Good afternoon and welcome along to our live coverage of the fourth and final round of the 2019 Masters from Augusta National.
Tiger Woods looks to add to his 14 career majors after a stunning Saturday on the back nine, while leader Francesco Molinari has played some flawless golf to hold a two-shot lead ahead of tody’s final round.
The 2019 Masters was set to finish in somewhat unfamiliar circumstances, but perhaps with a very familiar winner, as the final round began much earlier than usual on Sunday.
Due to the anticipated arrival of thunderstorms in the afternoon, organisers brought the tee times forward in round four, while grouping players in threesomes and using the first and 10th tees.
Open champion Molinari holds a two-shot lead at -13, but Woods – a winner at Augusta on four previous occasions – was only two behind alongside Tony Finau.
Woods was looking to complete the most incredible comeback from multiple back surgeries. As recently as November 2017, he was ranked 1,199th in the world and two months earlier he acknowledged he was unsure if he would ever play professional golf again. Molinari, Woods and Finau were due off at 9:20am local time (2:20pm Irish time).
The Italian famously got the better of Tiger last July when they were paired together for the final round of The Open at Carnoustie. Brooks Koepka was three off the lead at 10 under with 18 holes to play, with Ian Poulter and Webb Simpson a further shot back.
Although the forecast rain had yet to arrive when play began, there were already strong winds at Augusta, providing additional intrigue on the final day.
AS IT STANDS: The penultimate group, including Brooks Koepka, Ian Poulter and Webb Simpson, have just teed off.
Rory McIlroy – beginning his round on the back nine – is off to a fast start this afternoon.
Starting the day on -1, he eagled the par-five 13th and moves to -2 through five holes and -3 for the tournament.
Jordan Spieth, a previous winner here at Augusta, has got off to a similarly fast start with three birdies in his first four holes to leave him on -7.
Here is the top of your Masters leaderboard:
1. Molinari (-13)
2. Finau (-11)
2. Woods (-11)
4. Koepka (-10)
5. Oosthuizen (-9)
5. Harding (-9)
5. Schauffele (-9)
5. Simpson (-9)
5. Poulter (-9)
ACE! Bryson DeChambeau nails a hole-in-one on the 16th – just the 21st on that hole in history.
That moves him to level par – retrieving something after he began his final round began with back-to-back double bogeys.
Tiger on Tee: He’s in his Sunday red as the final grouping get underway at Augusta National.
Molinari and Woods kick off with drives onto the fairway, Finau sends his a little further left but has a favourable lie to get himself out of any trouble.
Two strokes is the gap between Woods and leader Molinari.
FINAL GROUP
Molinari’s approach shot bounces just off the green, rolling and resting just at the edge – luckily it didn’t it run any further. His putt down the hill runs some distance past the hole, which will leave him a tricky one for par.
Woods fires his at the pin, but his shot rolls back about three feet. He’ll have some 25 feet or so to the pin.
Finau keeps his approach low but it doesn’t quite skip up after meeting a divet just at the front of the green. His chip leaves him a short putt for par.
Meanwhile, McIlroy makes another birdie at 15 to bring him to -4.
Woods misses his chance to make the first birdie of the afternoon, looks like he’ll save a par here.
Clutch from Molinari there though – picks up a par putt from 13 feet. Tremendous from him there. He’s picked up just one bogey over the course of the weekend and that came during his first round. Solid.
Finau also saves par on the first. No falters on the first then as the final group get off to a steady start.
- Leaders // Final Group (Through 1) -
1. Molinari (-13)
2. Finau (-11)
2. Woods (-11)
FINAL GROUP
Woods drives into the trees on the second. Looks like he’s going to be in a spot of bother down there. Tiger gets himself out of trouble and is back on the fairway with his second shot.
No such problems for Molinari and Finau however. They both find the fairway.
Elsewhere, McIlroy just misses a birdie putt on 16, he’ll take his par to keep him on -4.
Spieth drops a shot on the 5th and pars the 6th to stifle his early momentum.
Xander Schauffele gets his final round off to a flyer, picking up two early birdies to bring him to -10 alongside Brooks Koepka in T4.
KOEPKA! A birdie on the 2nd brings him to -11 alongside Finau and Woods.
It’s beginning to get crowded at the top of that leaderboard.
Molinari leaves himself just short of the green on his second shot. As for Finau, his approach comes up a little short but thankfully doesn’t run into the bunker.
Woods gets on the green but looks like he’ll have a two putt. That errant drive has cost him.
Meanwhile, Schauffele almost holes out from his chip, he’ll have an straightforward putt for par. A good save after a poor second shot.
