91Èȱ¬

Bubba golf wins, great shot on the 10th in the play off initially it looked like he had blown it but he played a seve like escape and won a green jacket. The guy is great for golf if you have a spare few minutes check out his you tube stuff very funny.
Great win for an eccentric but great golfer.

Wonderful coverage Beeb, and how lovely to have a character winning the Jacket.....i fear Lee's robotic approach will always consign him to the minor placings. 21 putts more than Mickelson speaks volumes... Seve would have loved watching Bubba...long live natural talent, inconsistent tho it often is..oh and thanks Fred for all the years of easy swings and Phil, for that amazing natural ability, especially with the flop shot..roll on next year.

Bubba Watson winner of the 2012 Mater's says Golf is Boring [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator]

Perhaps it's fitting that in the year The Open goes back to Lytham (with inevitable memories of Seve's two wins there), that we see The Masters effectively won by a shot Ballesteros himself would have been proud of. That shot will be talked of alonside Phil's shot out the trees on the 13th in 2010 and Tiger's chip-in on 16 in 2006.

What it also shows is that winning Majros takes more than just 'consistency' and 'ball striking.' You can't min a Masters just by itting the fairways and greens in regulation a la Westwood, you actually have to have the imagination, nerve and ability to get the ball in the hole. Bubba may never reach the supposed levels of consistency of Donald and Westwood, but I'm sure they'd both trade in some of their 'consistency' for Bubba's Green Jacket.
Anyway, is the this the changing of the guard? Bubba is the eight first-time major winner on the bounce. Of those eight, the only one who you would not expect to contend in another is Darren Clarke, the remainder may just be the golfers we'll be talking about for years to come (surely Oostheizun's performance removed any doubts that his Open win was a Todd Hamilton-esque fluke?). As for the old guard- well Els didn't even make it as far as Magnolia Lane, Tiger looked like a spent force (must be his worst Masters score as a pro?), Lee Westwood's lousy short game may mean he never gets that coveted Major, and Phil played himself into contention but couldn't get the job done.
What it certainly makes for is an interesting season of golf. The identity of the winner of the remaining three Majors is anyone's guess!!!!
Finally, a word of congratulations to Bubba- a Major winner who really did it His Way. Never had a lesson, never had a coach, doesn't hit the ball straight (by his own admission) and seems quite a down-to-earth, humble man with it. Well done, sir.

What a great Masters and hats off to Bubba.
His swing is "original" to say the least and I wouldn't have expected it to stand up up to the test of a demanding/exacting tournament like this.
His recovery shot at the 10th to effectively seal his win was something else.
What Bubba does is inject excitement and fun into the game which is sorely needed.
However Louis played fantastic golf and an Albatross so early might have sealed the deal.
Westwood played so well but his putting stats tell it all - such a shame but the answer is staring him in the face.
Harrington could have won but for missing a ton of very makeable putts.
The Woods hype (which I predicted was just that) proved that he is still a long way off his best.
His 3rd round display was plain awful.
Rory let it slip badly on round 3 and seemed outaid salts from thereon in.
However the moment is owned by Bubba and his swashbuckling golfing style is a breath of fresh air.

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Watson is a welcome antidote to the corporate robotics of Donald (nice chap though he is) and Woods (not so nice person as he is - I heard little comment about his club throwing and kicking on the 16th tee).

But can we have less 91Èȱ¬ fawning to the Augusta establishment over this "crazy golf" tournament. The greens are ridiculous, as is the pseudo-mystique that is artificially created around a course that is not a fair test of golf. Lee Trevino said he could never win there - all the dog-legs go right to left.

What Bubba has is that great natural ability of hand eye co-ordination.There will always be players who don't do orthodox and that's what makes sport great.

#6 Pure drivel. So Bubba is supposed to go down to watch the ceremonial tee off to "pay his respects"?? He's 33, had never won a major, had never won at Augusta. Phil has won there 3 times and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year - it makes sense for him to "pay his respects". Did he do the same when he'd won nothing? No. Stupid comparison.

