Round 4 report
Danny Willett claimed a shock Masters win with a superb five-under-par 67 as 2015 champion Jordan Spieth crumbled during a thrilling final round.
The Englishman, 28, won his first major by three shots on five under to become the first British victor in 20 years.
Overnight leader Spieth, 22, led by five shots as he approached the 10th at Augusta, but the American dramatically dropped six shots in three holes.
He ended with a one-over 73, tying for second with England's Lee Westwood.
Westwood's three-under-par 69 gave him his second Masters runners-up finish on two under, with Paul Casey, another Englishman, one shot further back in a tie for fourth.
Spieth will be left ruing a remarkable collapse on the iconic par-three 12th.
He twice found the water in front of the green as he carded a quadruple bogey seven - to follow successive bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes.
That catapulted Sheffield's Willett, who was playing the par-five 15th, into the outright lead - a lead that he would not relinquish after signing for the joint-lowest round of the final day.
Willett's rapid rise
Willett is one of the golf's rising stars, having climbed from outside the top 100 to inside the top 10 in less than two years.
But few would have predicted a first major win in only his second appearance on the unforgiving Augusta course, especially because his participation at the Masters had been in doubt, with wife Nicole due to give birth on the final day.
However, the early arrival of baby Zachariah meant Willett, who said he would have stayed at home if his son had not been born, was able to play.
Willett lay three shots adrift of Spieth on level par going into Sunday after opening rounds of 70, 74 and 72.
But he moved to within a stroke with a birdie at the eighth, his eagle putt just coming up short, on his way to a front-nine 34.
Three successive pars from the 10th and birdies on the 13th and 14th saw him move into the lead as Spieth stumbled.
A further birdie on the par-three 16th kept him clear of the field as he completed one of only two bogey-free final rounds.
Who is Danny Willett?
The son of a vicar, he was born on 3 October, 1987 in Sheffield
Left school at 16 but later attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama on a golfing scholarship
Won the 2007 English Amateur Championship and in early 2008 became the world's top-ranked amateur
Turned professional in 2008 and clinched his first European Tour victory at the 2012 BMW International Open in Germany
Won twice on the European Tour in the 2015 season and made his Masters debut where he finished tied 38th
Captured his fourth European Tour victory at the Dubai Desert Classic in February
The world number 12, who rises to ninth after this win, received a standing ovation as he walked towards the 18th green, on the verge of emulating fellow Englishman Nick Faldo, who won his third and final Green Jacket in 1996.
There was still a nervous wait for Willett though with Spieth needing to birdie the last two holes to force a play-off.
However, the Texan bogeyed the par-four 17th after finding a greenside bunker with his approach, allowing Willett to start his celebrations early.
Spieth was given a sympathetic reception as he trudged towards the clubhouse after a par four on the last but it was no consolation for the emotional two-time major winner.
As Masters tradition dictates, the world number two then had to help Willett into the Green Jacket.
"It's been crazy," said Willett. "You can't really describe the emotions and feelings.
"We all try to play good golf and someone has to win. Fortunately today it was my day. It was a very surreal day when you look back at the ebbs and flows."
Spieth's remarkable meltdown
Spieth was aiming to become only the fourth back-to-back winner at Augusta.
He stood on the 10th tee with a five-shot lead after four straight birdies, only to see that advantage dwindle to one by the time he walked onto the 12th.
Dropped shots at the 10th and 11th, coupled with birdies for Willett just ahead on the 13th and 14th, resulted in a four-shot swing.
Then came Spieth's remarkable meltdown at the 12th.
Jordan Spieth's disastrous seven at the par-three 12th
The world number two planted his tee shot into into Rae's Creek, then clubbed a heavy second attempt into the water, before hitting his fifth shot into the bunker at the back of the green.
He managed to get up and down in two shots from there, but the damage was done.
"It was just a lack of discipline coming off the two bogeys instead of realising I was still leading the Masters by a couple of shots," said Spieth.
"I have no doubt about my ability to close majors, I just think it was a very tough 30 minutes that hopefully I don't experience again."
English invasion
Willett was not the only Englishman to impress in the final round.
Westwood, who also finished second in 2010, moved into contention with three birdies before the turn.
