Louis Oosthuizen took the lead at the 2012 Masters with a double eagle at the 2nd hole, and has yet to lose it.
3:30 p.m.- Welcome back to The mj15 Blog's live coverage of the 2012 Masters Tournament's final round! Before we move on, here's a quick recap of the leaderboard at its current state:
1. Louis Oosthuizen: -9
2. Matt Kuchar/Bubba Watson/Peter Hanson: -7
5. Ian Poulter/Padraig Harrington/Phil Mickelson: -5
8. Adam Scott/Justin Rose/Lee Westwood/Hunter Mahan: -4
3:34 p.m.- A missed eagle attempt by Phil Mickelson at the 8th hole, which sets up a very make-able birdie. Meanwhile, Matt Kuchar doubles bogeys after struggling in the 9th hole, which puts him down to 5 under par. It is now Hanson and Watson who stand together at 7 under.
3:37 p.m.- Mickelson makes the birdie attempt, his first birdie of the round and one that improves his score to 6 under par. After the impressive back nine that he had yesterday, he still has a very good chance to rebound from his fourth hole triple bogey and makes a charge at Oosthuizen.
3:39 p.m- Meanwhile, over at the 9th hole, Bubba Watson misses a birdie attempt just barely, and keeps himself at 7 under par heading into the back nine. As it has been the case since around 1:55 p.m., Oosthuizen still remains as the leader, with no one making any serious move to inch up on him.
3:44 p.m.- Mickelson hooked his first shot at nine to the woodchips on the left side. On his 2nd shot, he hit a chip shot that just barely misses the green. According to Nantz, Mickelson hasn't birdied this hole since 2002. Considering his current lie, I have a feeling that this drought is going to continue. Hanson, on the other hand, makes it on the green at the 9th, yet has about 50 feet to make his birdie.
3:47 p.m.- Stop telling me about how our educational system is failing, Exxon Mobil! I came to watch golf, not to get saddened by how this nation's educational standards fell to 17th!
3:52 p.m.- Over at Amen Corner, Padraig Harrington gets himself a good birdie chance thanks to his 2nd shot at the 11th hole that just barely escaped the water hazard. Meanwhile, both members of the Mickelson and Hanson final pairing strike par at the 9th hole. We are now at the point where all of the final pairings are at the Back Nine at Augusta, one of the most famous nine hole stretches in all of golf. This is where all the real fun begins.
3:55 p.m.- Trouble for Oosthuizen at the 10th hole. He had to hit his 3rd shot at from the bunker, and now has about 10-15 feet to save par. Considering how he has been +1 in this round in every hole but the 2nd hole, it just makes that double eagle of his all that more important.
3:57 p.m.- Oosthuizen misses his par putt, now dropping himself to -8. And suddenly, this tournament just got a whole lot more interesting...
3:59 p.m.- Watson, Harrington, and Poulter all birdie their respectable holes. The leaderboard heading into the 4 p.m. hour:
1. Oosthuizen: -8 (10)
2. Watson: -7 (10)
3. Hanson: -7 (9)
4. Mickelson: -6 (9)
5. Poulter: -5 (13)
5. Harrington: -5 (11)
5. Kuchar: -5 (10)
4:01 p.m.- Ian Poulter may not win this tournament, but he does at least win my vote for Best Dressed. After all, it's not everyday that a man can wear colorful trousers like he is doing right now and pull it off.
4:07 p.m.- Harrington misses a chance for birdie at the 12th hole by putting his ball a bit harder than he should've. Meanwhile, over at the 11th, Oosthuizen hits it onto the green, setting himself up for a very plausible two-putt. Ian Baker-Finch notices the calm appearance that Oosthuizen has, a pretty good sign as this tournament now heads into its most important moments.
4:11 p.m.- Pars for Harrington, Mickelson, and Hanson. Meanwhile, Kuchar has a pretty make-able birdie attempt at the 12th hole to get it into 6 under par. I wish there were more exciting news to tell you, but unfortunately the leaderboard has remained pretty stagnant for the past fifteen minutes.
4:14 p.m.- Another close call at the 11th hole. First it was Harrington, and now it's Mickelson who hits a shot that gets dangerously close into the water hazard, but thankfully stops rolling in a position that gives him a decent attempt at birdie.
