Watney has magical Sunday on third visit
Nick Watney had the kind of Sunday that any player in the Masters Tournament dreams of. He hit green after green and made putt after putt on his way to 7-under-par 65, tied for the tournament's low round.
Watney carded three rounds under par in his third Masters and finished at 8 under.
A 76 on Friday took him out of contention for the win, but he moved up the leaderboard on Sunday from 16th to finish seventh.
"It was a magical day," Watney said. "I was having so much fun coming down the stretch that I didn't really want it to end.
"Although I didn't win the tournament, it's a dream come true to play a good round on Sunday at Augusta."
For the second day in a row, Watney got off to a quick start. He birdied the second and third holes and, after a bogey on five, he stuck three consecutive approach shots close to the pins to make three more birdies.
After shooting 32 on the front, Watney birdied the two back-nine par 5s and knocked a wedge within a few feet of the hole on 17, coming in with a 33.
Watney beat his best round of the week -- he shot 68 on Thursday -- by three strokes. His nerves and his putter made the difference Sunday, he said.
"I was very, very calm out there," he said. "My putting was definitely the key.
"I felt good with the putter and luckily I rolled some in."
Watney stayed patient Sunday afternoon, attacking pins only when he had an opening, he said. He didn't do that Friday, he said, which kept the 28-year-old off the top of the leaderboard.
"The second day, I saw the leaders were playing well and kind of tried to force a few things, and that's not a good thing out here," he said. "I missed a few putts on the back nine (Friday) and I was just very unfortunate.
"It was pretty much just the back nine that cost me, may have cost me the tournament."
With his finish, Watney earns an invitation to next year's Masters. After walking off the green at No. 18, he was already thinking about it.
"I think (Augusta National) is just a magical place," he said. "I love the golf course, and I'm looking forward to next year right now.
"So maybe if I can eliminate that 76, who knows?"