An chip-in eagle on the par-five 15th put the former world number one, 42, within a shot of Willett, only for a bogey on the next and two final pars to leave him short.
Lee Westwood finish tied second at the 2016 Masters
Westwood claimed his ninth top-three finish at a major - without winning one of the prizes
Former Ryder Cup player Paul Casey and young Yorkshireman Matt Fitzpatrick, the only two in the 57-man field to match Willett's final-round 67, finished tied fourth and tied seventh respectively.
Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, finished in a tie for 10th on one over, alongside Northern Ireland's four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and Australia's world number one Jason Day.
McIlroy struggles
McIlroy started the week bidding to become only the sixth man to win all four majors, but his chances of overhauling the rest of the field were slim after a third-round 77 left him five shots adrift of the lead.
The Northern Irishman then bogeyed the first after pushing a nervy opening tee-shot right into the trees.
The world number three, 26, birdied the third to go back level but slipped back again with dropped shots on the next two holes.
He finished with a scrappy round of 71 thanks to seven birdies and six bogeys.
"This is the one that I haven't won and this is the one I want to win more than anything else," said the former Open, US PGA and US Open champion.
"Once I overcome that mental hurdle that I'm struggling with at the minute, then I know how to play this course."
German veteran Bernhard Langer, whose only major wins came at Augusta in 1985 and 1993, began two shots off the lead and dreaming of becoming the oldest major champion by a decade.
But the 58-year-old former world number one made a nightmare start, bogeying the first and dropping two more on the third.
Four more bogeys left him tied 24th.
It was a more memorable day for Ireland's Shane Lowry, US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love and 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who all claimed holes-in-one on the par-three 16th.
Round 3 report
-3 J Spieth; -2 S Kaufman; -1 B Langer (Ger), H Matsuyama (Jpn); Level J Day (Aus), D Johnson, D Willett (Eng)
Selected others: +1 L Westwood (Eng), B Snedeker, S Kjeldsen (Den); +2 R McIlroy (NI); +3 J Rose (Eng); +4 C Wood (Eng), P Casey (Eng); +5 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), J Donaldson (Wal); +7 S Lowry (Ire); +9 S Garcia (Spa)
Jordan Spieth will begin the final day at the Masters with a one-shot lead but playing partner Rory McIlroy's bid faltered on day three at Augusta.
In a tough breeze, 22-year-old Spieth carded a one-over 73 to lead for a record seventh consecutive round.
Smylie Kaufman will play with his fellow American on Sunday, with former champion Bernhard Langer and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama a further shot behind.
McIlroy, 26, started the day one behind Spieth, but ended five back after a 77.
The Northern Irishman started his third round with genuine hopes of winning the Green Jacket after a late rally on Friday.
But his bid to become only the sixth man to win all four majors suffered following a birdie-free round featuring three bogeys and one double bogey which left him in a tie for 11th place.
McIlroy will tee off at 18:55 BST on Sunday, with the final pairing of Spieth and Kaufman going out at 19:45.
Bernhard Langer rolls back the years at Augusta
Sloppy Spieth offers hope
Saturday was billed as a showdown between the final pairing of Spieth and McIlroy, but the expected battle between golf's youthful poster boys failed to materialise.
World number three McIlroy struggled to find his rhythm throughout, allowing Spieth to take control without the defending champion being at his fluent best.
But while McIlroy was unable to pick up any shots, blowing a decent chance at the last by pushing wide a nine-foot putt, his rival still managed to grind out five birdies.
However, Spieth's card suffered considerably with two rare double bogeys.
The Texan three-putted on the 505-yard, par-four 11th, offering hope to his nearest challengers who, at this stage, were Matsuyama and Langer.
He rectified that sloppy mistake with three birdies in the next four holes, opening up another four-stroke lead over 24-year-old Kaufman, who had emerged from the pack with three birdies of his own in the final six holes.
But Spieth's poor final hole - driving right into the trees before falling 50 foot short of the pin with an undercooked third shot - gave renewed belief to the rest of the leaderboard.
"Two under with three to go and the wind at your side, I just got really wayward from there," said Spieth.
"I just have to absolutely throw away the finish to this round, pretend it's a new round, everyone is tied and you have to shoot the best score to win.