Here is the top of your Masters leaderboard:
1. Molinari (-13)
2. Finau (-11)
2. Woods (-11)
2. Koepka (-11)
5. Schauffele (-9)
5. Oosthuizen (-9)
5. Kuchar (-9)
5. Simpson (-9)
Woods lines up his putt here on the second for birdie, he had 65ft there to make up and putts it within 6ft of the hole. Good putt considering his position. He makes no mistakes for the par putt. Good recovery from Woods.
Finau misses an excellent birdie opportunity on the second, he’ll have a tap in for par. Big chance for him there to close the gap on Molinari.
Molinari also misses his birdie putt – so it’s as you were for the final group.
Schauffele misses his par putt to pick up his first bogey of the day to drop back to -9.
Patrick Cantlay moves to -8 with a birdie as he closes in on the top five. Also on -8 is Phil Mickelson. Three birdies today moves him into the top 10.
McIlroy chips on to the green at the 18th, looks like he’ll sink this one for par – just 4ft for to close out the back nine -3.
Kuchar misses a par putt on the 4th, settling for a bogey there. He drops back to -8 after picking up a birdie on the 2nd.
Fowler is -1 through four holes to leave him T8 on -8.
- Your leaders this Sunday at Augusta National -
This from Mickelson is a thing of beauty…
FINAL GROUP:
Another par for Molinari on the third, three on the bounce for the Italian.
BIRDIE FOR WOODS! That will feel huge after his recovery on the 2nd, he moves within one of the lead. Excellent off the tee and his judgement on the greens today has been very, very impressive.
Finau also cards a par on the third, so Woods moves out into second on his own. One shot behind Molinari.
Game on.
There really is something magical about that Sunday red.
Woods is short of the green on his drive on the 4th, while Molinari gives himself birdie opportunity with his tee shot.
Finau runs a little longer than Molinari drive on the par-three 4th.
McIlroy gives himself a good chance at birdie on the first as he moves into his final nine holes at Augusta. He has 6ft to move to -5.
Here is the top of your Masters leaderboard:
1. Molinari (-13)
2. Woods (-12)
3. Finau (-11)
3. Koepka (-11)
5. Simpson (-9)
Woods’ putt is short so he’ll have to negotiate a 10-footers for par… he misses. That’ll be a bogey for Woods – his birdie on the 3rd given straight back on the 4th.
Molinari’s putt meets the same fate, he might be happy just to keep chipping away without dropping anything. He pars the 4th.
Finau’s chip onto the green is on line, but doesn’t have enough power. He converts for a par. Four pars on the trot.
So, the lead is two strokes once again.
McIlroy moves to -5 with a birdie on the 1st.
Patrick Cantlay also steadily climbing, he joins the club at -9. He’s -3 for the day in at T5, four shots off the lead.
Ryan Bailey here taking over from Cian Roche for the rest of the afternoon.
The leaders are on the fifth hole — Magnolia — with both Molinari and Finau pushing their tee-shots right, while Woods drills one down the middle.
BOGEY! Damaging for Brooks Koepka as he drops a shot on the par-three sixth and falls back to 10-under. He raced his first putt past the pin and then had a tricky par save back against the grain, which he pushed right.
Poulter has no such problem, though, as he reads a right-to-left breaker perfectly and sinks it for a much-needed birdie, bringing him back to nine-under.
THREE-SHOT LEAD! That’s superb scrambling from Molinari on the fifth as he gets up and down to save par while both Finau and Woods — who three-putts for the second time this week — card bogey fives.
The Italian’s second from out right came up just short but after his lob from the front edge finished eight foot past, he sinks another clutch par putt to stay on 13-under and move three clear at the summit. As cool as you like.
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy has just birdied the second hole — his 11th of the day — to move up to six-under for the tournament and five-under for the day.
Exquisite touch from Thorbjørn Olesen on the eighth. That chip-in birdie has him on seven-under par.
A skilled pitch in on No. 8 for @Thorbjornolesen at #themasters pic.twitter.com/DI5ZQ4CkPx
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 14, 2019
NERVELESS! Questions were asked of our leader on the sixth, and Molinari — as he has done all week — finds an emphatic response. Down wind, he flies the green off the tee and ends up among the patrons after landing on the bank at the back of the putting surface.
It leaves him with an incredibly tricky pitch back up the slope but he judges it to absolute perfection, using the bank to bump it up and trickle down towards the hole, before draining another par putt. Superb up and down from the Italian.
A missed chance there for Woods after a stunning approach shot left him with a 10-foot birdie effort, but it’s a poor attempt and he has to settle for a tap-in par. Ditto Tony Finau and the lead stays at three.
