American Bubba Watson has claimed his second green jacket in three years in impressive fashion, storming to a three-shot Masters win at Augusta National Golf Club.

Watson backed up his 2012 playoff triumph with a more emphatic win, posting a three-under 69 final round and an eight-under 280 total.

He finished three clear of 20-year-old Jordan Spieth (72) and Swede Jonas Blixt (71) who tied for second at five-under.

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez (71), at 50 years old, claimed fourth place at four-under with Americans Matt Kuchar (74) and Rickie Fowler (73) tied for fifth a shot further back.

Spieth, seeking to become the youngest winner of the Masters, led by two as they walked off the seventh green but before he could comprehend the enormity of the occasion he had lost the lead.

Bogeys on the eighth and ninth holes as Watson made back-to-back birdies turned the tournament on its head.

Australian hopes of a repeat green jacket-winning performance were gone early when defending champion Adam Scott started poorly and neither John Senden nor Jason Day could make a serious charge.

Senden did cement a return to the Masters in 2015 by finishing inside the top 12 as his 73 left him tied eighth at even-par for the week.

Scott’s final day 72 left him one-over and tied for 14th in his title defence, left to bemoan a woeful week on the greens.

Day (72) finished in a tie for 20th at two-over, Steven Bowditch (72) finished four-over in his debut Masters and Oliver Goss finished off his Silver Cup-winning run as leading amateur at 10-over par with a final round 75.

Earlier Spieth charged out of the blocks with two quick birdies on the second and fourth holes, the latter coming with a hole out from a bunker.

He made bogey on five but birdied six and seven to set up his buffer.

After the four-shot swing Spieth once again pulled within one as Watson bogeyed the 10th but when the young Texan dunked his ball into Rae’s creek on the 12th he was always going to struggle to play catch up heading into the two par fives with the big-hitting Watson.

Watson birdied the first par five to create his three shot buffer and then held on over the closing five holes.