4:15 p.m.- A solid birdie putt by Kuchar. Improves his score to 6 under par. Also, according to Gene Wojciechowski's Twitter feed, the person who Louis Oosthuizen threw his double eagle ball to just gave it back to the Augusta Golf Club. Now I'm spending these next few minutes trying to wonder what I would've done in that situation.
4:20 p.m.- Hey, remember Lee Westwood? After remaining at 4 under par for a good period of time, he just completed birdies in both the 13th and 14th hole. Now, he's back in the mix as well at -6, two shots behind Oosthuizen.
4:23 p.m.- A disappointing bogey put for Watson. This puts Hanson in solo possession of 2nd place. Meanwhile, after attempting an eagle putt from roughly 80 feet and failing, Poulter has simple a good chance of birdie at the 15the hole. All of the final pairings find themselves in the 12th hole and farther..
4:28 p.m.- A birdie for Poulter. He's now at a tie for 3rd place. Meanwhile, Westwood hits a beautiful 2nd shot at the par 5 15th hole. He has a chance now at eagle and a tie of the lead. Oh, and Peter Hanson? He completely shanks his tee shot at 12th, hitting it wide right but thankfully not into the water. Suddenly, things are starting to pick up again at Augusta. And that's just the way I like it!
4:30 p.m.- With so much happening, I figure that now's the right time to once again post the current leaderboard:
1. Oosthuizen: -8 (12)
2. Hanson: -7 (11)
3. Poulter: -6 (15)
4. Westwood: -6 (14)
4. Mickelson: -6 (11)
4. Kuchar: -6 (12)
4. Watson: -6 (12)
8. Harrington: -5 (13)
4:33 p.m.- "You have got to be kidding me!," shouts Lee Westwood, who saw his eagle attempt at the 15th circle around the hole but failing to get in. He does birdie it, though, which puts him one back of the lead. Meanwhile, Poulter pars the 16th hole to remain at 6 under par while Hanson sets himself up a very difficult par attempt after pitching his 2nd shot into the far side of the 12th green.
4:36 p.m.- As Peter Hanson bogeys the 12th hole, Matt Kuchar takes his spot in the tie for 2nd with a short birdie putt at the 13th hole. Meanwhile, the leader, Louis Oosthuizen (who has yet to do anything notable outside of his double eagle) is set to hit his 2nd shot at the 13th. How will he respond to the recent developments around him?
4:39 p.m.- A strong 2nd shot at the 13th hole for Oosthuizen, setting himself up for what should be a long and delicate chip for his 3rd. Meanwhile, Phil Mickelson, who is a career 63 under par at the 13th in his career, hits his drive right down the middle. If there's any time for Phil to strike and reclaim the roars at Augusta, it would be at this very moment.
4:41 p.m.- Just a spectacular chip by Oosthuizen, with his ball going in and out of the flag pin. He may not be getting an eagle, but he has set himself up for a crucial putt to get back to leading by two strokes. Meanwhile, Westwood pars the 16th hole, remaining at -7.
4:44 p.m.- Birdie putt by Oosthuizen was a success. He's back at 9 under par for the first time since the 10th hole. Meanwhile, Oosthuizen's playing partner, Bubba Watson, gets a birdie of his own at the 13th, improving to 7 under par and staying within two shots of the lead. With 8 players within four strokes of the lead, this Masters Sunday has primed itself for yet another down-to-the-wire finish to come.
4:47 p.m.- Luck is clearly on the side of Peter Hanson in this back nine. First, he somehow manages to avoid the water at the 12th hole. Now, with his 2nd shots at the 13th hole, his ball escapes the hazard by hitting the rocks and bouncing itself out. 12 holes in, and the man still manages to keep himself in the tournament despite a poor start to the back nine.
4:50 p.m.- As expected, Mickelson works his charm at the 13th hole with a beautiful 2nd shot, setting himself up for a very make-able eagle attempt to get him within one stroke of Oosthuizen.
4:51 p.m.- Meanwhile, as this was happening:
-Harrington: birdies the 15th, gets himself into the group at -6
-Hanson: makes the green at the 13th bur fails to catch the green's slope, leaving him about 30 feet to get his birdie
-Oosthuizen: poor 2nd shot at the 14th, is most likely going to fight for par.
-Poulter: barely misses birdie attempt at the 17th, enters the final hole still at -6.
4:54 p.m.- No eagle for Mickelson at the 13th, but he does put himself within two of Oosthuizen by making the follow-up birdie. Meanwhile, Hanson survives the same hole with a par. That man needs something to get him right back into the tournament immediately, as he hasn't had a lot to be proud about in this round besides getting the most lucky breaks out of anyone still in contention.