"I have to understand it's the position I wanted to be in after 54 holes and not think about the finish to this round."
McIlroy's Green Jacket search set to continue
Spieth had earlier extended his lead with a two-putt birdie on the par-five second, where McIlroy had to settle for a par after missing from nine feet.
McIlroy dropped his first shot on the par-four third, whereas Spieth recovered from a wayward drive to save par and extend his lead to three.
By the turn, the world number two was four shots ahead, before McIlroy's challenge faded when he pulled tee-shots at 10 and 11 on his way to dropping three shots.
That may have all but ended his Masters quest for another year, despite the four-time major winner arresting his decline with seven straight pars on his way back to the clubhouse.
"I couldn't get anything going really," McIlroy said. "I am disappointed. I felt like I righted the ship a little on the back nine but couldn't take the few opportunities I gave myself.
"If I am to take heart from anything then it's the fact Jordan has just let a lot of people in after his finish."
Langer rolls back the years
Langer played his first Masters in 1982 - 11 years before Jordan Spieth was born
The day was billed as a showdown between Spieth and McIlroy - but it was a player at the other end of his career who threatened to steal the show.
Former world number one Langer, who won the Green Jacket in 1985 and 1993, was five shots adrift of overnight leader Spieth at the start of Saturday's third round.
But the veteran German carded three birdies in a front-nine 35 to make the biggest progress on 'Moving Day' - the penultimate day of a major where contenders on the fringes know they must perform well.
Langer dropped a shot on the iconic par-three 12th, but bounced back with three straight birdies to take a share of second place with Matsuyama.
A loose tee-shot out right on the 18th left him scrambling, but he managed to limit the damage by holing a tricky seven-foot putt for bogey.
The Augusta galleries showed their appreciation for the unlikely challenger, now ranked 1,080 in the world, with a standing ovation.
"I believe I can win. Obviously it depends how the others do," said Langer.
"If I play my best, I can shoot four or five under tomorrow, I think, if the conditions are a little bit better."
How 'brutal' was Augusta?
Horschel ball blown into water
The world's best golfers struggled to tame Augusta in a testing third round caused by winds gusting up to 30mph.
Only five of the 57-man field managed to finish under par, Kaufman carding the best round of the day with a three-under 69.
But the course was described as "brutal" by another American, Kevin Kisner, who shot a 76.
"Every shot is just guessing and hitting and praying. I never felt comfortable even on wedge shots all day and putts are just brutal," he said.
"I watched [playing partner] Justin Thomas hit a four-footer that went 55 feet. I mean you don't see that stuff. It's not supposed to happen."
Asked what he could learn from the experience, he joked: "Yeah, you go home and have a beer and sit on the couch and laugh at everybody else."
Round 2 report
-4 J Spieth; -3 R McIlroy (NI); -2 D Lee (NZ), S Piercy; -1 B Snedeker, S Kjeldsen (Den), H Matsuyama (Jpn)
Selected others: Level D Willett (Eng), S Garcia (Spa), S Lowry (Ire), B DeChambeau, D Johnson; +1 J Day (Aus), B Langer (Ger), C Wood (Eng); +2 L Westwood (Eng), P Casey (Eng), J Rose (Eng), J Donaldson (Wal)
Rory McIlroy closed the gap on leader Jordan Spieth to one shot as he revived his Masters bid at Augusta National.
McIlroy, aiming to complete a clean sweep of four majors, sunk three birdies in the final six holes to move to three under par after two rounds.
The Northern Irishman, 26, carded a one-under 71 before defending champion Spieth posted a two-over 74.
At one stage before his late rally, McIlroy trailed American Spieth, 22, by eight shots.
But the turnaround, facilitated by Spieth dropping four shots, tightened a leaderboard which he had threatened to dominate.
Spieth and McIlroy go into the weekend as the final pairing after American amateur Bryson DeChambeau blew his chance of separating them on the 18th.
DeChambeau, 22, whipped two tee shots way left, eventually finding a suitable dropping position after long discussions with Augusta officials before holing for a triple-bogey seven.
New Zealand's Danny Lee and American Scott Piercy are the nearest challengers to Spieth and McIlroy on two under.
