MASTERS '21: Key Anniversaries for Champions Over the Years

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Author

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A take a look at among the anniversaries this 12 months on the Masters:

The Masters resumed after a four-year layoff due to World Warfare II and had a serious upset. Herman Keiser, who was discharged from the Navy a 12 months earlier, started 69-68 to construct a five-shot lead and maintained that margin over Ben Hogan going into the ultimate spherical. Keiser struggled to a 74, and it appeared as if he may need thrown away the Masters with a three-putt bogey on the 18th. That dropped him right into a tie with Hogan, who was within the closing group. Hogan had a birdie putt from 15 ft for the win, ran it 3 ft by and missed the par putt. Keiser completed at 6-under 282 and received $2,500 for his solely main. Hogan closed with a 70. He received his first main later that 12 months on the PGA Championship.

Jack Nicklaus was coming off his first main of the 12 months on the PGA Championship, held in February in 1971 in Florida. He was tied for the 54-hole lead with Charles Coody, who in 1969 bogeyed his final three holes at Augusta Nationwide to lose by two photographs. The cost got here from 23-year-old Johnny Miller, who was 6 underneath by 14 holes to take the lead. Miller bogeyed two of the final three holes for a 68. Coody turned his sport round with birdies on the fifteenth and sixteenth to construct a two-shot lead, and Nicklaus had a chilly putter that stored him from catching up. Coody closed with a 70 for a two-shot victory over Nicklaus (72) and Miller for his solely main.

The tales had been virtually written earlier than the ultimate spherical started. Greg Norman, who tied the course report with a 63 within the opening spherical, constructed a six-shot lead over Nick Faldo going into Sunday. Lastly, it was time to given Norman his due after so many Masters heartache. As a substitute, he suffered the largest setback of his profession. Faldo pulled to inside three photographs by eight holes, after which Norman made three straight bogeys they usually had been tied going to the par-3 twelfth. Norman’s ball got here up brief into Rae’s Creek for a double bogey to fall two behind. It stayed that method till Norman pulled his tee shot into the water left of the par-3 sixteenth for an additional double bogey. Faldo closed with a 67 and a five-shot victory, typically neglected as a result of Norman shot 78 and misplaced the most important 54-hole lead in main championship historical past. Faldo received his third inexperienced jacket. Norman by no means received the Masters.

Tiger Woods completed the earlier 12 months by profitable the U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. He needed to wait almost seven months for his shot at changing into the one participant to carry all 4 majors on the identical time, often called the “Tiger Slam.” Woods constructed a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson going into the ultimate spherical, with David Duval lurking. The dynamic Sunday was all anybody may ask. Mickelson tied Woods 4 instances, however by no means handed him. Duval ran off 4 straight birdies and tied Woods with a birdie on the tenth. Duval tied Woods one final time with a birdie on the fifteenth, however his tee shot on the sixteenth stayed on the highest shelf and he three-putted for bogey to fall one behind. Duval missed birdie putts inside 10 ft on the subsequent two holes. Woods birdied the 18th for a 68 to beat Duval (67) by two photographs and Mickelson (70) by three.

Rory McIlroy took a four-shot lead into the ultimate spherical. Few may have imagined a Sunday with so many prospects, with eight gamers having not less than a share of the lead sooner or later on the again 9. Charl Schwartzel lastly gave this Masters a end it deserved. McIlroy misplaced his method by the cabins and timber for a triple bogey on the tenth gap, three-putted from 7 ft on No. 11 and four-putted from 12 ft on No. 12. He shot 80. The Aussie trio of Adam Scott, Jason Day and Geoff Ogilvy all had their probabilities. Schwartzel turned the primary Masters champion to complete with 4 straight birdies, the final one giving him a 66 to win by two photographs over Day and Scott.

Jordan Spieth was in Butler Cabin, similar to everybody anticipated, besides he was there to current the inexperienced jacket to Danny Willett in one of many greatest shockers on the Masters. Spieth took a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical in his bid to turn into the one participant to go wire-to-wire in profitable consecutive Masters titles. He led by 5 on the flip, and the again 9 figured to be a coronation. As a substitute, it was a collapse as gorgeous as any. Spieth started the again 9 with two straight bogeys, after which put two balls in Rae’s Creek at No. 12 to make triple bogey. The door was open, and Willett walked by. All of the sudden staked to a one-shot lead, Willett birdied the sixteenth and completed off his bogey-free spherical of 67. Spieth tried to rally, however his hopes ended when he missed an 8-foot birdie on the sixteenth and made bogey from the bunker on the seventeenth. He shot 41 on the again for a 73 and was completed three photographs behind with Lee Westwood.

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