Adam Scott battled through a two-hole play-off with
Argentine Angel Cabrera to claim Australia’s first ever Masters victory.
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| Scott thinks he's won in regulation. Photo: Sam Greenwood/AN |
It looked as though Scott had won during the regulation
seventy-two holes after a magnificent putt at the 18th took him one
shot clear. However, Cabrera responded with a simply outstanding second shot
setting him up for an easy birdie, and forcing the play-off.
Over the first hole the players matched each other blow for
blow, playing almost identical shots. Cabrera almost claimed the victory when
his chip shot trickled agonisingly past the hole, but both players left with a
par.
On the par four 10th, both players made it to the
green in two, with Cabrera’s put once again missing the hole by mere centimetres.
This opened the door for Scott, who was able to hole a brilliant putt,
confirming him as the winner of the 77th Masters.
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| Cabrera teeing off at the 4th. Photo: Chris Trotman/AN |
Victory for Scott made him the first ever Australian winner
of the Master and also sealed Australia’s place in the elite group of four
countries to have had a winner at every Major tournament; along with the USA,
South Africa and England. It was also a landmark moment for Scott, as it was
his first Major Championship after two second place positions; his famous
collapse on the back nine of last year’s Open Championship and a tied second with
Jason Day at the 2011 Masters.
Similar to the 2011 Masters, Jason Day once again came
agonisingly close with a third place seven under for the week, two shots behind
Scott and Cabrera. An up-and-down day saw him leading three holes to play, but
two bogeys on the last three holes for the second day running left him out of
contention once again. Fellow Australian, and surprise package, Marc Leishman
carded a 72 for the day, leaving him join fourth position after a solid week.
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| Jason Day ponders what could have been. Photo: Sam Greenwood/AN |
Leishman was joint with four times Masters champion Tiger
Woods, whose two shot penalty severely hampered his chances, leaving him four
shots away from the leaders.
The overnight leader Brandt Snedeker failed to cope with the
pressure, dropping four shots to four under. He was joined there by Thorbjorn
Olesen, who hit a four under for the day, putting him alongside Snedeker, who
was eight shots clear of him after Saturday night.
It was another day of ‘what if’, for Lee Westwood as he
missed a number of birdie chances to possibly throw himself into contention,
finishing on a solid three under par for the tournament. He was joined there by
Thursday’s overnight leader Sergio Garcia, who propelled himself into the top
10 with a solid two under for the day.
It looked for a short while as though veteran Bernhard
Langer was going to make a late push for the green jacket, after hitting
birdies in the first three holes, moving him to five under par. However, a few
misplaces shots left him well out of the running at two over par for the week. Joining
him was world number two Rory McIlroy, after an improved final day propelling
him back up the leader board with a round of 69.
One of the most memorable features of this year’s Masters
was the campaign of 14-year-old Tianlang Guan, who finished twelve over par for
the entire week, an outstanding achievement for a boy of his age.
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| Scott celebrates in-front of the Augusta faithful in the Green Jacket. Photo: Scott K. Brown/AN |
However, it will be Scott who remembers this Masters most
fondly as he now looks forward in his career. After coming close twice before,
he will be delighted to have finally won a major and will be eagerly anticipating
mid-June, when he takes part in the US Open, the next Major on the calendar.
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