April 11--Danny Willett was Nick Faldo. Jordan Spieth was Greg Norman.
The comparisons are as inevitable as they obvious. Just as mind-bending too.
The 80th Masters week began with the 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 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 5-under-par 67, finished at 3-under 283 and captured his first major championship by three strokes over Spieth and fellow Englishman Lee Westwood.
Westwood, 42, shot 69 for his second runner-up finish in the Masters, while Spieth carded 73 -- his third straight round over par after opening with a 66.
Spieth, 22, led the Masters for a record seven straight rounds, and when he was five strokes up with nine to play he couldn't have possibly 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 won't 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, with three titles here. Willett's 67 matched what Faldo shot in '96 when Norman staggered to 5 over in the last 10 holes. Spieth also shot 5 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 on 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," Willett 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 likely will answer the same. He didn't make his first birdie until the sixth but notched four more over the last 11 holes -- including a 2 at the par-3 12th -- where he outscored Spieth by five shots on the day.
Spieth all but drowned his chances for a victory at the elbow of Amen Corner with two ugly shots into Rae's Creek for an eventual quadruple-bogey 7. Subsequent birdies at 13 and 15 teased hopeful fans, but the bogey at 17 ensure the loss.
Willett was coming off a birdie at 14 to get to 4 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 fourth birdie on the front nine at No. 9 to storm to 7 under.
"I was waiting for someone to, as a little joke, put that 7 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-3s 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 would hold up.
He watched the television in the scoring room, talking to his wife, only able to celebrate 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."
tleonard@tribpub.com