Bubba is a breath of fresh air and after losing the PGA play-off to Kaymer in 2010 I think it's fully deserved.

I also don't go along with this line that Westwood is too "robotic" and needs more Bubba style flair and imagination. You don't need that type of imagination if you can drill it down the middle drive after drive and hit green after green in regulation. What Westwoood needs is more touch and feel with his putter, not "imagination and flair". Westy sinks that one foot putt Saturday and that 6 foot putt on 15 Sunday then he's in that play-off and favourite, never mind the countless other putts he left on the lip. If only you could transplant Poulter's touch on the greens into Westwood's game and he'd be unstoppable.

Golf wise, Bubba, you do look like you could become the next Seve Ballesteros. Doing it your way, never mind the textbook, and manufacturing the impossible shot when you really need to. Congratulations on that and count your talent among your blessings in life.

Bubba, you cried when you won yesterday. The last time I saw golf pros crying was at Seve's funeral last year, because they loved the man, not the major winner.

Is this a road you can travel? I hope so, but I remember the French Open. Can you learn? Will you go to the British Open this summer, show them how you appreciate links play, respect not only their history but also the fact that they do things a little differently there?
Make people like me forget Versailles, and you will justifiably be able to compare yourself with Seve.

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So after Woods wins 2 weeks ago he his now written off? Westwood is the perfect example of a player who struggled for a couple of years and look at him now.

Also the media seem to have forgotten that Donald also had a shocker as well as Rory who is starting to look like a golfer who is believing the hype before actually achieving all that he can achieve.

I do think Westwood was too hard on himself but he does need to work on putting as he wont win one otherwise and its clear to see.

Lastly well done Bubba, great shot and a great win.

@ Perpetual Sigh. Could it be that you and Bomber are both right? That Mickelson is vain and self-centred, AND respects the game of golf?

I seem to remember that Phil had plenty of time for Darren Clarke, and vice versa, when their wives were afflicted with cancer. (Nice to see Amy back in public by the way). Humans are complex, but you, PS, look just as one-dimensional as Bomber in your judgement.

nice one Bubba...wouldn't want your swing but you've got the heart and you've got the bottle...more than I can say for Westwood...the most boring golfer on the planet...can hit it straight but can't pitch, can't chip, can't putt...as exciting to watch as watching a compost heap go into a state of decay!

have to agree with #6 re Mickelson...hats off to him for taking the time out to pay his respects to Jack, Arnie and Gary

personally, would have liked to have seen a special tribute to Seve at this year's event but I thought it was quite fitting that the jacket was won on a shot that only a very small handful of players could have executed...I'm struggling to think peyond Bubba, Mickelson and the greatest of them all, Seve...may he rest in peace

Congratulation to Blubba, sorry I mean Bubba. Great 2nd shot on the 2nd play off hole. Have to ask why Michael Vaughn was interviewing the players after their round - could the 91Èȱ¬ not hire someone who knew what they were talking about? Telling Tiger Woods he had won 3 Green jackets and then being informed by Tiger that he has actually won it 4 times was a total embarrassment. Sort it out 91Èȱ¬ - he's a cricketer for goodness sake. Who will be trackside for the men's 100m final at the Olympics - Frank Bruno?

After another of Bubbas ridiculously long drives someone shouted "Happy Gilmore!". Quite appropriate as Bubba does add some refreshing character.

I was sad to hear Garcia being so downbeat about his game. Chin up, son, you can do it!

the2ironkid that is extremely harsh on Westwood.He has worked really hard on his game over the years trying to win a major and just come up short on several occasions.A genuinely good guy who has taken the time to post on the 91Èȱ¬ 606 golf messageboard in the past.He hope he can find the short game to do it.And 91Èȱ¬ hang your head in shame for getting rid of those messageboards.

harsh, maybe...but the truth often hurts...he's ok when he's winning the Indonesian Open, or the Thailand Invitation, or the Singapore roll-up etc but in the heat of battle, playing with PROPER pros, he just ain't got what it takes

thankfully, in 50 years time, nobody will remember Westwood...unless, they're researching the player that won the most tournaments that mattered not a jot!

