85th Masters final scoreboard here
Despite tepid reactions like "anti climatic" and " where were all the stars" from the American media, make no mistake this win by Hideki Matsuyama, who stumbled across the finish line late Sunday afternoon, while all else around him stumbled prior, is historic, and monumental to this world wide game, especially of course to anyone of Japanese heritage both the 126.3 million at home and millions more all around the world.
In 2003 Mike Weir became an instant legend to 32 million Canadians when he became the first Canadian man to win a major.
Exactly the same has befallen Matsuyama. He made a bogey on the first with a wide right drive, and with others like Will Zalatoris charging his 4 shot lead was down to 1 in 15 minutes.
However he steadied with 3 birdies to go out in 34. His amazing -6 through his last 8 holes on Saturday's 65, was flipped on Sunday, with 4 bogey's in his last 8 including the 18th.
However his biggest threat as we all know now, Xander Schauffele who made birdies at 12,13 14, and 15 to get to -10, made that triple bogey 6 at the par 3 16th, to give Hideki the cushion he needed.
For the rest of the field, it was a case of coulda, shoulda, woulda.
Corey Connors had hit 29/31 fairways over 2 and a bit rounds in as fine a display of driving the golf ball as you'll ever see. He parred the par3 4th, but then missed the 5th fairway well to the right, didn't shout 'fore" just stared, then pointed. His lie in the pine straw had a big twig of it behind the ball, and his shot came out like it was topped.
From 112 yards his approach was above the hole resulting in a 2 putt bogey 5, and the momentum was gone. Par 3 6th was a hole in one on Saturday, he was long and over the green with too much club on Sunday, bogey 4.
7th, drive wide right again, a duffed chip into the bunker, poor bunker shot, 2 putted double bogey, then another bogey at the par 5 8th, and he was out of contention suddenly from -7 to -2.
To his credit, he hit his customary great drive on his way to par at 9, settled down and after going out in 40, he came home bogey free -2 34 for a 74. He T8 -4.
In hindsight, this is his best result at Augusta, and he played beautiful, remarkable golf all week on a course he can clearly dominate, and that 4 hole blip will smart, but will make him better this week and every other to follow.
Mac Hughes, well it wasn't his day, I followed him, he put the ball in the wrong places on several greens, which is a killer at Augusta, his 76 T40 +4.
Will Zalatoris shot 70 -9 2nd, the young string bean American played with Corey, and is off to a great start in his career. Jordan Spieth couldn't make enough putts on the weekend, but his Sunday 70 was good enough for -7 T3 with Schauffele.
There were lots of other storylines, Augusta is a helluva punishing course, not off the tee, but as we saw time and time again, players have to know where not to hit it each day when the flag positions are changed.
As Lee Westwood said before he joined others like DJ and Rory flying out of Augusta on Friday night, "that's why you see the same guys in contention and winning every year"
This year it's all about Hideki Matsuyama, the first of many men from Japan like Jumbo and Jet Osaka, Isao Aoki, Tommy Nakajima, Ryo Ishikawa, Shingo Katayama and many others, to finally win that major, and take his place forever amongst the champions at Augusta, and in the hearts of all his fellow countrymen and women.
Bryan Angus
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