Reporting from Augusta, Ga. — Danny Willett was Nick Faldo. Jordan Spieth was Greg Norman.
The comparisons are as inevitable as they are obvious. Just as mind-bending, too.
The 80th Masters week began with memories of Jack Nicklaus’ stirring victory at Augusta National 30 years ago, but there was another anniversary less celebrated, for good reason — the 20th of Norman’s epic Sunday collapse.
So it was eerie and spine-tingling to witness what transpired on Masters Sunday 2016.
In a barrage of shocking misplays on the back nine, Spieth squandered what seemed to be a certain second straight Masters victory by losing a five-shot lead over the course of 50 minutes.
The recipient of Spieth’s unraveling: Willett, a 28-year-old Englishman who was competing in only his second Masters.
Willett is a slightly built, average-looking bloke with a wispy mustache who is impressively accomplished on the European Tour — four victories and a world ranking inside the top 10 come Monday — but likely was unrecognizable before the week to all but the most ardent American golf fan.
The son of a Sheffield vicar and a school teacher, he will be a guest of Augusta National for life now.
Down by three shots at the outset, Willett fired a bogey-free five-under-par 67, finished at five-under 283 and captured his first major championship by three strokes over Spieth and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood.
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Danny Willett of England walks along the 15th hole during the final round of the Masters on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jordan Spieth gathers his thoughts on the 18th green before finishing the final round with a one-over 73.
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Jordan Spieth presents Danny Willett the winner’s green jacket Sunday evening at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Augusta National chairman William Porter Payne presents American Bryson DeChambeau with the trophy for being the top amateur at the Masters during the awards ceremony Sunday evening.
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Masters champion Danny Willett gives the thumbs-up sign to fans after the awards ceremony at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jordan Spieth gets a pat on the back from caddie Michael Greller on the 18th hole after finishing second at the Masters.
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Jordan Spieth takes a second drop on the 12th hole after one of the two times his shots landed in Rae’s Creek while hitting approach shots there during the final round of the Masters tournament.
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Jordan Spieth plays his second shot on the 11th hole from the trees during the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
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Danny Willett reacts after making a putt at No. 14 on Sunday during the final round of the Masters.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan chips onto a green during the final round of the Masters on Sunday.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot out of the bunker during the final round of the Masters.
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Lee Westwood of England reacts after making an eagle on the 15th hole during the final round of the Masters.
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Jason Day of Australia reacts after playing a shot Sunday during the final round of the Masters.
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Patrons leave Augusta National Golf Club after the third round of the Masters.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot onto the 16th green during third round of the Masters.
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Bernhard Lange tips his cap to the crowd after putting out at No. 18 during the third round of the Masters on Saturday.
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Jordan Spieth walks out of the trees along the 18th fairway after hitting a recovery shot during the third round of the Masters.
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Jordan Spieth hits out of the rough along the 17th fairway Saturday during the third round of the Masters.
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Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his second shot on the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters.
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Rory McIlroy reacts to a missed birdie putt on the 17th green during the third round of the Masters.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain lines up a putt on the 13th green during the third round of the Masters.
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American Scott Piercy creates a splash of sand as he hits out of a bunker during the third round of the Masters.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays his shot from the 17th tee during the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy hits out of a bunker on the 18th green during Round 1 of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Ian Poulter, of England, reacts after missing a putt on the first hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Danny Lee, of New Zealand, hits a drive on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Mike Weir of Canada hit out of a bunker on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jason Day, of Australia, watches his drive on the second hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Charl Schwartzel, of South Africa, hits out of a bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Patrons walk along the first fairway before the start of play during the second round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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A scorekeeper peers through a hole from behind a board during Round 1 of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Martin Kaymer of Germany down the fairway on the fifteenth hole during the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Australia’s Steven Bowditch putts on 1st hole during Round 1 of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in April. (DON EMMERT / AFP/Getty Images)
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Rickie Fowler hits out of the rough off the first fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jordan Spieth hits on the second fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Victor Dubuisson of France and caddie Leonard Francois walk up the third fairway during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Amateur Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the third hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jordan Spieth lines up a putt on the first hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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A scorekeeper places numbers on a leaderboard during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jack Nicklaus waves before hitting a ceremonial first tee shot before the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Steven Bowditch of Australia celebrates after chipping in a birdie on the first hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Lee Westwood of England chips on the second hole during the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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A sign bearing the names of the honorary starters Gary Player of South Africa, Jack Nicklaus of the U.S. and Arnold Palmer of the U.S. before they ceremonially open the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player together on the first tee at the ceremonially opening of the first round of the 2016 Masters Tournament.
