American Xander Schauffle made a dramatic comeback on the back nine, but triple bogeyed the 16th hole. American Will Zalatoris finished second by one stroke.
Hideki Matsuyama won the 2021 Masters on Sunday in a final round that never was that close until the very end, when there was a little bit of late drama on the final four holes. Matsuyama staved off a comeback by Xander Schauffle and eventually won his first green jacket by one stroke over American Will Zalatoris. It’s the first major win for Matsuyama, the Japanese golfer who won the low amateur division at Augusta National Golf Club 10 years earlier, and who had only five PGA victories heading into this year’s Masters. He shot 1-over par 73 on Sunday, giving him 10-under for the tournament. He became the first Japanese player to win a major title. Matsuyama went into Sunday with a four-stroke lead over a quartet of players tied for second. Though the competition shuffled behind him, Matsuyama played his own game against the course, shooting an even par 72 in the final round. Matsuyama bogeyed the first hole on Sunday, but then made birdie on the second to maintain his lead. He drained a par for a save on the fifth hole, narrowly missed a couple of birdie opportunities on the sixth and seventh and then made birdie on the eighth to stretch his score to 12-under. Xander Schauffle bogeyed the third and fourth holes, and then found himself in a mess on the sixth when his tee shot landed in some pine straw near some brushes, which made his second shot rather difficult.
