Schwartzel wins with birdie blitz

South African Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes at formidable Augusta National to win the 75th Masters by two strokes over Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day on Sunday.

No Masters champion had ever finished with such a run as Schwartzel capped a tense back-nine showdown involving no fewer than 10 golfers from around the world, including a surge by 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.

“It’s a dream for me,” Schwartzel said.

“It’s such a special feeling. I just felt really comfortable. I’ve never been in sort of a situation like that in a major and I felt surprisingly very calm.”

Schwartzel finished 72 holes on 14-under par 274, two ahead of Day and Scott to claim the green jacket symbolic of Masters victory and $1.4 million while denying them the chance to be the first Aussies to win the Masters.

Scott birdied the par-4 14th to seize a one-stroke lead, overcame a poor chip at the par-5 15th to stay on top, then smashed his tee shot at the par-3 16th three feet from the cup to set up a birdie that gave him a two-shot edge.

But Schwartzel answered the challenge with birdies at the par-5 15th and par-3 16th to match Scott, then sank a tension-packed eight-foot putt at 17 and needed only a par on 18 to seize the victory.

Instead, he dropped a 15-footer for birdie to finish off a six-under par 66, the day’s low round.

Australian players have won nine British Opens, four PGA Championships and two US Open titles, but never the Masters.

It was only the second time in 21 years that the Masters winner did not come from the final pairing, Schwartzel in the penultimate group after entering the last round four strokes behind Rory McIlroy.

The 21-year-old from Northern Ireland led by a stroke when he reached the 10th tee, but a triple bogey disaster followed by a bogey and double bogey sent him soaring to an 80, the same score he shot at wind-blown St Andrews last July after an opening 63 to match the low round in major history.

Woods closed with a 67 to share fourth with England’s Luke Donald and Aussie Geoff Ogilvy on 278.