the 16th hole that would have tied him for the lead.
5:38 p.m. — Matt Kuchar two-putted from long range for birdie at the 15th hole to join Lee Westwood at 7 under.
5:35 p.m. — After shanking it off the tee, Peter Hanson hit his second shot over the 12th green and two-putted for bogey. He’s falled back to 6 under and two strokes behind Louis Oosthuizen.
5:32 p.m. — Lee Westwood had a 10-footer for eagle at the 15th hole that would have tied him for the lead. The ball horseshoed around the outside of the hole and refused to fall — but the Englishman tapped in for birdie and he’s now one stroke behind Louis Oosthuizen at 7 under. The birdie was his third straight.
5:30 p.m. — Peter Hanson has shanked it off the 12th tee, landing short of Rae’s Creek.
5:25 p.m. — Bubba Watson made bogey at the par-3 12th hole after hitting an 8-iron to the back fringe. He putted about 20 feet by the hole and was unable to made the putt coming back for par. He’s now 6 under and tied with Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson.
5:23 p.m. — Phil Mickelson’s second shot at the 11th hole landed in a sprinkler head. He was able to take a drop onto the fringe and just missed the birdie putt. Playing partner Peter Hanson also made a two-putt par.
5:16 p.m. — Matt Kuchar just drained a 20-footer for birdie at the 12th hole to get back to 6 under. He’s tied with Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson, two strokes back.
5:15 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson both two-putted from long range for pars at the 11th hole.
5:07 p.m. — For the record, the man who caught the ball Louis Oosthuizen used to make the double eagle has donated it to Augusta National.
5:04 p.m. — Lee Westwood left the eagle try short but tapped in for birdie at the 13th hole to back to 5 under. He’s tied with Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington and Matt Kuchar, three strokes behind Louis Oosthuizen.
4:57 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen was unable to get up and down from the greenside bunker at the 11th hole so he now leads Bubba Watson and Peter Hanson by just one shot.
4:50 p.m. — Big putt for Phil Mickelson. He came up short of the ninth green, pitched on and made an 8-footer to save par. He’ll make the turn 2 over, as did Peter Hanson, the 54-hole leader, who two-putted for par.
4:44 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen, who had never broken par or made a cut Augusta National before this week, has just walked to the 10th tee with a two-stroke lead.
4:40 p.m. — – A driver off the deck left Phil Mickelson in a swale beside the par-5 eighth green. He chipped to 7 feet and made the putt to get to 6 under the tournament and three behind Louis Oosthuizen. Peter Hanson had a 15-footer for birdie that he missed to the left.
4:36 p.m. — Matt Kuchar lipped out a 3-footer for bogey at the ninth hole, eventually three-putting from 5 1/2 feet. The double bogey dropped him back into a four-way tie at 5 under.
4:28 p.m. — Bubba Watson found the fairway bunker off the eighth tee and had to lay up, but a solid wedge left him with a 5-footer for birdie that just lipped out. His playing partner, Louis Oosthuizen, sent his chip through the green and had to settle for par, as well.
4:17 p.m. — Peter Hanson and Phil Mickelson both had downhill birdie putts at the seventh hole from inside 10 feet. Each player made par.
4:07 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen missed an 8-footer for birdie at the seventh hole but he still leads by two. Bubba Watson had to play out of the trees, his back nearly against a trunk, and then hit a brilliant third shot to 2 feet to save his par.
4:04 p.m. — Matt Kuchar has drawn even with Bubba Watson and Peter Hanson after a birdie at the seventh hole.
4:01 p.m. — Tiger Woods just told CBS’s Bill Macatee: "It was very difficult. I didn’t play the par 5s at all this week. It was an off week at the wrong time."
3:57 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen missed the green at the par-3 sixth hole and opted to used a putter instead of a pitch and run. The ball stopped in the collar but the South African drained it from 20 feet to remain at 9 under.
3:50 p.m. –Tiger Woods just made a birdie on the 18th hole to shoot 74 and finish at 5 over. Woods, who won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in his last start, was tied for 41st when he finished. It’s looking like his worst finish as a pro in a major where he has completed four rounds — the previous was a tie for 39th at the 2003 PGA.
3:45 p.m. — Bubba Watson drained a 40-footer at the fifth hole to move to 7 under. He’s tied with Peter Hanson, two strokes behind Louis Oosthuizen.
