AUGUSTA: Englishman Danny Willett claimed a shock victory in the US Masters with a superb five-under-par 67 after 2015 champion Jordan Spieth crumbled during a thrilling final round.

The 28-year-old won his first major by three shots on five under to become the first British victor in 20 years.

Overnight leader Spieth, 22, led by five shots as he approached the 10th at Augusta, but the American dramatically dropped six shots in three holes.

He ended with a one-over 73, tying for second with England’s Lee Westwood.

Westwood’s three-under-par 69 gave him his second Masters runners-up finish on two under, with Paul Casey, another Englishman, one shot further back in a tie for fourth.

Spieth will be left ruing a remarkable collapse on the iconic par-three 12th.

He twice found the water in front of the green as he carded a quadruple bogey seven – to follow successive bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes.

That catapulted Sheffield’s Willett, who was playing the par-five 15th, into the outright lead – a lead that he would not relinquish after signing for the joint-lowest round of the final day.

First major

Willett has climbed from outside the top 100 to inside the top 10 in less than two years.

But few would have predicted a first major win in only his second appearance at Augusta especially because his participation at the Masters had been in doubt, with wife Nicole due to give birth on the final day.

However, the early arrival of baby Zachariah meant Willett, who said he would have stayed at home if his son had not been born, was able to play.

Willett lay three shots adrift of Spieth on level par going into Sunday after opening rounds of 70, 74 and 72.

But he moved to within a stroke with a birdie at the eighth, his eagle putt just coming up short, on his way to a front-nine 34.

Three successive pars from the 10th and birdies on the 13th and 14th saw him move into the lead as Spieth stumbled.

A further birdie on the par-three 16th kept him clear of the field as he completed one of only two bogey-free final rounds.

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