Brandt Snedeker, Soren Kjeldsen and Hideki Matsuyama are one under, with England's Danny Willett, Ireland's Shane Lowry and Spaniard Sergio Garcia among those on level par.
With swirling winds continuing to challenge the players, McIlroy was one of only four players in the 89-man field to shoot a below-par round.
Four-time major winner McIlroy said his gutsy fightback was "up there" with the best rounds of his career.
"I kept my composure and I played the shots when I needed to," he said.
McIlroy leading the charge
McIlroy failed to capitalise on birdies on the second and third, compounding a double bogey on the next with further dropped shots on the fifth and 11th.
But the world number three, aiming to become the sixth man to claim the career Grand Slam, reignited his challenge with a birdie on the par-five 13th.
Further birdies followed on 15 and 16 before he saved his par on the last with a six-foot putt - greeted with a fist-pump - after a wayward drive right into the trees.
"It's only the second day; there's still two days to go," McIlroy said.
"But it's a great round and it's nice to be up there near the lead going into the weekend, instead of on the cut line and having to battle back from where I found myself the last couple years.
"I'm happy with where I'm at."
Spieth's stutter offers hope
Despite the difficult conditions in Georgia, few would have predicted Spieth's demise after he levered himself into such a position of strength.
An opening birdie was followed by another on the third, moving him five shots clear of the chasing pack after he began the day with a two-stroke lead.
But his normally immaculate putting failed him at the fifth, a four-putt leading to a double bogey and ending his record as the only player yet to drop a shot.
A birdie at the par-five eighth offered false hope to the Texan, who bogeyed the ninth and 10th before becoming annoyed at being timed for slow play as he waited for the wind to die down on his approach to the 11th.
Spieth carded his first over-par round in 10 career rounds at the Masters
It was a rare example of two-time major winner Spieth losing composure and, although he birdied the 15th, dropped shots on the 16th and 17th brought McIlroy within one.
Only Spieth's plucky save for par from a bunker on the last prevented his rival from starting the weekend level.
"I thought even par was a good score today," said Spieth, who has now led the Masters for six successive rounds - matching Arnold Palmer's feat in the early 1960s.
"It was a couple of strokes higher than I was looking for. It was a bit disappointing but it is pretty much a new tournament coming our way over the weekend.
"It was a grind on each hole. Emotionally it gets you going a little. The person who walks the tallest will win next over the next couple of days."
Mixed fortunes for previous Green Jacket winners
Phil Mickelson shot a 79 - his worst round at Augusta - to finish seven over and miss the cut by one stroke for only the third time in 24 starts
2013 champion Adam Scott, one of the pre-tournament favourites after back-to-back titles in March, shot three birdies on the back nine to finish four over
Two-time champion Bubba Watson sneaked in just above the cut on six over
But 2007 winner and current Open champion Zach Johnson missed the cut by two shots - after being given a two-shot penalty when his club touched the water in Rae's Creek on the par-five 13th
Tom Watson, the Green Jacket winner in 1977 and 1981, waved an emotional farewell to Augusta with a 78 to finish eight over
Wales' Ian Woosnam, playing on the 25th anniversary of his Masters victory, also missed the cut and revealed that this will be his final Augusta visit because of a persistent back injury
World number five Rickie Fowler - yet to win a major - missed the cut on nine over
'Everyone looked at me like I didn't have pants on'
Former world number one Ernie Els was the talk of Augusta on Thursday after carding the worst first hole in Masters history - and the four-time major winner said he still felt ashamed before his second round.
After a double bogey on the first - the scene of his quintuple nine - the South African recovered to shoot a one-over 73 on Friday.
"After what I did you feel quite embarrassed and I couldn't get myself going," Els said.
"It was a very weird, surreal feeling this morning. It was like I walked on to the range and even the players and caddies, they kind of just looked at me as if I didn't have pants on or something. It wasn't a nice feeling."
Round 1 Report
-6 J Spieth; -4 S Lowry (Ire), D Lee (NZ)
Selected others:-3 P Casey (Eng), J Rose (Eng), S Garcia (Spa), I Poulter (Eng); -2 D Willett (Eng), R McIlroy (NI); -1 L Westwood (Eng), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); level J Day (Aus), G McDowell (NI), P Mickelson, H Stenson (Swe), B Langer (Ger)
Reigning Masters champion Jordan Spieth holds a two-shot lead going into Friday's second round after carding a six-under-par 66 at Augusta National.