3:44 p.m. — Phil Mickelson’s tee shot veered well left into the woods beside the fourth green and landed in the brush. He took his wedge and tried to hit it right-handed but the ball remained in the brush. Another right-handed shot finally extracated the ball and Mickelson had to hit his third from the hard pan into the bunker. He nearly holed his bunker shot but ended up 2 feet from the pin. His second triple bogey of the tournament has dropped him back to 5 under.
3:35 p.m. — Adam Scott followed his ace at the 16th by chipping in for birdie at the 17th hole. He’s now 4 under for the tournament.
3:29 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen missed the green at the par-3 fourth and made bogey so his lead over Phil Mickelson is one.
3:20 p.m. – Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson had to settle for pars at the par-5 second, two strokes behind Louis Oosthuizen. But Hanson bogeyed No. 3 and has dropped another shot in arrears.
3:12 p.m. — Now that Louis Oosthuizen has made double eagle at the second hole, the next best hole to spectate at Sunday at the Masters appears to be the par-3 16th. Adam Scott has just joined Bo Van Pelt in making a hole-in-one there. Scott used a 7-iron.
3:09 p.m. — Not surprisingly, the double eagle has generated a ton on attention on Twitter. This may be the best comment of all, though, and it came from Tom Lehman: "Holy Crap……a double eagle!!! The chances of that are like me growing a full head of hair!"
3:04 p.m. — While Louis Oosthuizen was making Masters history, the overnight leader, Peter Hanson missed the green at No. 1 and made bogey to drop back to 8 under and into a tie with Phil Mickelson, who parred No. 1.
2:59 p.m. — A total of 19,809 rounds had been played in competition before Louis Oosthuizen made that double eagle. It was the fourth in tournament history and the first since Jeff Maggert made one at the 13th hole during the final round in 1994. The last double eagle by a Masters champion was Gene Sarazen’s at the 15th hole in 1935.
2:54 p.m. — Louis Oosthuizen just made a double eagle at the second hole — the first ever on the second hole (and the first ever on live TV) — to seize the lead at 10 under. He used a 4-iron for the 255-yard shot. The ball hit short of the green and then fed toward the hole. Oosthuizen shared a double high-five with his caddy in the fairway, then walked up to the green, picked his ball up and amazingly tossed it into the gallery.
2:45 p.m. — The final group is off with Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson having just teed off. Meanwhile, Bubba Watson has also dropped a stroke after missing a par putt from only a few feet. That puts him at 5 under and four shots off the lead.
2:35 p.m. — Hunter Mahan’s chances just took a hit with a bogey on the first hole, which has played as the toughest hole of the week. Mahan’s approach rolled through the green, leaving a difficult pitch up to a downhill slope. He wasn’t able to get it close and two-putted to drop six off the lead.
2:30 p.m. — Another par-5 — the 13th — and another par for Tiger Woods. He’s played them in just 1 under this week with two birdies, one bogey and 12 pars with just one more of them to come.
2:26 p.m. – Stewart Cink, one of the earlier finishers Sunday, on the condition of the greens: “The greens have picked up a little bit of pace since yesterday again. They’re fast. Yeah, they’re very fast.”
2:17 p.m. – Note from PGA TOUR media official Mark Stevens: Phil Mickelson is $421,646 behind Vijay Singh for second on the PGA TOUR’s all-time money list. A first, second or third-place finish by Mickelson today could move him to second on the all-time list behind Tiger Woods – depending, of course, on how Singh also finishes.
2:15 p.m. – Tournament leader Peter Hanson told CBS he will try to stay aggressive on Sunday and "try to be in there when it comes down to the last five, six, seven holes."
2:12 p.m. – Tiger Woods birdied the par-3 12th. It’s just his second birdie of the week on the back nine. He’s now 1 over for his round.
2:10 p.m. – Phil Mickelson told CBS in a pre-round interview: “There’s a lot of holes here where you can make birdies. I will try to capitalize on those opportunities.” He also said he’ll need to accept par on those holes that don’t offer pin placements suitable for scoring.
2:05 p.m. – Bo Van Pelt’s 64 ties for the lowest round on a Sunday at Augusta National. It’s also the second straight Sunday at the Masters that Van Pelt has posted 2-under scores on two holes on the back nine. Last year, he eagled the 13th and 15th holes in the final round.
1:54 p.m. – Bo Van Pelt has just posted the best round of the week – an 8-under 64 that included an ace at the par-3 16th, an eagle at the par-5 13th, four birdies and no bogeys. He walked off the 18th green in a tie for 16th at 1 under for the tournament.