He may have made more of an impact than you the2ironkid .Unless you are a major winner.

Westwood the new Monty?

And talking about Monty, did anyone tell him that he was watching The Masters not The Ryder Cup?

The only comments he made all week were about Europeans.

you're getting personal now, my friend...like I said, the truth often hurts...me, a major winner?!...not quite, but I can shank it with the best of them!

A brilliant tournament and I found myself rooting for Bubba Watson towards the end. A real one-off, great to watch, he fully deserved to win.

As a fan of both (and especially TW) I was disappointed the 'Rory vs Tiger' shootout ended up as a battle for 40th place ... but even this, in a sense, added to things. It's part of golf's appeal that it can never be condensed down to just two players.

Nice piece Rob; I'm still hoping the Beeb will write a piece about Errie Ball before he dies, though.
Not many Welshmen around who played his first Open in 1926 and competed in the first ever Masters, and several more.
Talk about a story waiting to be told.

Nice blog, and personally I was very pleased Bubba won. He is refreshing, a great talent, and deserved winner.

I also would like to point out how exciting and thrilling the final day at Augusta was last night, one of the best I've seen since I started watching in '03. Any one of about 6 or 7 players could have won that, players right, left, and centre waiting to pounce if Louis slipped up. In the end, Bubba and Louis drove each other on and it was magnificent to see.

Slightly gutted about Lee and Poults, and also Paul Lawrie, who has rarely been mentioned. He may not have had the best final day, but great attempt, and as a Scot myself, was very proud.

I'm surprised people haven't pointed out glaring errors in the blog though?

"If Gene Sarazen's 1935 eagle on 15 en route to victory was "the shot heard around the world"" = it was a double eagle (or albatross).

"Payback, perhaps, for his audacious flop shot that set up an eagle on the 15th on Saturday." = his flop set up a birdie attempt.

Congratulations to Bubba though, and great to see the emotion emptying out at the end, that's what sport is all about.

What a great Masters.

well spotted, sir! - I thought I had sound attention to detail but I missed both those errors...just goes to show, we take the 91Èȱ¬ as 'gospel' but I guess they can't get the staff either these days...come on, Rob, that was very sloppy!

Stoddycol could not agree more with your comments. I was trying to decide between Sky and 91Èȱ¬ coverage for the final day (I was sick of listening to Monty on Sky) turn it over and saw Vaughan interviewing Woods, it was right back to Sky - embarrassing 91Èȱ¬.

Why do you insist of paying former sports stars for different codes to work at major sporting events - his interviews were awful and he clearly does not his golf. I would rather see a former golfer interviewing players - they would get more from the players through their insight than a good fast bowler who never won the Ashes would anyday.

I am free to go next year to do his job - will pay own airfares, accomodation and do not need paid for my time.

Bubba isn't exactly the classic play-off winning golfer given the quirks of his game and those evident in his personality both on and off the course but somehow he managed it and hopefully that will put to rest any demons he may still have had from Whistling Straits a couple of years back.

Bubba has the game for majors. He probably won't ever be the top golfer in the world in terms of rankings, consistent tournament wins or in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup series but put him in a one-off competition like The Masters and his game can just click. Yesterday we saw him at his determined, sensible and calm-ish best and if he can learn from this magnificent experience then he should threaten again many times in these competitions.

Well done those contributors complaining about Michael Vaughan's presence. Just when I thought things were improving because Lineker has been replaced by a professional i.e. Hazel Irvine. It's appalling the way the 91Èȱ¬ instantly gives - no doubt well-paid - jobs to sporting has-beens. (How much does Shearer get paid for incoherent mumbling on MOTD?)

