Different story in Tiger Woods' defense of Masters title

When Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters 19 months ago at Augusta National Golf Club, it was a moment for the ages because it was his 15th major title and it snapped a personal 11-year drought without a major. But Woods’ title defense was at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum.

On Sunday he recorded his first ever double-digit score on a hole as a professional with a 10 on the par-3 12th hole, where he put three balls into Rae’s Creek, including his first tee shot and his third shot from the drop area. His fifth shot from the drop area went into the back bunker, and his sixth from the sand went across the green and into the water.

"Well, I committed to the wrong wind," Woods said of his initial shot on the hole that played at 155 yards in the final round. "From there, I hit a lot more shots and had a lot more experiences there in Rae’s Creek . . . You’re so alone out there, and you have to figure it out and you have to fight. I did coming in."

Woods birdied five of his final six holes to record a 4-over-par 76 that left him at 1 under for the tournament. Woods, of course, had the honor of presenting the green jacket to champion Dustin Johnson, whose record 20-under score broke the previous scoring mark of 18 under set by Woods in 1997 and matched by Jordan Spieth in 2015.

"He’s an amazing athlete," Woods said of Johnson. "DJ has an amazing ability to stay calm in tough moments."

McIlroy impressed by DJ, too

If not for an opening 75, Rory McIlroy might have given Johnson a run for his money. McIlroy shot 69 in the final round to finish tied for fifth at 11 under. McIlroy hopes to return in April to chase the one major title he needs to complete the career Grand Slam, but he expressed his appreciation for Johnson’s dominance since the PGA Tour restart in June.

"He has been by far the best player in the world," McIlroy said. "His resume speaks for itself, how many times he’s won on the PGA Tour (24), how consistent he’s been. I played with him the first two days here. He’s got the ball on a string. It was impressive."

Langer, 63, not short on talent

Two-time former Masters champion Bernhard Langer, who became the oldest player ever to make the cut at 63, shot a final-round 71 to finish tied for 29th at 3 under. He was the shortest hitter in the field, averaging just 260 yards on his drives, but he was the most accurate off the tee, hitting 49 of 56 fairways. In the final two rounds, Langer played with bombers McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau and admitted he caught himself "spectating" because of their prodigious length.

"I got to experience the longest guys in the world right now, and it’s quite amazing," Langer said. "Different game. I was in awe and just watching how they swing and how hard they hit it. It was fun to watch."

DeChambeau, who arrived as the favorite, shot 73 in the final round to finish a shot behind Langer at 2 under. He still was experiencing dizziness that began Thursday night.

"It’s just about orientation," he said. "There were numerous times when I was over [a putt], and I just felt super uncomfortable. I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t see the line. It was really weird. I missed a lot of putts today."

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.