1:43 p.m. – Tiger Woods has made the turn at 1 over for his round and 4 over for the tournament. Meanwhile, Luke Donald is 4 under through 16 holes, leaving him at 3 over. Keegan Bradley is 3 under through 13 and 2 over for the tournament.
1:40 p.m. – Wild round by amateur Patrick Cantlay – he’s posted two eagles, four birdies, five pars, three bogeys, one double bogey and one quadruple bogey through his first 16 holes. All that leaves him at 1 over for his round and 8 over for the tournament.
1:15 p.m. – Tiger update: Woods is back to even par on his round after a bogey at the par-4 fifth. Thus far, he’s hit every fairway in his round.
1:10 p.m. – A year ago, Bo Van Pelt posted a top-10 finish in the Masters, shooting a final-round 70. He’s on his way to an even better round today, as he’s 5 under through 15 holes. Alas, having started the day in a tie for 52nd, he won’t finish in the top 10 this week.
1:01 p.m. — Jason Dufner and Fred Couples tee off in 19 minutes, playing together for the second straight day. Of course, they were tied at the top of the leaderboard through two rounds but share 11th now after third-round 75s. Dufner tweeted: "Saturday’s have been forgettable lately, but I am looking forward to Sunday at Masters with Freddie. Looking for birdies.”
12:45 p.m. — In case you were wondering, if a PGA TOUR member wins the Masters he receives 600 FedExCup points. Peter Hanson, though, would not get the FedExCup points since he is a Special Temporary Member. He could opt to join as a full member, though, should he win the Masters and then receive FedExCup points the rest of the year.
12:30 p.m. — The two Northern Irishmen, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, are paired in the final round. Both major champions bogeyed the first hole, which for McIlroy has been particularly challenging this week. He’s 5 over on that hole.
12:16 p.m. — No one has ever birdied the 18th hole all four rounds at the Masters. Phil Mickelson, who is one shot off the lead, and Matt Kuchar, who trails by four, both have a chance to accomplish that feat on Sunday. The last major champion to birdie the 18th hole in all four rounds was Tiger Woods at the 2000 PGA at Valhalla.
12:05 p.m. – Tiger Woods has finally birdied another par 5. The birdie he just made at the second hole is his first on a par 5 since the eighth hole on Thursday. In between, Woods went two rounds without making a par or a birdie on a par 5 – doubling his total at the Masters for his career.
11:50 a.m. – Luke Donald has waited too long to have his best round of the week at Augusta National. The world No. 1 is 3 under through eight holes but still 4 over for the tournament.
11:30 a.m. – Judging by his tweets, Vijay Singh has been enjoying the week with his son Qass on the bag. Shortly after the third round ended, Singh, who shot 76, posted this": “Whatever happens tomorrow, I feel like I’m still a winner. Had the best time ever with my son on the bag. Great experience for him.”
And after the final round pairings came out, Singh tweeted: “It will be a bigger experience for him now, since Tiger and myself are paired together.” And before their Sunday tee time, the 2002 champ had this to say: “Happy Easter! Going to give it everything I got today. Main thing though, is to have fun with my son”
11:15 a.m. – The weather is nothing short of spectacular. The sun is out, the sky is clear and the high will approach 80 degrees. The winds will be in the 10-15 mph range in the afternoon before weakening as the day progresses. Perfect for the final round.
5:00 pm
McIlroy struggles on weekend
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
AUGUSTA, Ga. — On the bright side, there was no final-round collapse. That’s because Rory McIlroy wasn’t in position to have one.
McIlroy shot himself out of contention with a 77 in the third round and was only one stroke better in the final round.
The 22-year-old Northern Irishman who led through 63 holes at last year’s Masters, struggled right from the start of this year’s tournament. He double bogeyed the first hole on Thursday, then did the same on Saturday before. Collectively, he played the most difficult hole on the course in 5 over.
“I got off to a bad start and just couldn’t really recover from that,” McIlroy said. “I felt like coming into the weekend I had a chance and sort of blew up the first nine holes on Saturday, and it wasn’t great, so I was just trying to recover some today, but I didn’t really have my best game today.”
McIlroy opened with a bogey at the first and didn’t make a birdie until the ninth, going out in 38 before coming in in the same.
The reigning U.S. Open champion will take the next three weeks off before playing in next month’s Wells Fargo Championship.