Vaughan's there because he's a pro-celebrity chum of Westwood. It's bad enough listening to him droning on about cricket, let alone golf! Why not use the licence fee to send Michael Atherton and Tim Henman (he plays golf now he's got nothing else to do) next year too? Then I can throw the TV through the window. Does the 91Èȱ¬ take over an entire Augusta hotel for its vast TV and Radio 5 Masters team?

I do find a certain amusement that both the sets of pundits on the beeb and sky gave no chance to Bubba at any point in the week, which I felt was extremely unfair on him, especially when he has been painted as a bomber who grips and rips and would be too wild around augusta, Woods, Mickleson and Seve are three players who had their wild shots but still hold 10 green jackets between them.

I have been tipping up Bubba Watson since his performance at Doral when he showed great fight to come back from a terrible start on the final day to finish runner up, so it was no surprise to see him donning a green jacket, this will be not be his last major, Kiwah Island offers a great chance for him to add to his collection later this year.

So to the future for some of this weekend's contenders, Peter Hanson has been in position to win a number of times since his Czech Open and has generally played poorly so this is an area he needs to look at. Phil & Tiger will have contrasting feelings about this weekend but both will be the one's to beat, Mickleson is a superb west coast player and his desire to add a US Open to his Major collection continues to be strong and realistic and Wood's record at the US Open is frankly one of the best ever, he too has superb west coast creditionals. Rory cuts the figure of coolness and composure when being asked about his quest for further Major's as he should do as he has years ahead of him but since his US Open win he has finished over par in all three tournemants and outside the top 25 in all three, yes the PGA was effected by his wrist injury but that was caused by his own shot, this will be all be stuff Mcilroy knows but it does illustrate that he still has much work to do to be consistent in the Majors, I think one change has to be his caddie, he was quick to change stables but his loyalty to JP is built on friendship but Rory can ill afford a caddie that goes missing at key times.

And then there is Westwood, he can't escape from the fact that he has failed with the putter when the pressure is on at far too many occasions the past few years, he played better than anyone tee to green at the last three masters, was as good as Rory at Congressional tee to green, yet he has failed to convert this into a Major so something has to give as he probably has a limited pool of opportunities remaining to break his Major duck, I don't view it as 'bottling it' as some have said, I just think his mental state on pressure putts

mikecatssdad - agree that Vaughan shouldnt be anywhere near a golf tournament but good fast bowler - when did u last watch a cricket match?! Congrats Bubba, well played Oosthuisen - So near again Westy, keep knocking and a major will come your way - just ask DC!

Unlike some, I'm convinced that Westwood is no last nine choker, just a relatively bad putter (for a top pro) who often leaves himself too much to do on the final day. When you look at this year's leaderboards, all that separated Westwood from the green jacket was a second excellent day's putting to go with his 1st round.

Donald is no different, to be honest, but in reverse. He has a great short game (usually if not last week) but overall he is only competitive on courses of majors length if he can also put together two outstanding days with his driving and green approaches.

McIlroy has the full golfing armoury to win several more majors, but does he have what it takes between the ears?

playunextyear..are you serious.. you bring this all back to rory's between the ears game. he is world number two , won a major and four times in tha last year at the age when most golfers are still selling kitkat in the pro shop and you question his mental game ??
maybe you need to be told,,Majors are very difficult to win. nicklaus had more second, thrid and forth places in majors than wins..was he a choker does anyone question his mental state. name me another twenty two year old who has more top 5 major placings than rory in the last 500 years. yes there only two in the history of golf..

