Masters 2015 Leaderboard: Dissecting Results, Standings from Sunday's Action
Jordan Spieth's wardrobe got a bit larger Sunday.
The 21-year-old phenom capped off a brilliant week at Augusta National with a two-under 70 to become the newest Masters champion and take home the coveted green jacket. His 18-under performance tied the tournament's 72-hole record set by Tiger Woods back in 1997.
A resurgent Phil Mickelson did his best to make up ground on Spieth, but his 69 just wasn't enough, as Lefty finished in a tie for second with Justin Rose following his three-under 69. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy tied for the day's low round of 66, helping him move into fourth place. Unfortunately, his quest to complete the career Grand Slam will have to wait at least one more year.
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As the sun sets in Georgia on Masters Sunday, here's a look at the final leaderboard:
Winning a major tournament is difficult enough, but doing so after leading upon the conclusion of play each day is just astonishing. How difficult is earning a wire-to-wire win in the Masters? Well, the last player to achieve the feat was Raymond Floyd back in 1976—or 18 years before Spieth was born.
At the age of 21, Spieth's level of maturity and ability to remain calm in difficult situations was a sight to behold. He didn't play a flawless round by any stretch, recording four bogeys on the day; however, his ability to shake off his errors and bounce back with birdies was exceptional.
Many onlookers were left with a great impression of Spieth at Augusta, and McIlroy was among them. Here's what the world No. 1 had to say to The Associated Press (via PGATour.com), "It's awfully impressive. It's nice to get your major tally up and running at an early stage in your career. It's great to see, great for the game, and I'm sure there will be many more."
So, besides the green jacket, what does Spieth earn with his win?
According to PGATour.com, the 21-year-old gets his name on the Masters Trophy, a gold medal, $1.8 million, 600 FedEx Cup points, 100 points in the official world golf rankings (moving him to No. 2 overall), a five-year exemption to play on the PGA Tour, the privilege of hosting next year's Masters dinner and a lifetime invitation to compete in the tournament.
Not too shabby for four days of work.
Mickelson began the day in pedestrian fashion, recording an even-par 36 on the front nine, but Lefty began to fire away on the back. After a pair of birdies, he bogeyed the 14th before moving on to the par-five 15th. After his aggressive second shot found a green-side bunker, the short-game magician holed out for eagle, and the crowd erupted as a result.
Coming into the tournament, Mickelson's game was in shambles, as he finished no better than tied for 17th while missing two cuts in his seven previous appearances this year. Certainly tying for second at the Masters will give him the motivation necessary to remain resilient and continue to make an impact on tour.
Speaking of veterans attempting to right the ship, Woods wasn't exactly able to finish strong, shooting a one-over 73 Sunday. He was errant off the tee all day long, and he wasn't helped by sustaining a wrist injury midway through his round. According to Woods on the CBS broadcast, "the bone popped out" on the ninth hole, per the AP's Paul Newberry (via Yahoo Sports).
Regardless of his average final round, Woods proved his career isn't over just yet. While he dropped to a tie for 17th in this year's Masters, he fared much better than most thought before he entered the tournament. It still may be too early to tell if Tiger is back at this point, but the signs indicate he's on the right track.
As for the current world No. 1, McIlroy tied the low round of the day with a 66, moving up to finish in fourth place. His final round resembled more of what he's capable of accomplishing when he gets into his groove, as his six birdies were recorded on a blemish-free scorecard.
If McIlroy can build some momentum from that final round, he's poised to do some damage on the PGA Tour once again in 2015. His career Grand Slam will have to wait for at least another year, but the Northern Irishman's game looks as strong as ever heading into the thick of the season.
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