4:45 pm
Aces at Augusta National’s 16th
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Two aces at the par-3 16th – by Bo Van Pelt and Adam Scott — were recorded during Sunday’s final round of the Masters. That brings the total to 15 aces at that hole in Masters history.
ACES AT THE 16TH
| Year | Player | Club | Yardage |
| 2012 | Adam Scott | 7-iron | 170 yards |
| 2012 | Bo Van Pelt | 6-iron | 170 yards |
| 2010 | Ryan Moore | 7-iron | 176 yards |
| 2010 | Nathan Green | 6-iron | 176 yards |
| 2008 | Ian Poulter | 8-iron | 169 yards |
| 2005 | Trevor Immelman | 7-iron | 177 yards |
| 2004 | Kirk Triplett | 6-iron | 177 yards |
| 2004 | Padraig Harrington | 6-iron | 177 yards |
| 1996 | Raymond Floyd | 5-iron | 182 yards |
| 1992 | Corey Pavin | 8-iron | 140 yards |
| 1968 | Clive Clark | 2-iron | 190 yards |
| 1949 | John Dawson (amateur) | 4-iron | 190 yards |
| 1940 | Ray Billows (amateur) | 8-iron | 145 yards |
| 1935 | Willie Goggin | spade mashie | 145 yards |
| 1934 | Ross Somerville (amateur) | mashie niblick | 145 yards |
4:20 pm
Donald ‘disappointed’ with his week at Augusta
By Mike McAllister, PGATOUR.COM
AUGUSTA, GA. — Luke Donald entered the week ranked No. 1 in the world and with high hopes of winning his first major. He’ll leave Augusta National off a confidence-building final-round 68 — tying for his lowest score in 28 career rounds at the Masters — but the knowledge that he was never in contention for a Green Jacket.
"Regardless of how I played, I’ll leave disappointed this week," Donald said. "It wasn’t what I wanted. As I said yesterday, it’s not a nice feeling waking up knowing whatever you shoot is probably not going to be good enough.
"But I’ll also leave with some positive feelings after today’s round."
Donald had three birdies in his first eight holes on Sunday, and had two bogeys, a birdie and an eagle (at the par-5 15th) on the back nine. The 68 comes after shooting 75-73-75 in the first three days that left him at 7 over coming into the final round.
Donald said he will try to learn something from his play this week as the reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year continues his search for his first major.
"You probably learn more from not playing well then you do playing well," Donald said. "You know, there’s so small a margins out here at Augusta. I think that’s the difference between majors and normal events.
"The margins are so small, you just can’t get away with it as much. Obviously I’ve got to work on being able to bring the game that I play at normal tournaments to the majors. I’m getting closer each time. It just takes more and more experience."
4:15 pm
Woods posts highest career score in Masters
By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Tiger Woods left before the final pairing even reached the back nine Sunday at Augusta National. With a 74 for a 5-over 293 total, it was the highest total score here for Woods in his professional career.
After winning at Bay Hill two weeks ago, surely it was not the outcome he expected.
“I didn’t hit the ball very good this week,” the four-time Masters champion said. “What’s frustrating is I know what to do, and I just don’t do it. I get out there and I just don’t trust it at all. I fall back into the same old patterns. I just need more reps.”
Woods had too many reps this week, failing to post at least one round in the 60s for the first time since 2007. His 75 on Friday was his highest score ever as a professional in the second round.
The most glaring problem for Woods was on the par-5s, where he made just two birdies and one bogey for the week. Collectively, he played them in 1 under.
“This is a golf course you just have to dominate the par-5s, and I did not do that at all this week,” Woods said.
After leading the field in greens in regulation at Bay Hill, Woods struggled with his accuracy here. He hit just 56 percent of his greens and 57 percent of his fairways.
Following his opening round, Woods went straight to the driving range and hit balls until well after sunset.
It didn’t help.
A day later, Woods shot 75 tossing his clubs on more than one occasion and at one point kicking his 9-iron after an errant approach shot at the 16th hole. Woods later apologized but was clearly frustrated with his play all week.
“I can get it on the range, I can get it dialed in there,” Woods said. “I go to the golf course and I just don’t quite trust it.”
Asked if he thought he was past that point following his win last month, Woods said no.
”With all the different changes I’ve made in my game over the years, you’re never past it,” he said. “The big things that we’re working on are done, but it’s the little things, too, now. The details sometimes can be magnified, especially on a golf course like this.”
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