4:56 p.m.- A very interesting moment just happened at the 14th hole. Despite having a difficult lie, Oosthuizen manages to save himself after a poor 2nd shot with a par down one of the hole's slope. Meanwhile, Watson just birdied the same hole, putting himself at solo possession of 2nd place with a score of 8 under par. Oosthuizen's lead has been cut once again to one stroke, and it's all thanks to his playing partner.
4:58 p.m.- A good 2nd shot by Kuchar at the 15th hole. He now has a putt of around 15 feet to take a share of the lead.
5:02 p.m.- We're at the top of the 5 o'clock hour, and we're getting closer and closer to finding out which of the eight current golfers in contention will take home the victory and the Green Jacket. As I have been doing every half hour, here is yet another updated look at the leaderboard:
1. Oosthuizen: -9 (14)
2. Watson: -8 (14)
3. Westwood: -7 (17)
3. Kuchar: -7 (15)
3. Mickelson: -7 (13)
6. Poulter: -6 (17)
6. Harrington: -6 (16)
6. Hanson: -6 (13)
5:03 p.m.- The eagle attempt by Kuchar is a success, putting himself at -9 for the tournament. For the first time since 1:55 p.m., somebody other than Louis Oosthuizen gets at least a share of the lead.
5:07 p.m.- It appears that Oosthuizen seeing Kuchar making the eagle attempt affected him, as his second shot at the 15th went right and nowhere else. Meanwhile, Watson's 2nd shot was a beauty, and he has a chance now for an eagle of his own, and solo possession of the lead. This should be interesting.
5:10 p.m.- Not a good start for Kuchar in his current title as Masters co-leader, with a bad tee shot at the 16th hole that puts his near the bunker at the far side of the flagpin. Oh well, at least he didn't hit the water.
5:11 p.m.- Ian Poulter bogeys the 18th hole, ending his round with a score of 69 and -5 overall for the tournament. Currently, he remains the leader at the clubhouse, but with Westwood (who's at -7) also at the 18th, I have a feeling that this lead of his will be ending very shortly.
5:12 p.m.- There is so much happening right now that I have to post something new every minute now! Anyways, Oosthuizen rebounded very well from his 2nd shot with a good save and a birdie putt to improve to 10 under. Watson, meanwhile, gets a birdie of his own at 15 under par. He's currently at 9 uunder, tied with Kuchar in second place.
5:14 p.m.- A great finish for Westwood, birdieing the 18th hole and posting a final round score of -8. This makes him the new clubhouse leader and the posts the minimum score that everyone still playing has to get in order to win. In other words, Mickelson (-7), along with Hanson and Harrington (all at -6) all needs things to go their way, and go their way quickly, in order to keep their dreams of a Green Jacket alive.
5:16 p.m.- Kuchar's poor tee shot at the 16th officially costs him as he heads into the hole with a bogey and a drop to 8 under par. Speaking of Kuchar, the two men in front of him (Oosthuizen and Watson) are all set to attempt tee shots at the 16th of their own...
5:20 p.m.- ...and they were fantastic (especially Watson's).
5:22 p.m.- Padraig Harrington misses his attempt to finish the 18th in two, so he's done. The amount of people who still has a chance of winning this tournament is now down to six (Oosthuizen, Watson, Kuchar, Westwood, Mickelson, Hanson).
5:23 p.m.- So, Watson gets his birdie at 16. He's now tied with the lead at -10. Now, let's see how Oosthuizen counters...
5:24 p.m.- No birdie for Oosthuizen. The tie for the lead at -10 remains, with the two leaders heading into the 17th tee. Meanwhile, Peter Hanson gets his first birdie of the round at the 15th, returning his score to -7. Mickelson is now at -8 after also birdieing the 15th. The leaderboard:
1. Oosthuizen: -10
1. Watson: -10
3. Mickelson: -8 (15)
3. Kuchar: -8 (16)
3. Westwood: -8 (F)
6. Hanson: -7 (15)
5:28 p.m.- Kuchar makes par at 17th. He currently still remains at -8. Does he still have left anything in him to gain some final ground at the 18th hole? Meanwhile, Watson hit his tee shot at 17 far right, much different compared to Oosthuizen, whose tee shot was right down the middle.
