Masters 2013:
Adam Scott beats
Angel Cabrera in play-off
Adam Scott clinched his maiden major title and became the first
Australian winner of the Masters with victory against former champion Angel Cabrera in a sudden death play-off at
Augusta.
Scott, 32, holed a 15ft birdie putt in deteriorating light across the 10th green on the second extra
hole to deprive
Argentina's 2009 winner after both players birdied the
18th in regulation to reach nine under on a dank, drizzly day.
Australian
Jason Day, runner up with Scott in
2011, was third at seven under with
Tiger Woods (70) and another Australian
Marc Leishman (72) tied for fourth at five under.
"It fell my way today, there was some luck there but it's incredible to be in this position. I'm honoured," said Scott, who squandered a four-shot lead with four to play to lose the
Open to
Ernie Els last year.
Scott rolled in a stunning long birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 to snatch a one-shot lead over
Cabrera, who was waiting back down the fairway in the final group.
The Argentine kept his focus despite the roars from the green and hit his approach to a few feet before making his birdie for a 70 to join Scott.
Both came up slightly short of the 18th green on the first extra hole and Cabrera, playing first, almost holed his chip and tapped in from a foot for a four.
Scott left his chip three feet shy but holed it and they went back down the 10th. They both hit good approaches to the heart of the green but Cabrera, who won a play-off against
Chad Campbell and
Kenny Perry three years ago, missed his putt before Scott made his.
"But
Adam's a good winner. I would have been happier if I had won but he's a great player,
I get along with him, we've played together in the
President's Cup and I'm happy for him."
Cabrera, the joint overnight leader with
Brandt Snedeker, held a two-shot lead at nine under during the first nine but on the way home he shared the lead with Scott and Day, who was two in front with three to play before bogeys at 16 and 17.
Woods was four behind at the start of the day after being penalised two shots for an illegal drop on Friday, but struggled to ignite his round and carded a two-under 70 for a seventh top four in his last eight Masters following his last win in
2005.
The 14-time major champion, chasing his fifth
Green Jacket and first major title since 2008, said his putting cost him.
American Snedeker slumped to a 75 for four under with 23-year-old
Danish debutant
Thorbjorn Olesen, who finished with a 68 to head the
European challenge.
England's Lee Westwood once again led the
British challenge and got to four under at the seventh before finishing three under with a 71. The 39-year-old, who was second in
2010 and third last year, is still chasing his first major at the 60th attempt.
"Any time you finish top 10 in a major you've got to be pleased with that," said
Westwood. "There's not too many negatives to take away."
Sergio Garcia (70) and
Matt Kuchar (73) also finished three under, while Open champion Ernie Els and Friday's halfway leader
Fred Couples, 53, ended in a group on one under.
World number two
Rory McIlroy improved on his third round by 10 shots with a 69 to end on two over.
"I didn't feel that I played that differently today, but this golf course, if you get on the wrong side of it, can make you look a little silly at times," he said.
"
Yesterday [round of 79] was very disappointing.
If I had kept that round under control then I might have been in with a chance today. But I was pleased with my round today and that is something to build on for the rest of the season."
England's
Luke Donald (72) and
Justin Rose (74) also ended two over along with two-time former champion
Bernhard Langer, 55, who enjoyed a little cameo with three straight birdies to start before running out of steam, finishing with a 76.
"It was fun while it lasted, just didn't last long enough in the end," said the
German.
Defending champion
Bubba Watson took a 10 at the short 12th in a round of 77 to end seven over.
"I made a good putt for a 10. No big deal," said
Watson, who found the water with his tee shot and then had trouble after firing long with his replacement.
Scotland's Paul Lawrie ended four over after a 72,
English debutant
David Lynn finished with a 71 for five over and
Sandy Lyle, 25 years after winning the Green Jacket, finished nine over alongside three-time champion
Phil Mickelson.
Chinese 14-year-old amateur
Guan Tianlang finished with a 75 for 12 over on his remarkable debut that saw him become the youngest Masters competitor
and youngest player to make the cut at a major, and winner of the low amateur prize.
- published: 31 May 2015
- views: 6515