ENGLAND’S Danny Willett was a shock winner of the 80th Masters on Sunday, firing a bogey-free, five-under par 67 for a three-shot victory after a back-nine collapse by defending champion Jordan Spieth.

    The 28-year-old Englishman, who shared 38th last year in his Masters debut, captured the green jacket symbolic of victory at Augusta National as well as a US$1.8 million top prize from the US$10 million purse.

    “You can’t really describe your emotions and feelings. Someone has got to win and today was my day,” Willett said.

    “I played great golf. It has been a fantastic week.”

    Willett, five down to Spieth with six holes to play, birdied the par-5 13th, par-4 14th and par-3 16th to charge into the clubhouse while the 22-year-old American endured a nightmare meltdown with bogeys at 10 and 11 and a quadruple bogey at the par-3 12th.

    “I just put a couple of weak swings on it and suddenly I’m not leading anymore,” said Spieth. “I’ll be disappointed with that one.

    “It was a very tough 30 minutes for me. I hope I never experience it again.”

    Willett finished 72 holes at five-under 283, with Spieth and English playing partner Lee Westwood sharing second on 286. Westwood, trying to win his first major title at age 42, shot 69 while Spieth, who defends his US Open title in June at Oakmont, fired a 73.

    “Not right now, not in my face,” a disappointed Spieth told a television cameraman as he walked off the 18th green.

    Spieth, as defending champion, presented Willett with the green jacket that he looked to make his own for most of the week, leading after all three prior rounds.

    “It was a very surreal day when I look back at the ebbs and flows,” Willett said. “We kept gaining ground and Jordan kept pulling away. I was able to make a couple of good putts and here I am.”

    (SD-Agencies)