BEVERLY HILLS, April 11, (THEWILL) –Â The final day of the Golf Masters at Augusta National, was not spared the drama that has come to be associated with the state of play at this hallowed event of the golfing calendar. It began as if it was going to spare everyone the customary intrigue but that was only for a bit.
Things took a turn for the dramatic when leading player, Hideki Matsuyama’s comfortable early lead almost evaporated late in the day. The Japanese had to ultimately hold off Xander Schauffele to finish ahead and earn himself his first green jacket in the process and become the first ever Japanese to do so.
For that to happen, Matsuyama shot a one-over 73 to finish 10 under for the tournament leaving him one stroke clear of runner-up Will Zalatoris after Schauffele himself later crumbled. That meant Matsuyama went home with $2.07 million victory
One of those who wasted no time in congratulating Matsuyama on his victory was golfing legend Tiger Woods, who is still recovering from his single-car auto crash from February. Tweeting from his official account, @TigerWoods, the 15-time champion posted:
“Making Japan proud Hideki. Congratulations on such a huge accomplishment for you and your country. This historical @TheMasters win will impact the entire golf world.”
With the prize money remaining unchanged for the third straight year, the total purse at the major was $11.5 million and the other competitors will share what is left after Matsuyama’s cut through the top of the leaderboard at the end of the Augusta competition:
Zalatoris (-9): $1,242,000
T3. Jordan Spieth (-7): $667,000
T3. Schauffele (-7): $667,000
T5. Jon Rahm (-6): $437,000
T5. Marc Leishman (-6): $437,000
Justin Rose (-5): $385,250
T8. Patrick Reed (-4): $345,000
T8. Corey Conners (-4): $345,000
T10. Cameron Smith (-3): $299,000
T10: Tony Finau (-3): $299,000
A strong game on Saturday helped Matsuyama surge to the top of the leaderboard, which was perhaps bolstered by a rain delay. The Japanese, who was two strokes off the lead through 10 holes, when rain forced a halt, shot a remarkable six under on the last eight holes to take a four-stroke lead, when play resumed.
It was an annihilation of the competition that even he found it hard to believe: “I wouldn’t have believed it. But I did play well today. And my game plan was carried out, and hopefully, tomorrow I can continue good form,” he remarked on Saturday.
Even the best of the best do not replicate their best play of the day before, as realised on Sunday. Yet, he did what he had to do to manage the course well by avoiding the sort of major blunders that often derailed a winnable tournament.
That went according to plan until the 15th, when he found the water and bogeyed the hole. The late drama intensified with Schauffele shooting a birdie on No. 15, effectively cutting Matsuyama’s lead to two strokes only. But The Japanese held on from there, bolstered by Schauffele’s untimely and devastating triple bogey on No. 16. Finishing above par was enough for Matsuyama.