POULTS! The Englishman is on the charge and suddenly up to a tie for second. He follows a birdie on six with another on seven, courtesy of a stunning second which left him with a tap-in putt for a three. Poulter is within three shots of the lead now, joining Woods, Koepka and Finau.
Here’s that classy chip from Molinari on the last. Excellent touch from the Open champion.
“World class." 👏
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
Molinari hits his chip shot from the back of the sixth green and saves par to stay three shots clear.
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TWO-SHOT SWING! Well, well, well. Molinari bogeys and Woods birdies and suddenly the Italian’s lead is just one shot.
Molinari has lost his radar off the tee and this time he pays for spraying one left, leaving himself with too much to do to save par and it’s a first bogey for the leader since Thursday!
Woods, meanwhile, responds with a stunning second to within a couple of feet and he wastes no time in finishing the job, tapping home for a three. Finau’s birdie effort falls left and he remains on 10-under.
We could watch this all day long…
That approach from Tiger 🔥🔥🔥
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 14, 2019
LIVE now on eir sport 1! #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/LUfJBcy7K0
That’s a big chance missed for Poulter on the par-five eighth. It’s reachable in two and the Englishman finds the dance floor, but races his eagle effort way past and then misses the putt back for birdie to remain on 10-under.
Koepka then shows him how it’s done as he cards a four to join Woods on 11-under par and just one off the lead.
Also, can we all take a moment to appreciate Alex Noren‘s truly sumptuous bunker shot on 16.
Creativity and imagination result in a hole-out birdie for @AlexNorenGolf on No. 16 at #themasters pic.twitter.com/HdP8cds8HA
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 14, 2019
THREE BIRDIES! Jeez, it’s really hotting up now. Molinari, Woods and Finau all walk off the eighth with fours, but that barely tells the story of that par-five.
After Woods sprayed it into the trees off the tee, he overshoots the green with his second but produces a lovely chip shot back to within six feet. Faced with a left-to-right putt for a second consecutive birdie, the 14-time Major winner makes no mistake and surges to 12-under.
Molinari, meanwhile, found the sand with his tee-shot but plays a nice wedge shot to within striking distance, and he sets a birdie putt rolling towards the heart of the cup from 10 feet out. Back to 13-under par, with Finau at 11-under after a solid two-putt birdie.
At the turn, Koepka (-11) and Poulter (-10) both par the ninth after over-hitting their approaches into the green, while further ahead, Patrick Cantlay makes it to 10-under after holing a 17-foot birdie putt at the 11th. He’s four-under for the day.
Simply outrageous from Tiger Woods. His second to nine is poor, but, my word, how good was that putt from 80 feet! He left himself with one of the hardest putts at Augusta National, but judges this to absolute perfection, starting it off way right before it takes the slope, rolls down the first tier and finishes up inches from the cup.
Molinari then follows suit, showing his mettle to roll home a par putt to complete a front nine of 36, stay at 13-under par and hit the turn with a one-shot advantage on Masters Sunday.
Finau, meanwhile, is back at 11-under after an excellent up and down from the greenside bunker.
Sit back and enjoy, folks.
🎙️ "Oh folks, here it comes!"
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
Fantastic judgement from Woods sets up a tap-in par and he hits the turn in one-under 3️⃣5️⃣.
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AS IT STANDS: So, as the final group hits the turn, this is how the leaderboard looks. Molinari holds a slender one-shot advantage from Woods, while Koepka and Finau are a shot further back.
It’s tight at the top! Who is going to win the Green Jacket from here?
Poll Results:
BACK TO TWO! Just as the pressure was starting to crank up a notch, Molinari finds the response. His second to the 10th leaves him with work to do but, from down the bank on the left-hand side, conjured another exquisite lob wedge to within five feet for an up-and-down par.
Then, Woods is faced with a big par effort of his own from the fringe at the back after he found more trouble off the tee, and the American can’t find the cup, leaving his putt short. That’s his third bogey of the day, and Molinari’s lead is back to two.
On to Amen Corner…
Xander Schauffele, on the 11th, drains this monster birdie putt to move to 10-under and then misses out on another on the 12th, while Poulter drops a shot after hacking out off the pine.
Another long birdie putt made for @XSchauffele, this time from 65 feet on No. 11. #themasters pic.twitter.com/XmwbazExkV
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 14, 2019
Woods has completely lost his radar off the tee and this is a wild drive on the 11th, but incredibly he finds a corridor in the middle of the trees and has a line to the green. He takes advantage to drill one to the heart of the putting surface and will happily take his par and move on.
Solid as you like from Molinari as his birdie attempt falls just short, before Finau finishes out for a four to remain on 10-under and three off the lead.
