How the top 10 players on the
World Ranking fared at the Masters
1. Luke Donald T- 32, 291 (+ 3)
Donald’s lackluster performance was more
notable for what he didn’t do rather than
what he did, his first-round “ 73” becoming a
75 when it was determined a fuzzy fax was
the reason he was credited with a 3, not a 5, on the par- 4
fifth, a hole he three-putted. He had three other three-putts all
week, but was especially appalling on approach shots, finish-
ing T- 43 in GIR after hitting a paltry seven greens on Day One.
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6. Martin Kaymer T- 44, 294 (+ 6)
One year after the German claimed he
didn’t really know how to play the famous
layout, he made strides with his first
made cut at the Masters. He developed a
reliable draw prior to the tournament, and although he
didn’t break par all week, he did manage 16 birdies. He hit
26 greens the first two days ( 15 of 18 Friday) before settling
back to a more pedestrian 18 on the weekend.
C
2. Rory McIlroy T- 40, 293 (+ 5)
Like Woods, high expectations combined
with poor performance conspired to keep
the grade lower than others near him on
the leader board. Weighed down with the
burden of being a co-favorite, McIlroy doubled No. 1
Thursday, setting the stage for an up-and-down week. His
16 birdies tied for the most among players who finished
outside the top 20, but he also made 17 bogeys or worse.
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7. Tiger Woods T- 40, 293 (+ 5)
The good vibes that emanated from the
win at Bay Hill two weeks earlier dissi-
pated in a petulant display of vitriol that
included him kicking his 9-iron after a poor
shot at the par- 3 16th Friday. But it was at the par- 5 holes
where Woods was uncharacteristically substandard. He
played the par 5s in one under for the week, a far cry from the
12 under he averaged over the previous three Masters.
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3. Lee Westwood T- 3, 280 (- 8)
Westwood’s solid ball-striking kept him in
contention throughout—he hit 12 fairways
and 16 greens to take the first-day lead
with a 67—but though he tied for the Mas-
ters lead in greens hit, Westwood needed 128 putts. The
high number wasn’t just a function of his many GIRs, as he
missed four putts from less than three feet. If he made half of
those misses, Westwood would have been in the playoff.
B+
8. Charl Schwartzel T- 50, 296 (+ 8)
The South African wouldn’t cite the
pressure of being the defending champ
as the cause of his worst finish in three
starts at Augusta, but the demands on
his time couldn’t have helped his Masters preparation.
Schwartzel never broke par—an opening 72 was his best
score—and he ranked T- 55 in fairways hit and T- 60 (among
62 players) in greens in regulation.
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4. Hunter Mahan T- 12, 286 (- 2)
After top- 10 finishes in 2009-10, Mahan
missed the cut a year ago. But the PGA
Tour’s only two-time winner in 2012 was
relaxed during this Masters and played
like it early, with two rounds at even par before settling
onto the leader board with a five-birdie, one-bogey 68 Sat-
urday. He hit only seven fairways Sunday, especially poor on
Augusta’s wide holes, and finished with a 74.
B
9. Justin Rose T- 8, 284 (- 4)
One of five players to shoot four rounds
of par or better, the Englishman was in
the top 10 in driving distance, driving ac-
curacy and greens hit to make the cut for
the seventh straight time at the Masters. Rose climbed
the leader board with three straight birdies Saturday (holes
6-8) to get to three under, but he posted only one under the
rest of the week.
B
5. Steve Stricker T- 47, 295 (+ 7)
Only three players who made the cut
made fewer than Stricker’s 10 birdies (the
same number as Tiger Woods), the failure
to break par keeping the Wisconsinite
down on the leader board. Stricker opened with a 71 and
looked as if he could build upon his T- 11 a year ago, but he
was eight over in the last three rounds, including a double
bogey on 12 Sunday and three bogeys to end his week.
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10. Webb Simpson T- 44, 294 (+ 6)
Simpson, who first played Augusta
National at age 12, was unfazed in his first
Masters. Even par through three rounds,
he started Sunday with a triple bogey on
No. 1 and turned in 41. After hitting every fairway and
green in his opening nine holes Thursday, Simpson hit just
three fairways and four greens in his first nine Sunday. His
131 putts were tied for last among those who made the cut.
C