A Great Masters. A worthy winner and a great advert for the game.
Having watched the Bay Hill Invitational on TV in the US two weeks ago, and the subsequent endless 'He is back' comments, perhaps Bubba can, at last, help wean the American TV sports fan off treating golf as simply The Tiger Woods show.
The Wall Street Journal reported a surge in viewing figures for the last round at Bay Hill,which means greater advertising revenue. For this reason,the pundits hoped Tiger's form would continue through the Masters weekend. Hopefully the US golf fan has now found another champion to follow from the sofa.
As usual The Masters is treated far to reverentially by the media.It is, after all, an invitation event. To be fair, Augusta National have made some attempt to increase the invitees who qualify on playing merit alone. I suppose it is fair to say that the worlds top 50 golfers teed up last Thursday, but for me this is not the same thing at all as compared to the US Open and The Open where qualification is earned, and already under way. However the iron fist of August National does have one great advantage-no "in the hole" morons.
Buba may have a curiosity of a swing and an attacking approach, but to win at Augusta you have to be able to putt, which he certainly did, so he is more than a "one trick driving machine".
Will we see the new Masters Champion venture out of his comfort zone, and play links golf? High flying monster drives seldom prevail in 20mph cross winds,but he seems to be a shot maker....Watching Bubba having a go at Lytham would be fun!
Finally well done to Paul Lawrie, an Open Champion who never forgets his roots.

People need to sit back and enjoy, instead of annualize all the time.
Westward knows what cost him a chance of winning, Mickelson would love to go back to the 4th and try again.
Its all history, and every single golfer in that tournament will look back and say, if only.
I remember when Faldo was winning his 3rd Masters, the commentators were dissecting every part of his game, and saying how perfect it was, that perfect he never won another.
Nobody knows if McIlroy will win another Major, he wont if he continues to act like he did with Garcia.
Whoops is that annualizing?
I loved the interview with Bubba when he received the Green Jacket.
Great commentary, thank you specially to Peter Alliss, Ken Brown, Wayne Grady.
Just one big mistake by the 91Èȱ¬, what an earth was Michael Vaughan doing there?

35 White Englishmam, you make a couple of good points. Although I don't generally agree with people picking on spelling and grammar errors, I can't let this one go. You've let yourself down a bit by using 'annualizing' not once but twice. I'm guessing you meant analysing.

I know I'm probably an old fuddy duddy (in my mid forties) but am I the only one who finds the sight of sports people bursting in to tears nausiating. Maybe Darren Clarke might have been excused but winning is meant to be fun and I feel most of it is put on just to get a bigger profile.

Recent events at White Hart Lane have shown that there are more important things than sport so just enjoy it and leave the tears for real life.

Are the 91Èȱ¬ deliberately trying to get rid of the Golf altogether
Michael Vaughan ?
Must say I'm a fan of Andrew Cotter , Wayne Grady and Ken Brown's course tips too. But the rest , including Aliss ( controversial) is becoming a bit of a farce.

Great golf though and a deserving champion. It is a completely overrated major and in many ways up its own backside, but the back 9 on a sunday evening is compelling sport.

Bubba's win is a triumph for everyone who plays golf for fun - for the sheer enjoyment of playing golf. It is an even greater personal triumph for Bubba in that he has achieved a win in a Golf Major, and for many golfers and golf enthusiasts the Masters is the pinnacle. It was fascinating and riveting viewing to watch and contrast the completely different golfing swings and styles of Watson and Ousthuizen - the former being untutored and unorthodox and the latter being almost a perfect copy of the perfect swing and style and aesthetically pleasing. It was also a privelege and a pleasure to witness and enjoy the spirit in which both golfers played the game, and the further respect for each other that both derived from partnering each other in the final pairing. I sincerely hope that Bubba remains much the same as he is now - his own man who, defying the odds and commentators' criticisms, has done it his way, and more so, has succeeded in one of the pinnacles of Golf - the Masters at Augusta National. Golf worldwide now has a new, exciting and personable player and character and I'm sure that most golfers and enthusiasts in the UK can hardly wait to welcome him to this year's Open and the prospect of watching him play. As for Louis Oosthuizen, whilst I and thousands of others deeply sympathise with his sadness at losing, he can and will hold his head high for the manner in which he plays golf, and the purity of his swing and putting touch will surley yield many more tournament victories, including I believe at least one more, if not many such, Major titles. On a personal concluding note, whilst I and countless others, were anticipating with relish a possible head to head between Tiger and Rory, I do not think they could have provided more entertainment and lasting memories than Bubba and Louis gave us, especially in the wonderful final round.

