Masters champions: How did Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth and others fare on their defence?
Written by News on 04/04/2018
Sergio Garcia will bid to become only the fourth back-to-back winner of the Masters when he defends his Green Jacket at Augusta National this week.
The prestigious sporting spectacle in Georgia is set to provide more exciting memories after last year’s final-round duel between Garcia and European counterpart Justin Rose went to a play-off, before the popular Spaniard captured an overdue maiden major.
Garcia followed Danny Willett as the winner of the first major of the season, but how have the past 10 defending champions fared as reigning champions?
Danny Willett in 2017
Willett arrived at the 98th edition of the championship after a turbulent year – marked by a loss of form and confidence – which saw the Englishman struggle to adjust to his standing as a major champion.
The 29-year-old opened his defence with a one-over-par 73 and his hopes of making the weekend were futher damaged with a quadruple-bogey eight at the start of his second round, before a bogey at the last saw him become the first defending champion to miss the cut since 2004.
Jordan Spieth in 2016
The American returned to the scene of his maiden major success and opened his defence with a six-under 66 to take top spot on the leaderboard. Despite a second-round two-over 74, which included four bogeys and a double bogey, he still held the halfway lead.
Spieth’s lead rose to four during ‘moving day’ but further struggles down the stretch saw the Texan settle for a one-shot lead ahead of unheralded American Smylie Kaufman.
The final round will be long remembered for Spieth’s meltdown at the par three 12th, where he hit two balls in the water to drop four shots after he began his back nine with back-to-back bogeys. He was forced to settle for a tie for second, three shots behind Willett.
Bubba Watson in 2015
The two-time winner of the event struggled to contend from the off as back-to-back rounds of one-under 71 left Watson a full 12 shots behind an inspired Spieth heading into the weekend.
Watson carded consecutive over-par rounds on the weekend to finish in a disappointing tie for 38th place at one-over par for his four rounds.
Adam Scott in 2014
Scott began the defence of his title with aplomb. A three-under 69 around the pristine course saw the Australian one shot behind early pacesetter Bill Haas. A level-par second round saw the reigning champion still firmly in contention, but Bubba Watson made the major move of the day to take a three-shot advantage over another Australian John Senden into the weekend.
A damaging four-over 76 dropped the former Open runner-up out of contention before a final round of 72 saw Scott finish in a tie for 14th place.
Bubba Watson in 2013
Watson opened his campaign with a three-over 75 before a one-over par left the left-hander inside the cut mark, but still a full 11 shots behind Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker.
An improved two-under 70 on Saturday gave reason for optimism for a strong final round and an improved finish on the leaderboard, only for the American to compile a five-over 77 to finish in a tie for 50th, alongside fellow former champions Jose Maria Olazabal and Trevor Immelman.
Charl Schwartzel in 2012
A first-round 72 saw the South African lie five off the early pace set by Lee Westwood, but a three-over 75 left Schwartzel eight off the midway lead held by Fred Couples and Jason Dufner.
Five dropped strokes over his final two rounds saw him finish 18 shots behind the marks of Watson and Louis Oosthuizen before the American eventually prevailed on the second play-off hole.
Phil Mickelson in 2011
Mickelson’s defence of his third Green Jacket never got going as ‘Lefty’ sat two-under after the opening 36 holes – eight strokes behind Rory McIlroy, whose own hopes were to fade memorably during the third round.
Despite a two-over 74 in his final round the American would finish one-under par for the event in a tie for 27th but the usual Mickelson drama around Augusta failed to materialise.
Angel Cabrera in 2010
Cabrera failed to make a hot start in his first round, playing catch up throughout, and a two-over second round left him 11 shots behind English duo Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter at the halfway stage.
A battling weekend from the Argentine saw him follow a three-under 69 with a one-under final round to finish in a tie for 18th position.
Trevor Immelman in 2009
In the year Gary Player made his final Masters appearance, there were no heroics for South African countryman Immelman. A credible one-under 71 was followed by a two-over 74 to leave the one-time major champion 10 shots behind American duo Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry.
Immelman improved over the weekend with a combined three-under par score which saw the reigning champion finish with a two-under-par score for the week and a tie for 20th.
Zach Johnson in 2008
The American opened with a two-under 70 but saw his hopes of back-to-back triumphs in Georgia plummet during a four-over 76 second round as he was cut 10 shots adrift of the midway leader.
A determined four-under 68 saw Johnson move to two-under for the tournament and a tie for seventh heading into the final round, but he was only able to struggle to a five-over 77 and finished in a tie for 18th spot.
Watch the Masters throughout the week live on Sky Sports.
(c) Sky News 2018: Masters champions: How did Danny Willett, Jordan Spieth and others fare on their defence?
