He might end his career known as a ‘one hit wonder’, but it’s a pretty good hit to have. And when Danny Willett left reigning champion Jordan Spieth, and the world, stunned at the US Masters in 2016 it seems he celebrated it in style.
Willett produced one of the rounds of his career on that Augusta Sunday, shooting a bogey free 67 to finish five under par.
He’d teed off that day trailing Spieth by three shots, but the American’s quadruple bogey seven at the par-3 12th turned the tide.
And now the Englishman has lifted the lid on what followed him sealing his only major championship win. Appearing on the DP World Tour’s Life on Tour podcast with Nico Colsaerts and George Harper Jr, Willett revealed his overnight antics led to a strange decision on Monday morning.
Managed at the time by Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, he said his first port of call was a star-studded party. “He had a big house and they had chefs and stuff all throughout the week,” said Willett.
There were about 150 people there, including Sir Alex Ferguson. I took myself off at 2 or 3am in the morning, I’d had a good drink. My father in law was there and six pals who had flown out. I’d rented two houses just down the road so we all got back at the same time.”
The one-time Ryder Cup player then explained the alcohol effects had him back on his fitness routine just hours later. “Then I got up at 7m and went for a run. I was still drunk, I was still intoxicated, but I had so much adrenaline.”
Colsaerts reacted by stating “I would be in bed.” But the 37-year-old even insisted he notched a quick time, adding: “It was like I was floating on a cloud to be honest. It was the easiest run I’ve ever done.”
Willett’s Masters win was made all the more remarkable by dint of the fact his new born son was less thank two weeks old, having previously been due to arrive during the tournament. And he said that the reality of the situation back home meant the celebrations didn’t extend beyond his drunken road run.
“I still got goosebumps thinking about it all,” he admitted. “It was a long time ago now but it would just be nice to relive it again. Zac was due on Masters Sunday but came 12 or 13 days early. I thad old Nic (his wife) I wasn’t going to go.”
Willett has only managed one top-10 finish at a Major since, the 2019 Open Championship. His last professional win came in October 2021 at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
