“IT WAS JUST A SURREAL, BONKERS SPELL OF TIME”

Ten years ago Danny Willett became the first European to win at Augusta for 17 years and just the second Englishman to do so. Here, he reflects on a memorable Masters Sunday

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New father takes Masters after Spieth falters

In the space of 12 days, Danny Willett became both a first-time dad and a Masters champion. Zachariah James Willett was due on Masters Sunday, which would have meant dad not playing. As things panned out, he arrived early and was home by the time Willett became the 89th and last player to register in Georgia.

Fast forward to April 10, 2016, and Willett was piecing together a brilliant final round with four birdies and no bogeys in his first 14 holes. Back on 11, Jordan Spieth, who was five clear at the turn after four straight birdies, was plopping two balls into Rae's Creek - the second of which barely made the water - and Willett's par on 15 saw him head to the 16th tee with the lead.

What we quickly forget is that Willett was the World No.12 at the time. Earlier in 2016, he had already won the Dubai Desert Classic and finished 3rd in the WGC at Doral. The only slightly odd aspect to him becoming the first European to slip into the Green Jacket since 1999 was that this was just his second visit to Augusta National.

And just as with the previous Englishman to win there (Nick Faldo in 1996), when another colossal comeback was pulled off, Willett shot a fine 67, the joint-low round of the day. Here, he looks back on that incredible Masters Sunday ten years ago...

Can you remember what your warm-up was like on the Sunday?

We were renting a house and in the back garden there was a kid's jungle gym. So my physio and I had set up all these bands and bits attached to it and we were out there at 10am and getting warmed up.

The tee time was obviously late, Lee Westwood and I were off at 2.15pm, and the aim was to try and not get there too early and have too much time to think about stuff. So we tried to do a little bit at the house and got warmed up with an hour and a half to go before teeing off, so it was all pretty chilled out.