
Masters 2015: Leaderboard Scores, Analysis, Highlights and More from Sunday
After talk of a potential collapse, Jordan Spieth never wavered Sunday at the Augusta National Golf Club. The 21-year-old shot two under in the final round to capture the 2015 Masters title by four strokes over Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson.
Spieth's cumulative score for the tournament was 18-under, which tied Tiger Woods for the tournament record, per SportsCenter:
Here's a look at the final leaderboard:
Aimee Lewis, Ben Dirs and Luke Reddy of BBC Sport provided comments from Spieth in the Butler Cabin following his win:
"It was very nerve-wracking today. I thought today might be a little easier than yesterday. I didn't sleep well last night... and with two major champions behind I couldn't let up. It's the most incredible week of my life, this is as great as it gets in our sport. This is a dream come true for me.
"
Heading into Sunday, some were a bit wary to hand Spieth the green jacket already. Greg Norman famously—or infamously—threw away a six-shot lead after 54 holes in 1996. Rory McIlroy also shot a final-round 80 in 2011 to blow his chance at a first Masters title.
In addition, Spieth had a share of the lead going into the fourth round of last year's Masters. A 72 was by no means terrible, but it was his worst round of the tournament, and it allowed Bubba Watson to win with relative ease.
Would Spieth carve out a place reserved for the biggest collapses in major tournament history?
The answer to that question was an emphatic no. The Dallas native birdied the first and the third holes, which set the tone for yet another strong round from the young star. While Spieth couldn't match the insane standard he had set for himself in the first and second rounds, he ensured that the competition gained only marginal ground throughout the day.
CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb felt Spieth's birdie on No. 10 really drove home that the 2015 Masters would be a one-man show down the final stretch:
"Spieth just essentially asked "Who is getting second" ... This is OVA #TheMasters
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) April 12, 2015"
James Ducker of The Times couldn't get over how composed Spieth remained throughout the day:
Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde added that Spieth wasn't lacking in confidence as he looked to be eschewing caution in pursuit of history:
Although he narrowly missed out on standing alone as the course record holder, Spieth will certainly settle for a share of the top mark. Plus, he moves up to No. 2 in the world rankings with his Masters triumph, per the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman:
ESPN.com's Jason Sobel looked at the bigger picture. He believes having a champion as young as Spieth will only serve as a boon to the sport:
Some fans will likely bemoan the lack of drama on the final day. Mickelson and Rose were unable to have the kind of incredible rounds that would've given Spieth a run for his money. Mickelson was three under for the day, with an eagle on No. 15 providing a big boost. Rose, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on a string of three straight birdies between Nos. 13 and 15. He bogeyed the 18th to finish two under.
McIlroy was one of the biggest risers Sunday. He shot a six-under 66, which was his lowest round of the tournament and tied for the lowest round of the day. As Sobel noted, if McIlroy could've gotten off to a better start, perhaps he would have been in contention for the title:
Woods had a bit of a rough day. Not only did he card a 73, he also injured his wrist on the ninth hole.
"A bone kind of popped out and a joint kind of went out of place," he told CBS' Bill Macatee, via Jay Hart of Devil Ball Golf. "But I put it back in."
On the whole, most will be happy with Woods' effort over the four days. Given his health problems this year, finishing in a tie for 17th at the Masters was a positive finish for the 39-year-old.
Meanwhile, last year's Masters champion had a day to forget. Watson was already too far back to repeat before the day started, but he won't be happy with his two-over 74 to wrap up the 2015 Masters. He did, however, pick up an impressive eagle on No. 2 following an excellent approach with his second shot:
Hunter Mahan had arguably the shot of the day. He chipped in for birdie on No. 4 after his drive was well off the mark:
Looking forward, it will be important to manage expectations when it comes to Spieth's future. After all, Woods had to wait until the 1999 PGA Championship for his next major win, and he's the greatest golfer of his generation.
With that said, fans can be forgiven if they're already envisioning a rivalry for the ages between Spieth and McIlroy.
Maybe Woods' encouraging Masters performance is a sign he's on his way to being a threat at majors once again. Who wouldn't want to watch a head-to-head battle between Woods and McIlroy or Spieth on the final day of a major?
The PGA Tour certainly won't be lacking in compelling storylines over the coming months.

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