5:30 p.m.- Not a very good tee shot by Mickelson at the 16th. He hit it too far, and has about 30 feet left for a birdie. Not something that you want to have at this point. On the plus side, Oosthuizen's second shot went into the front bunker and Watson has a difficult birdie attempt of his own, so his chances to win aren't completely going downhill.
5:32 p.m.- Peter Hanson needs to birdie each of the final three hole in order to tie for the lead. So far, he's off to a very good start with a birdie attempt at the 16th hole that's less than 10 feet away.
5:34 p.m.- A good save from the bunker by Oosthuizen. Meanwhile, Mickelson pars the 16th hole to stay at -8.
5:35 p.m.- Golf: truly a game of inches, as shown by Watson's birdie putt at the 17th fails to go in through the back of the cup. Meanwhile, back at the 16th hole, Hanson had a similar situation of his own, with his birdie attempt also going in and out. At this point, it's safe to say that the chances of the tournament's 3rd round leader coming back and winning this tournament is slim to none.
5:38 p.m.- Pars at the 17th for both Oosthuizen and Watson. Seeing the way that some of the other contenders are performing, it looks like this tournament could very well be decided based on how well the two of them play the 72nd hole.
5:40 p.m.- So far, so good for our two leaders, as both of them each hit good tee shots of their own. Meanwhile, Matt Kuchar, who lost a share of the lead at the 16th hole not too long ago, has about 20 feet left for a must-make birdie at the 18th to get into 9 under par.
5:41 p.m.- Unfortunately for Kuchar, his birdie attempt at the 18th went left and stayed left, ruining any chance that he might have of taking solo possession of the clubhouse lead.
5:42 p.m.- On the bright side, Kuchar does make par, so at least he finishes the round at 8 under par. Unfortunately, with Oosthuizen and Watson playing the way they are, it appears that this day will end with him getting a tie for 3rd place at best, and haunting memories of that tee shot at 16.
5:45 p.m.- Oosthuizen's 2nd shot had the right read but was unfortunately hit way too hard. He has a difficult two putt left to go in this round. Watson, meanwhile? His 2nd shot was much better, but his birdie is still not guaranteed at this point. We might have our champion decided in the next five minutes. There's just the matter of seeing what these two talented golfers do at the 18th green.
5:48 p.m.- Oosthuizen is up first, followed by Watson. You could tell that Oosthuizen realizes the importance of this situation, as he's look at the attempted putt from every angle. Here we go...
5:49 p.m.- Good job by Oosthuizen. He doesn't make the putt, but he at least sets up a very make-able putt for par. And now, it's Bubba's turn...
5:50 p.m.- No birdie by Bubba, but he does make his par. He finishes his round at -10. The question now remains: will Oosthuizen join him at the clubhouse with the same score. You can cut the tension of this situation through a knife!
5:52 p.m.- Oosthuizen, for the tie...YES! The par putt is made! Oosthuizen ties Watson for the clubhouse lead at -10! We're going to go to a play-off to decide this thing! What a finish this 2012 Masters tournament has come to!
5:53 p.m.- Now that I've gotten myself calmed down, I should remind you that Phil Mickelson missed his biride putt at the 17th. He's the only other golfer with a chance to tie Oosthuizen and Watson and -10, but he needs an eagle to do so. Before you say anything, remember: in this round of action alone, we have seen both two hole-in-ones and the first double eagle since 1935. I'm not saying that Mickelson has a good chance. I'm saying that with the events that we have seen today, do not consider it to be impossible.
5:56 p.m.- Sadly, no eagle by Mickelson (although he does set up a make-able birdie attempt), so it means that only Oosthuizen and Watson will be playing in the sudden-death play-off. Still, you can't help but applausd Mickelson for his efforts this week. He started off the tournament poorly and ended it by getting within two strokes of the lead. You also have to give it up to Hanson. This was the closest that he's ever been in a major, and to end the tournament in the top six is a great accomplishment nonetheless. Hopefully, this won't be the only time that we see Hanson within contention of a major championship.
6:00 p.m.- Mickelson pars the 18th, while Hanson birdies. Both of them end the tournament at 8 under, tied for third place along with Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar. Regulation play is over. The only thing left to decide is the champion, and that will come with a sudden death play-off beginning at hole no. 18. So, who's it going to be: the South African and former British Open champion who recorded the first televised double eagle in the tournament's history, or the American trying to win his first major in ten years as a pro? Sorry, "60 Minutes" fans. You're going to have to wait, because we've got a Major Champion to decide!
