A decade after his triumphant 2016 Masters win, Danny Willett recalls the dramatic final round that changed his life forever.
Danny Willett has reflected on one of the defining moments of his professional career—his victory at the Masters Tournament ten years ago, when he captured the Green Jacket in 2016 with a memorable performance at Augusta National.
In a candid look back at that week, Willett revealed how vividly the details remain etched in his memory. “I can still remember every shot from 10 years ago, everything, all the clubs,” he said. “It was such a memorable week.”
The turning point came during Sunday’s final round when the momentum shifted dramatically in Willett’s favor. Playing in the later groups, he recorded consecutive birdies at holes 13 and 14, then tapped in for par on 15. At precisely that moment, the leaderboard behind him revealed a stunning reversal: as Jordan Spieth made a critical mistake on hole 12, Willett moved from three shots behind to leading by two in the span of just 20 minutes.
The Final Round That Defined a Career
“The entire golf tournament kind of flipped upside down” in those brief moments, Willett recalled. “It was really unfortunate what happened to Pete Jordan, but anything can happen. Fortunately, I put myself in a position that I could capture it.” He ultimately closed with a final-round 67, a score that carried extra significance given the circumstances.
Willett emphasized the importance of being in contention throughout the week. “You’ve got to be in the position to shoot 67 and it means something,” he explained. “Shooting 67 in last place doesn’t do anything, so pinning around the lead all week gave myself a chance.”
A Tough Decade, But Gratitude Remains
Now 38 years old, Willett acknowledged that the past decade has been challenging. “I’ve had a tough 10 years with injuries and bits and being out for a while and surgery and stuff,” he said. Despite those setbacks, he expressed that competitive fire still burns within him, and returning to Augusta brings those cherished memories flooding back.
“There’s still that little bit inside that wants to keep driving on and wants to keep trying to perform,” Willett reflected. “And yeah, it’s nice when you can come back to a place that you’ve got so many great memories.”
His 2016 Masters victory remains one of sport’s great momentum swings, a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in major championship golf.
This article was created with the help of AI and editorially reviewed. Report an issue