Meanwhile, there’s drama on the next…
IN THE DRINK! Koepka and Poulter are in real trouble on the par-three 12th as they both find the water off the tee. The former his first to play from the drop zone and puts it to within 10 feet, but pushes the putt right for a double-bogey five. Poulter cards the same and drops down to seven-under.
Koepka's hopes of keeping the pressure on Molinari suffer a blow after his tee shot at 12 spins back into the water! 🏊♂️
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
Follow live coverage from the final round of #TheMasters at Augusta National and watch live on Sky Sports Golf: https://t.co/2G8RWlqphN pic.twitter.com/efNqo5iiZ5
BUBBA ON THE CHARGE! Out of nowhere, two-time winner Bubba Watson has surged up the leaderboard with back-to-back birdies and then an eagle at the par-five fifth after a sublime approach shot to five feet. He’s up to 10-under.
Drama, drama and more drama. After the travails of Koepka and Poulter on this par-three 12th, both Molinari and Finau find the water! The wind has picked up but that’s a really poor shot from the leader, as it hits the bank and rolls back down into the drink, and Finau makes the same mistake.
Woods shows all his experience by ignoring the pin and sends his ball to the heart of the green. How costly could that mistake from Molinari be?
The 2019 Masters has just been blown wide open, folks!
Could this shot cost Molinari the Masters?
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
His tee shot at the 12th bounces on the bank quickly rolls back into the water. 🌊
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Rory McIlroy has carded his best round of the week and closes his Masters with a 68 to sit in a tie for 21st on five-under par as things stand. The Grand Slam is gone for another year.
Meanwhile, Xander Schauffele has just birdied the 13th to move to 11-under and the 25-year-old American is now firmly in the mix.
TIGER POUNCES! This could be the turning point. Molinari’s approach from the drop zone is good, landing about eight foot from the pin, but his putter is unable to limit the damage on this occasion and it’s a double-bogey five for the leader.
Woods’ long, long putt is well-judged and after coming up just six feet short, he nails the par putt to stay on 11-under for a tie of the lead!
ACE! Justin Thomas moves to nine-under with a magical hole-in-one on the 16th.
.@justinthomas34 aces No. 16 #themasters pic.twitter.com/ypueubdkSY
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 14, 2019
OH MY WORD! We have another twist in this extraordinary Masters Sunday as Patrick Cantlay has just seized the lead with an eagle on the par-five 15th. He’s six-under for the day. You cannot keep your eyes off this!
Christ, we can’t keep up. Koepka has only gone and rebounded from his double-bogey to eagle the 13th and he’s now back to within a shot of the lead, while the heavens have just opened at Augusta National.
Brooks Koepka leaps to one stroke off the lead with eagle at No. 13.
— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 14, 2019
#themasters pic.twitter.com/vWCigSfzRH
Cantlay wasn’t up there on his own for long, as Xander Schauffele – who, at 25, has already won five times on the PGA Tour — strokes home a 12-foot birdie on 14 for a share of the lead.
A bogey on the 17th may just have ended Bubba Watson’s interest. It’s all happening as we enter the final stretch.
THREE-WAY LEAD! Incredibly, Molinari now finds himself chasing the lead, but the Italian rediscovers his mojo to birdie 13 and so too does Woods, meaning they join Schauffele at the summit after Cantlay drops a shot on 16.
Where to start? Rickie Fowler has birdied 13, 14 and 15 to move up to 1o-under par and then lips out for a birdie two on 16, while Dustin Johnson cards back-to-back birdies to go to 11-under.
And then Jason Day produces a superb birdie on the last and the Australian is in the clubhouse on 11-under. It may not be enough but he has set the target.
Woods and Molinari both let opportunities to take the lead outright slip by on 14, while ahead on 15, Schauffele has to hold his nerve from four-foot after his birdie attempt lacked pace. It’s on a knife-edge.
AS IT STANDS: After surging into the lead 20 minutes ago, things have gone horribly wrong for Chantlay since as back-to-back birdies see him fall off the pace. Who is your money on now?
It’s all happening at Augusta!
DJ ON THE MOVE! And here comes Dustin Johnson, converting his latest birdie attempt on the 17th to make it a four-way tie for the lead. The 2016 US Open champion — who has gone birdie-birdie-birdie — is four-under today.
Meanwhile, Jon Rahm has carded a final-round 68 to sit on 10-under in the clubhouse, one behind Day.
FIVE-WAY TIE FOR THE LEAD! Yes, you read that right. Koepka settles for a birdie on 15 after his eagle putt slid just by the cup, while Schauffele shows his mettle to par 16.
