Hideki Matsuyama hits out of a bunker during the final round of the Masters Tournament on Sunday in Augusta, Georgia. Photo: VCG

Hideki Matsuyama became the first Japanese man to win a major golf championship on Sunday, holding his nerve down the stretch to capture the 85th Masters after a dramatic final round.

Matsuyama calmly grinded out clutch pars and struck for crucial birdies in a pressure-packed march at Augusta National, hanging on over the final holes for a historic one-stroke victory.

Matsuyama took the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy and a top prize of $2.07 million.

After seeing his seven-stroke lead with seven holes remaining shaved to two shots with three to go, Matsuyama watched Xander Schauffele find water off the 16th tee on the way to a triple-bogey disaster.

"I felt like I gave him a little bit of a run and made a little bit of excitement for the tournament until I met a watery grave there," Schauffele said. "I'll be able to sleep tonight. It might be hard but I'll be OK."

Matsuyama settled for bogey but closed with par at 17 and a bogey at 18 to fire a one-over-par 73 and finish 72 holes on 10-under 278.

"My nerves really didn't start on the second nine," Matsuyama said. "It was from the start today to the very last putt."

American Will Zalatoris was ­second in his Masters debut on 279 after a closing 70 with US three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and American Schauffele sharing third on 281.

"It was a fun week," Zalatoris said. "I know I can play with the best ­players in the world."

Matsuyama became only the second Asian man to win a major title after South Korea's Yang Yong-eun at the 2009 PGA Championship.

Matsuyama, ranked 25th, hadn't won since the 2017 WGC Akron tournament, but 87 starts later, he matched the victory from his only other 54-hole outright PGA lead, at the 2016 WGC Shanghai tournament.

The best prior majors by Japanese men were Isao Aoki's runner-up effort at the 1980 US Open and Matsuyama's share of second at the 2017 US Open.

No prior Japanese player had finished better than fourth at the Masters.

Japan's two previous major golf titles belonged to women, Chako Higuchi from the 1977 LPGA Championship and Hinako Shibuno at the 2019 Women's British Open.

Spain's Jon Rahm and Australia's Marc Leishman finished in a tie for fifth place at 6 under. Justin Rose, who led after each of the first two rounds, finished alone in seventh place at 5 under.

While Johnson missed the cut Friday, and 2019 winner Tiger Woods did not participate after a serious car crash in February, 2018 champion Patrick Reed (69) finished in a tie for eighth place at four-under with Canada's Corey Conners (74).

Three-time winner Phil Mickelson (72) finished in a five-way tie for 21st place at even par, while two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (72) finished tied for 26th at 1 over.

Defending US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (75) finished tied for 46th place at five-over, while defending PGA Championship winner Collin Morikawa (70) ­finished tied for 18th at one-under.