MARCH TO HISTORY
Early starts, manic lead changes... and Tiger. Relivingthe frenetic final nine of the '19 Masters
AT 11:50 A.M. on Sunday, with the leaders' group nine holes into the final round, Francesco Molinari led the Masters by one shot over Tiger Woods and by two over Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau. Then the fun really began.
12:19 P.M. Koepka is the first to flinch: His 9-iron comes up well short on the par-3 12th and ends up in Rae's Creek. His playing partner Ian Poulter suffers the same fate. Each cards a double bogey.
12:34 P.M. After watching the struggles of the group ahead, Molinari takes out his 8-iron on number 12; his shot lands on the front bank and trickles back into the water. Woods then hits a conservative 9-iron left of the flag that sticks in the center of the green. Next up, Finau—who dunks his 8-iron. Four of the final six players in the Masters have hit it in the creek.
Woods sinks a testy five-footer for par to jump into a tie for the lead at 11 under with Molinari (after his double bogey) and Xander Schauffele (who has just birdied 13). Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay are one shot back.
12:53 P.M. Cantlay, who had made the cut by a single stroke, rolls in an eagle putt on 15. Suddenly, he leads the Masters at 12 under.
12:57 P.M. Schauffele birdies the 14th hole to get to minus--12, tying Cantlay. Moments later Molinari (right) and Woods both birdie the par-5 13th, joining the leaders. Meanwhile, Cantlay hits a poor tee shot on the par-3 16th, and after three putts falls out of the lead.
1:30 P.M. Koepka two-putts for birdie on 15 to get to 12 under. Then, out of nowhere, Dustin Johnson makes a birdie on 17—his fourth in five holes—to share the lead. After Cantlay's bogey on 16, five players are tied at 12 under.
1:40 P.M. Woods taps in for birdie on 15; Molinari, meanwhile, effectively ends his tournament with his second double bogey of the back nine. At 13 under, Tiger is now in front by himself.
1:52 P.M. Woods extends his lead to two with a birdie set up by what will be one of the most famous shots in the history of the 16th hole. His 8-iron catches the slope and trundles down toward the traditional Sunday hole location on the front left, easing to a stop three feet below the cup.
2:13 P.M. Schauffele and Johnson have fallen out of contention, leaving only one player in Tiger's way: Koepka, who was two back with two to play. But after missing a 13-footer for birdie on 17, he misses an eight-footer on 18, settling for par. Woods arrives at his approach on the par-4 closing hole needing a bogey to win.
2:28 P.M. Woods calmly strokes in a two-foot putt for his 5. He is the Masters champion again.