@14;18 the2ironkid. You are confusing your 'opinion' with 'truth'. The Oxford English Dictionary can help you there. You appear to have a very low opinion of and some strong feelings towards Westwood (and I freely admit I am a fan but feel he may forever fall just short of Major success without an improvement in his putting) who, although hampered by his inability to pitch, chip, or putt [in your 'opinion' - see above reference material if you're unsure of the meaning] has somehow managed to become world number one in his chosen sport, win 30+ tournaments worldwide and countless millions of $$ and finish in the top 3 in 6 of the last 10 majors as well as having one of the greatest Ryder Cup records in history of the competition.

I must admit though reading your amusing post did give me hope for a potential future invite to the Masters as I too cannot pitch, chip or putt.

However I do have some words of comfort for you..."Enjoy your good shots, accept we're all gonna hit bad shots but, above all...ENJOY...this is just a game...look around you at what's going on in the world...let's keep this in perspective!"

Oh & if the above quote appears familiar then don't worry it should as it's a quote by you from a previous golf blog. Look up the term 'practice what you preach' whilst browsing the dictionary perhaps?

I thoroughly enjoyed Masters Sunday and am really pleased for Bubba. there big tourneys deserve a winner with Character. I wish he had won at Turnberry.

Why did Bubba win? Bottle! Simple as that. Something that the so called champions Donald and Westwood have.

Bubba the blubba is a terrible advertisement for the game. His swing is revolting, if you saw someone swing like that at your local club you would inwardly chuckle.
Michael Vaughan interviewing golfers is a joke. There must be 100 qualified journalists with a handicap of 5 or lower who would jump at the chance to do the job. He obviously has a few mates working for 91Èȱ¬ sport.

43 - I'd agree about Vaughan, but I'm not sure why you think Watson is a bad advertisment for the game? Just because his swing is unorthodox? I don't think that's how people are going to judge him, quite the reverse in fact. If you were talking about Tiger Woods with his on and off course behaviour (despite his undoubted ability) then I might agree

hi there golfrants [#40] - I'm honoured that you should remember one of my quotes [which I stand by, completely]...I also stand by the low regard in which I hold Westwood and I'm sorry if that 'opinion' irks you but isn't that the whole point of this blog...a forum for opinions to be expressed freely

please spare me the sarcasm...if you are a fan of his, then good luck to you...you'll probably make a good deal of money backing him in the majors...just make sure you only ever back him 'each way' cos he ain't a winner...check the dictionary!

#43 NED;

Yeah, you're probably right, I would chuckle at the unorthodox swing if it were at my local course...until I came up against it and got a good thrashing and had to pay a few quid on hole wins! To say it is revolting and that Bubba is a 'terrible advertisement for the game' is quite pathetic to be honest.

The guy lost his father recently, has reached the pinnacle of his chosen game and has won something that many players cherish..he is a breath of fresh air for me. His recovery shot to win the tournament was fantastic and any kid watching will know that no matter how you swing the club with plenty of application and some imagination anything is achievable.

As for Westwood, until he remedies his achilles heel he will always be the bridesmaid so to speak. His pressure putting has let him down again and I'm thinking that it's something that can't be coached out of him and will always be there. It's a shame, he deserves a major it's the only thing missing from his locker.

Vaughan and Chris Evans..celebrity club hackers with the best job in the world (this weekend at least) with all expenses paid. Get rid of the license.

