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AUGUSTA. — The 78th Masters began as one of the most wide open in decades, but it will not go down as a classic after a surprisingly lacklustre finish on Sunday when Bubba Watson clinched his second green jacket. The roars for which the year’s first major is famous never materialised on the back nine, mAainly due to a scarcity of birdies and eagles, and Watson ultimately eased to victory by three shots.

Instead the only real fireworks during the final round occurred before the turn as 20-year-old American Jordan Spieth made his scintillating early run, four birdies and a bogey briefly putting him two ahead before he faded. With the notorious Augusta National layout running just about as fast and firm as it can after five days of unrelenting sunshine, danger lurked at every corner and damage limitation was a priority on Sunday rather than birdie hunting.

Of the top 13 players by the time the tournament was over, 50-year-old Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez was the only one who covered the back nine under par, testimony to the tricky scoring conditions. — Reuters.