Sunday drama largely confined to front nine

The Masters excitement that players, patrons and television viewers have come to expect arrived about two hours earlier than normal Sunday.

The final pairing of Bubba Wat­son and Jordan Spieth combined for eight birdies and four bogeys on the opening nine holes at Augusta National.

With none of the contenders blitzing the second nine – the best any of the top 10 could do was 3-under-par 33 by Miguel Angel Jimenez – it was an atypical finish for the Masters.

Jimenez, a 50-year-old who is about to make his senior debut, used the hot finish to climb to solo fourth.

The only other top 13 finishers to shoot under par coming in were Jonas Blixt, Lee Westwood, Jimmy Wal­ker and Rory McIlroy, all at 1-under.

For the final round, the front nine still played half a shot harder (36.647) than the second nine (36.157).

As exciting as Watson and Spieth made the front, the final nine was equally dull, with the two men producing just one birdie and two bogeys coming in. Blixt, who tied for runner-up with Spieth, made only one birdie on the final nine. The top three players made all pars on the final five holes.

That was in stark contrast to the less-heralded front nine, which was not televised until recent years.

Watson toured the front side in 3-under-par 33 as he secured his second green jacket in three years. After bogey at No. 3, he reeled off birdies at Nos. 4, 6, 8 and 9.

Spieth took the lead with birdie at No. 2 and added birdies at Nos. 4, 6 and 7. But bogeys at Nos. 5, 8 and 9 left him trailing Watson as the two men headed for the final nine.

Watson pointed to the final two holes of the front, where he picked up four shots on Spieth.

“Eight and nine were really the turning point where the momentum went my way,” he said.