Jimmyp67 - i was trying to be a little clever when talking about vaughaun calling him a fast bowler and never winning an ashes.....i know he filled a variety of poisitions in the top order and captain england to ashes sucess. just trying to highlight the stupidity of his 3 masters title.......the written word makes it a bit harder to show sarcasim!!!.......they probably flew business class as well!!!

Smiling all the way to the bookies after e/w bets on Bubba and Mickleson come to fruition. Guys in my office were putting all they had on McIlroy, Woods and mysteriously Quiros. Poor old Westy really needs to speak to the top putting coaches if he isn't already and did anyone else notice Donald swaying off his irons, I felt like sending him a twt, stay centered man!

A fantastic finish to the Masters. Well done Bubba and a great effort by Louis. We go back many years to get an 'orthodox' swing winning a major. Check out any course and you will see 'computer designed' swings that will never have the capability of playing 'Bubba' golf. Must agree with some comments about Michael Vaughan interviewing. He's is a cricketer! Is the 91Èȱ¬ turning into an Employment Agency for celebrities? If you're a celebrity with a single figure handicap, then do you want a job? 91Èȱ¬ wasting ££££££££s again!!

well said, sir [#46]...I agree with all your points

question...how many 91Èȱ¬ golf 'correspondents' does it take to change a light bulb?

answer...too many, cos most of them are incompetent...sticks in my throat that my licence fee is going on sending Vaughan, Evans et al on an all-expenses golfing 'jolly' to Augusta...Alan Hansen was no better...Gary Lineker was no better...etc etc...who's next, Wayne Rooney?!

poor old Harry Carpenter must have been turning in his grave...now there was a PROPER pro!

Whilst I wholeheardtedly and sincerely congratulate Watson (what is wrong with your first name, by the way?) on his win and his first class recovery shot at the second play off hole, I can't help thinking of two things:

1. Watson was quite lucky to have ANY sort of approach after that tee shot on 10. That was wild and could have ended up against a tree or worse. Still, it didn't and he then played the best shot he could from the position he found himself in.

2. What was Oosthuizen doing with HIS tee shot on 10? Nothing less than awful. Sorry, man but, having watched your effective matchplay opponent screw it away into the carrots, to do the same but much, much shorter is terrible. Even with his great scrambling (and he made some great par saves that round), he was always struggling from there. Nerves? Fatigue? Either or both, it was a bit of a shame.

Always nice to see new names on major trophies, though.

Ha Ha, too true 2IRONKID #50. I went to a few boxing tournaments where Harry was commentating and the stuff he put up with was certainly not cricket..or golf for that matter! But he was for ever the professional.

I think the beeb has too many ex-sports people to cover too few sporting events as they have now lost the coverage of so much but the Masters has come across as basically a freebie for all and sundry. I don't like paying the licence fee as it is but this is rubbing it in!!

Well done Bubba fantastic recovery shot , my main gripe is with young Rory and his management team for the sake of this kids golf career get rid of the "porter" sorry so called caddie JP .Since his first foray into the golfing pro world Rory has been handcuffed and handicapped to an idiot,from the Omega masters in yodelling land right through until this week he has not been any help whatsoever just sack him.Whatever it takes get Steve Williams with him on the bag I have no doubt with him Rory would have won a lot more tournaments and majors. JP may be nice to talk to on the golf course and a good fellow outside golf but lets be serious a top class caddie he is not, just see what good interaction there is between a really good bag man and his pro.Prime example is Phil and bones.Please Rory you have a god given talent please please don`t let this idiot waste your talent ,I would guarantee I could do a better job than that idiot and you would not have pay me a penny.

