Charl Schwartzel wins wild finish at Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. - Charl Schwartzel won the Masters by two strokes over Adam Scott and Jason Day after a wild final day at Augusta National.
Eight players held at least a share of the lead Sunday, but it was the 26-year-old South African who turned in one of the great finishing performances in major championship history.
Schwartzel closed with four straight birdies, including a 20-footer at the final hole to wrap up a 6-under 66. He finished 14-under 274, enough to deny Australia its first green jacket.
Scott shot a 67 and Day finished with two straight birdies for a 68, leaving both Aussies at 276. This remain the only major tournament never won by a golfer from Down Under.
"It was just such an exciting day," Schwartzel said. "There were so many roars and the atmosphere out there was just incredible.
Tiger Woods created much of the excitement early on, making four birdies and an eagle before he headed to the back side with a 5-under 31.
But he missed short putts at both the 12th and 15th holes, limping to the finish with a 36. That left Woods in a group at 278 with Geoff Ogilvy and Luke Donald.
Leaderboard
Photos: 2011 Masters Tournament
Schwartzel becomes the fourth straight first-time major champion, following Martin Kaymer (PGA Championship), countryman Louis Oosthuizen (British Open) and Graeme McDowell (U.S. Open). This is the first time the Americans have been without a major title or the Ryder Cup.
Woods gave it a go, but the erratic play that has plagued him during the longest winless streak of his career showed up on the back side.
"It could have been," he said. "I hit it good all day."
No one suffered like Rory McIlroy, who entered the day with a four-stroke lead. He ricocheted a shot between two cabins along the 10th hole, took a triple-bogey and never recovered.
McIlroy limped to the finish with an 80, winding up 10 strokes behind Schwartzel.
List of Masters champions:
2011 - Charl Schwartzel
2010 - Phil Mickelson
2009 - x-Angel Cabrera
2008 - Trevor Immelman
2007 - Zach Johnson
2006 - Phil Mickelson
2005 - x-Tiger Woods
2004 - Phil Mickelson
2003 - x-Mike Weir
2002 - Tiger Woods
2001 - Tiger Woods
2000 - Vijay Singh
1999 - Jose Maria Olazabal
1998 - Mark O'Meara
1997 - Tiger Woods
1996 - Nick Faldo
1995 - Ben Crenshaw
1994 - Jose Maria Olazabal
1993 - Bernhard Langer
1992 - Fred Couples
1991 - Ian Woosnam
1990 - x-Nick Faldo
1989 - x-Nick Faldo
1988 - Sandy Lyle
1987 - x-Larry Mize
1986 - Jack Nicklaus
1985 - Bernhard Langer
1984 - Ben Crenshaw
1983 - Seve Ballesteros
1982 - x-Craig Stadler
1981 - Tom Watson
1980 - Seve Ballesteros
1979 - x-Fuzzy Zoeller
1978 - Gary Player
1977 - Tom Watson
1976 - Raymond Floyd
1975 - Jack Nicklaus
1974 - Gary Player
1973 - Tommy Aaron
1972 - Jack Nicklaus
1971 - Charles Coody
1970 - x-Billy Casper
1969 - George Archer
1968 - Bob Goalby
1967 - Gay Brewer Jr.
1966 - x-Jack Nicklaus
1965 - Jack Nicklaus
1964 - Arnold Palmer
1963 - Jack Nicklaus
1962 - x-Arnold Palmer
1961 - Gary Player
1960 - Arnold Palmer
1959 - Art Wall Jr.
1958 - Arnold Palmer
1957 - Doug Ford
1956 - Jack Burke Jr.
1955 - Cary Middlecoff
1954 - x-Sam Snead
1953 - Ben Hogan
1952 - Sam Snead
1951 - Ben Hogan
1950 - Jimmy Demaret
1949 - Sam Snead
1948 - Claude Harmon
1947 - Jimmy Demaret
1946 - Herman Keiser
1945 - No tournament, WWII
1944 - No tournament, WWII
1943 - No tournament, WWII
1942 - x-Byron Nelson
1941 - Craig Wood
1940 - Jimmy Demaret
1939 - Ralph Guldahl
1938 - Henry Picard
1937 - Byron Nelson
1936 - Horton Smith
1935 - x-Gene Sarazen
1934 - Horton Smith
x-won playoff