With Rory McIlroy slipping back late to two under, Spieth made his move early with three birdies on the front nine.
The 22-year-old American added three more on the back nine as he went through his round without a bogey.
Ireland's Shane Lowry is four under, while England's Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose are three under.
"I put it up there with one of the best rounds I've played," said world number two Spieth.
"I got a lot out of the round with what I felt like was kind of average-ish ball striking."
Spieth on the charge
After a stellar 2015, Spieth came to Augusta in less certain form.
But his remarkable record on this course - runner-up to Bubba Watson on his debut in 2014, champion in a record-equalling score a year ago having made a first-round 64 - continued as greens softened by overnight rain did only a little to compensate for a tricky blustery wind.
A birdie on the 10th was followed by crucial par saves from the trees on the 11th and over the green on the 12th, before a two-putt on the 13th for birdie.
Spieth, who is looking to become just the fourth player after Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods to retain the Masters title, kissed his putter after holing from 15 feet for par on the 16th.
And he finished with a birdie from five feet to reach a cumulative 29 under par for his nine competitive rounds at Augusta.
"I think the round may have been better than the first round last year because of the conditions - I would have signed for two under today and not even played the round, knowing the conditions that were coming up," said the Texan.
Casey said of his playing partner: "That was a flawless round. I played a wonderful round, but it was great to have a front-row seat to watch that."
World number one Jason Day had moved to within a shot of Spieth on the 14th but then three-putted the 15th before driving into the water on 16.
That resulted in a double bogey and a four-shot swing across the two holes, and an errant tee shot on the next led to another dropped shot as he closed on even par.
Lowry impresses as McIlroy finishes poorly
Lowry, 29, had four birdies across the first five holes and held on across a solid back nine to join New Zealand's Danny Lee on four under.
"I'm sure I'm going to be sitting back tonight thinking at some stage about wearing a Green Jacket. I'm only human," he said.
"But I've just got to kind of give myself a slap in the face and get myself back into reality and try to get down to business and keep hitting good shots and see where that leaves me at the end of the week."
After a contrastingly inconsistent start, McIlroy began his own charge with an eagle on the 13th, a magnificent approach followed by a 10-foot putt.
A birdie attempt on the next missed by a whisker, but he sank a 12-foot putt up the slope on 15 to go to four under, only to miss a short one on 16 to drop back.
He then put a short approach on the 18th into the bunker, splashed his shot from the sand 20 feet past the flag and left the par putt short to end the day in 10th.
"If someone had given me 70 on the first tee I probably would have taken it," said McIlroy. "It's a little disappointing with the way I finished, but anything under par was a good score."
English trio in contention
Casey, who finished joint sixth last year after failing to qualify for the previous two Masters, had moved within a shot of the lead with a birdie of his own on the 16th before dropping back with a bogey on the par-four 17th.
The 38-year-old was joined at three under by first Rose, in a round that combined six birdies with three bogies, and later an upbeat Poulter.
Rose, joint second a year ago, was utilising a new putting grip, switching to a 'claw' for the first time.
Rose 'really pleased' with strong start
"I stumbled across it last week and it just felt too good to deny," said the 35-year-old.
"I have putted OK this year but I feel if I am going to win the Masters I am going to have to putt great - it was a gamble but I felt it was one worth taking."
Poulter, 40, dropped shots on 10 and 11 but battled back with birdies on the 13th, 14th and 16th.
He said: "That was tricky out there - the wind was swirling around the front nine, but I played lovely."
Hell for Els
Four bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine left two-time champion Watson with a three-over 75, but it was South African Ernie Els who was the talk of the course after a horrific putting display on the first green.
The four-time major winner, who has twice finished second at the Masters, reached the green in three but then six-putted from within three feet.
It was the worst ever first-hole score at the tournament, and left the 46-year-old five over as he trudged to the second tee.
Rickie Fowler was another big name to endure a poor start as a double bogey on the first and an eight on 13 contributed to an eight-over-par 80.
"Golf's tough. It's a fine line, especially at this place," the American said.
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