Good and unexoected winner - as others have said, nice to see some personality on the course. Another US winner - but a good showing from some of the English too. Westwood would have won if he had putted better (big if I know). Poulter - great short game, Rose up there deservedly. I love the TV coverage, but have to agree that the greens look a bit silly. When the best in the world can't read an 18 inch putt I think that the fault may be with the greens rather than the players. Having said that, the US players do seem to putt better than the Europeans. Would be great if the 91Èȱ¬ could afford to show more golf. I can only watch Sky on the laptop and it is not a good substitute! As for Michael Vaughan, he is OK, but surely there must be golfers who can do an interview? It's not as if they get other than banal replies from most of the pros...

Just one more voice to add to the chorus of 'what on earth were Vaughan and Evans doing there?' As a consequence, I watched more of Sky's coverage than ever before - the 91Èȱ¬'s sports coverage becomes less authoratative each year

@45 Hi there the2ironkid. I took your advice (I hope you took mine?) "winner[ˈwɪnə]
noun 1. a person or thing that wins"


Pleased to see that you've now understood the difference between your 'opinion' rather than truth although clearly you are a work in progress as 'winner' seems to have escaped comprehension.

Oh and "Please spare me the sarcasm"...followed by '...."check the dictionary"! Surely you must see the inherent contradictions there? :).

#47 Mikecattsdad I apologise for missing the sarcasm in yr "voice" (big smile on face to appreciate your humour as I type!!) Would love to be in the bbc debrief when the question "Who thought Vaughan would be a good idea?" is asked!

oh dear, ranter [@56]...I wasn't being sarcastic, I was being straight up...I was referring to major wins [and you know it!]...you're in denial, my friend

Just a comment on a few people having a go at the design of Augusta. It was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, who was the best golf course designer ever. From his design school came Harry Colt, Abercrombie and many others, between them they went on to design many of the World's great courses. MacKenzie focused on rewarding straight play with slopes in the right places to help great shots, but these slopes punished shots from errant tee shots because they would throw the ball away even further. He designed the best greens with bad shots getting punished. Go and play some MacKenzie courses and see how much fun you have. You never get bored of a MacKenzie course, even the more simple MacKenzie courses like Lilley Brook or Weston Super Mare. 4 of us single figure golfers played WSM, none of us broke 80, we played Royal St Georges after and we all broke 80. Lilley Brook was designed in 1922 and in my opinion is a blueprint for a future Augusta, similar greens and many splendid trees and only minor semi rough, you never lose a ball.

MacKenzie was a Genius, Alliss critisizes Augusta on a regular basis but his courses are a joke, like the man himself.

Why oh why have the beeb got Michael Vaughan interviewing Golfers at a major tournament on tv? I like Michael Vaughan but as a cricketer and pundit in the field of his expertise. The 91Èȱ¬ actually came out with the response "Michael is a golfer an knows what he is talking about". Whoop-dee-doo! I play golf and know what I'm talking about to a comparable degree, why not give me a shot? Oh that's right.... I'm not a shhhelebriteee. Get a grip beeb and use some journalists.

Or perhaps this is just a ruse so that we all switch off and don't notice that all the golf coverage you used to provide is going elsewhere. Perhaps we can look forward to a highlights package of the Sunday action al la the F1 in future!

at58. Kid. Thanks for clarifying the point that Lee hasn't won a Major. Do you major in the art of stating the obvious? Clearly your stated irrational? dislike of Weswood distorts and clouds your opinion of not only him as a golfer but your previous posts directly also decry's the careers of many golfers he has played against the world over.

You may be being 'straight up' in your previous post but since I do like to quote you....."He's ok when winning the Indonesian Open...or the Singapore roll up etc but ..playing with PROPER pros.." Really? This is the best you can do. Do try joining the ranks of the adults in presenting a reasoned argument rather than belittling his achievements and those of his fellow professionals by implication. i'm sure there's a better person in you than that?

Watson may be a fine golfer , but he is an appalling ambassador for the game as evidenced by his ludicrous performance in Paris last year. Now that he has won a major, he should take time off from the game and have lessons on etiquette and how to behave abroad.