6:04 p.m.- For the record, I have no rooting interest in this play-off. I'm just a neutral bystander, watching another terrific Masters finish end in the first playoff since 2009, and I know that I'm not the only one.
6:07 p.m.- Both Oosthuizen and Watson enter the 18th tee, which I just learned right now is nicknamed "Holly." Watson has chosen to tee-off first, preferring to intimidate Oosthuizen rather than to wait. The shot is perfect, and right down the middle.Now, it's Louis' turn. mj50 notices that he's looking very nervous at the tee. Will those nerves affect his strike in any way?
6:08 p.m.- Nope. Oosthuizen also hits a good tee shot, albeit more closer to the fairway bunkers, but still on the fairway nonetheless.
6:11 p.m.- It's Oosthuizen who's going first with his 2nd shot, from 251 yards away. He hits it much better than in regulation, getting a lie similar to the one that Mickelson had not too long ago. Next up is Bubba, and he also hits a beautiful approach, only his birdie putt will much at a much closer distance. Both men receive the cheers from the crowd at 18 (as they should) as they're set to attempt one of the biggest putts of their lives.
6:17 p.m.- Oosthuizen's birdie attempt was read correctly, but unfortunately missed by inches. And now, it's Watson with his birdie attempt and a chance to win. Will see the 2012 Masters champion crowned her and now? Watson sets himself up to putt...
6:18 p.m.- ...and he also barely misses it! Incredible!
6:19 p.m.- And so, just when you think that this day couldn't get any more exciting, it's off to the second sudden-death playoff we go!
6:20 p.m.- No sudden death playoff in Masters history has ever lasted longer than two holes. And would you believe it, on the 10th hole (one of the toughest holes all week), both men hit their tee shots far right! It's like the 17th hole all over again! At this point, I'm just simply running out of adjectives to describe the events that is happening right now.
6:24 p.m.- After three quick commercial breaks by CBS, we're right back into the action. Oosthuizen appears to have a much better lie for his 2nd shot than Watson. Oosthuizen's ball kicked back out of the woods into the rightside rough, while Watson is all the way into the trees. The only advantage that Watson has is that he's slightly closer to the pin.
6:26 p.m.- From 231 yards, Oosthuizen hits what could be best described as an underwhelming shot: short, and a few feet away from the green to set up a difficult chip shot. Watson's shot, however, was one that could be best described as magical. From the trees, he manages to not only hit it onto the green, but he now has a birdie attempt of less than 15 feet to win the whole thing. After playing so evenly these last few holes, it's Watson with the first major advantage between the two.
6:31 p.m.- It appears that Oosthuizen's chances have finally run out, as his attempt at a birdie chip-in fails, as well as his following par attempt. So, now, here's Watson with a chance to win. He's gotten opportunities to take the overall lead quite a few times in the last half hour. Is this the moment where he finally seals the deal by getting the ball in the hole within two putts?
6:33 p.m.- He gets it in two! Bubba Watson pars the hole, and with this officially becomes this year's Masters champion! And now Watson is celebrating, first by hugging his mom and then his golfing pals Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, and all the other members of the Golf Boys. A fantastic ending to a fantastic day of golf.
6:37 p.m.- So, congratulations to Bubba Watson on his victory, and congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen on giving him a hell of a fight. All that's left now is for the official presentation of the Green Jacket. But before that happens, here is one final look at the 2012 leaderboard, complete with the list of the golfers who finished in the top 16 and, as a result, have earned themselves an automatic berth into next year's tournament:
1. Bubba Watson: -10 (winner in playoff)
2. Louis Oosthuizen: -10
3. Lee Westwood: -8
3. Phil Mickelson: -8
3. Matt Kuchar: -8
3. Peter Hanson: -8
7. Ian Poulter: -5
8. Adam Scott: -4
8. Justin Rose: -4
8. Padraig Harrington: -4
11. Jim Furyk: -3
12. Kevin Na: -2
12. Graeme McDowell: -2
12. Sergio Garcia: -2
12. Fred Couples: -2
12. Hunter Mahan: -2
6:46 p.m.- The Green Jacket has been handed down to Watson. The usual cheesy ceremony at Butler Cabin has been completed. And with that, my coverage of the 2012 Masters tournament is done. Thank you so much for reading along with me, and I hope that you've enjoyed the action today. I know I enjoyed it! Enjoy the rest of your Easter!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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