DISASTER! Wow. After Woods finds the dancefloor with his second on the par-five 15th, the ball finishing just under 50 feet away from the hole, Molinari‘s hopes may just have ended.
From the pine straw on the right, the Italian can only pitch out and lay up but his third ends up in the water at the front of the green after clipping a branch on the way. Absolutely incredible.
What a time to make an error. After finding the drink, Molinari then very nearly put it in the hazard again, but his ball, fortunately, stayed on the slope.
Up on the green, Tiger is ready to putt for eagle…
Molinari's hopes are dashed! 🌊
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) April 14, 2019
His third shot from the rough with the wedge clips the tree and fails to carry the water! 🌲
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TIGER WOODS LEADS THE MASTERS!
Woods judges his eagle putt with absolute mastery and it leaves him with a tap-in for birdie, which moves him out on front on his own at 13-under par with three holes to play at Augusta. Can he do it?
Up at 18, Dustin Johnson is putting for birdie and the clubhouse lead of 13-under, but his effort comes up just short and he has to settle for an excellent round of 68.
Koepka just about holds on for par on the 16th, but it’s all eyes on Tiger as he makes his way onto the tee.
STITCHED IT! Woods – 14 years after his last victory at Augusta — is on the prowl now and he produces a stunning tee-shot at 16, pitching the ball perfectly on the bank, allowing it to trickle down towards the cup to stop a couple of feet away. He has a putt to extend his lead to two shots!
TIGER WOODS!!!!
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 14, 2019
WHAT A SHOT! #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ihdn5whbTd
TWO SHOT LEAD! And he makes absolutely no mistake. Dead centre. Woods holds a two-shot lead at the Masters with two to play. Vintage Tiger.
BOOM! Tiger is in the zone and has just drilled his best tee-shot of the day down 17. A 15th Major title is in his sights now.
Koepka is unable to birdie 17 and he remains on 12-under par, while Schauffele finds the greenside bunker on 18.
WHAT A SHOT! Woods wastes no time over his second at 17 and from prime position, takes aim and finds the target with absolute precision. Two putts for a par.
CLUTCH! Woods sets his birdie putt rolling down the hill, as it breaks from left to right, but it stays left and leaves him with a testing par effort back. Molinari finishes out for a birdie three, before the leader steps up and sinks it to stay at 14-under and two shots clear.
TIGER WOODS IS ONE HOLE AWAY FROM HIS FIRST MAJOR TITLE SINCE 2008
It has been a long, long wait for Tiger Woods but he is on the verge of a 15th Major now. He steps onto the 18th tee at Augusta with a two-shot lead — and absolutely drills his drive down the fairway!
Koepka needs a birdie on 18 to keep his chances alive, but misses. It means Woods can afford to bogey the last and still claim victory.
Tiger's family is hoping to see him with the Masters for the 5th time. pic.twitter.com/TurpkfHXAK
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 14, 2019
Tiger steps up from the right side of the fairway. It’s not perfect as the wind catches his second and it comes up short and to the right. A tricky pitch shot coming up.
TIGER WOODS HAS TWO PUTTS FOR THE MASTERS!
He’s left himself with work to do here, but Tiger produces another moment of immense quality when he needed it most. He uses the slope to perfection, allowing his pitch to feed back down towards the hole.
TIGER WOODS IS THE 2019 MASTERS CHAMPION!!
Tiger Woods has completed one of the greatest sporting comebacks by producing a vintage Sunday afternoon performance down the home straight at Augusta to clinch his first Masters title in 14 years.
Incredible scenes on the 18th at Augusta.
Look at what it means to Tiger.
— eir Sport (@eirSport) April 14, 2019
Perhaps the greatest comeback of all time in sports.
A 15th Major and a 5th Green Jacket. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/2ejFApprul
The traditional prize-giving ceremony in the Augusta Butler Cabin has just ended, with last year’s champion Patrick Reed on hand to present Woods with his fifth green jacket.
“When I tapped the putt in, I don’t know what I did, but I just screamed,” Woods said.
“To have my kids there, it’s come full circle. My dad was here in 1997 and now I’m the dad with two kids here.
I’m at a loss for words. My little boy Charlie, that embrace, it was just special to have them here. Sam actually lost a state soccer tournament yesterday so I kind of convinced her to come up and watch the Masters. So they came up today and I was so happy I could win.
“I was as patient as I’ve been in a number of years out there. I kept control of my emotions, my shots, my shot placements. To see that board, it was a who’s who and it all changed at 12. Francesco made a mistake at 12, so did Brooks and there were so many scenarios.”
A final check on the 2019 Masters leaderboard.
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