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Patrons wait for the gates to open near the first fairway before the start of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Patrons file onto the course after the gates are opened near the first fairway before the start of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
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Spectators line a fairway to watch the first round of the 80th Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press) The 42-year-old Westwood scored 69 for his second runner-up Masters finish, while Spieth carded 73 — his third straight round over par after opening with a 66.
Spieth, 22, led the Masters for a record seven consecutive rounds, and when he was five strokes up with nine holes to play he couldn’t possibly have fathomed that a couple of hours later he would be slipping the green jacket onto another man.
When Spieth had solemnly performed that duty at the outdoor awards ceremony in near-darkness, Willett took to the microphone, affably turned toward Spieth and said, “I feel very fortunate to be standing here, and you not putting the green jacket on yourself again.”
Speaking to reporters later, Spieth said, “As you can imagine, I can’t think of anybody else who may have had a tougher ceremony to experience.
“Obviously happy for Danny. More important than golf, he’s had a lot of really cool things happen in his life.
“Like he said, maybe fate had it this time for him. I certainly wanted to control fate myself.”
The plot twists and bizarre circumstances involved in this particular result might not be matched in 80 more Masters.
CBS commentator Faldo, of course, hails from England. He is the only other player from the country to win at Augusta, and he did it three times.
Willett’s 67 matched what Faldo shot in ’96 when Norman staggered to five over in the last 10 holes.
Spieth also shot five over in the stretch.
Willett said his wife, Nicole, was born 28 years ago, on April 10, at a time close to when he secured the green jacket.
The couple’s first child, son Zachariah, originally was due to be born Sunday, but arrived on March 30 via C-section, which allowed Willett to play the tournament when he might have otherwise skipped it.
“I’m not quite sure which is better, this day or last Tuesday,” he said with a soft smile. “I don’t know which one I should say to be politically correct. . . . It’s been an incredible 12 days.”
Willett said that because he was home helping his wife tend to their son, he didn’t get the same practice in, and he didn’t leave England until Monday.
Because he was the last to arrive at Augusta, his caddie got the final white jumpsuit — No. 89, the same worn by Jackie Nicklaus in his dad’s milestone 1986 victory.
Faldo said on Sunday’s broadcast of the ’96 drama, “Just because Greg was having a tough time doesn’t mean it was totally given to me. I had to put a score on the scorecard.”
Willett probably will answer the same. He didn’t make his first birdie until the sixth, but notched four more over the last 11 holes.
Spieth all but drowned his chances at the elbow of Amen Corner with two ugly shots into the Rae’s Creek for an eventual quadruple-bogey seven at the par-three 12th.
Subsequent birdies at Nos. 13 and 15 teased the hopeful patrons, but a bogey at 17 ensured the loss.
Willett was coming off a birdie at 14 to get to four under when he heard the gallery groan as Spieth’s score, after 12, was changed from a red “5” to a red “1.” Less than an hour before that, Spieth made his fifth birdie on the front nine at No. 9 to storm to seven under.
“I was waiting for someone to, as a little joke, put that seven back up there,” Willett said with a smile. “It was one of those things — that hole will do it. It’s one of the toughest par threes in golf.”
Willett was showered with appreciation from fans when he walked up the hill at 18, but it was a nervous par he made because he didn’t know if it would hold up.
He watched the television in the scoring room, talking to his wife, able to celebrate only when Spieth bogeyed the 17th.
“The line was a bit crackly,” Willett said. “I’ll obviously call her after this if she’s still awake. I’m sure they will be.
“I’ve got massive thanks for everything that she does for me. You know, take this little green jacket back for her.”
tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com
