The Masters: Daily Wrap-up, Round 4
After a three-man, two-hole playoff with Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry at Augusta National, Argentina's Angel Cabrera was the last man standing, and the only man with a Green Jacket.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- The cheers came from every corner of Augusta National, the kind of mayhem that had been missing at the Masters.
The last one was for Angel Cabrera, a most unlikely champion.
He heard the roars for Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods, a supercharged duel that was pure theater. Cabrera never lost hope when a roar rattled the pines after Kenny Perry got within inches of an ace on the 16th hole to build a two-shot lead with two holes to play.
This is how it's supposed to be on Sunday at Augusta National.
And it was.
"It's a course that you can do a lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "A lot of magical things happen. It's simply the Masters."
And the most magical thing of all happened just as the sun began to set.
Perry, a 48-year-old on the verge of becoming golf's oldest champion, had gone 22 consecutive holes without a bogey until he dropped shots on each of the last two holes for a 71 to force a three-man playoff that included Chad Campbell.
Cabrera, who also shot 71, looked like the odd man out when his tee shot on the first playoff hole landed behind a Georgia pine, and his 4-iron struck another one. But he managed to scratch out a par with a sand wedge to 8 feet and a pressure-packed putt.
When luck turned against Perry on the second extra hole -- a splotch of mud on his ball in the fairway that led to a bogey -- Cabrera made a routine par to become the first Argentine in a Green Jacket.
Cabrera jumped from 132nd to 13th in the FedExCup standings, and, entering this week at No. 69 in the world, he became the lowest-ranked player to win the Masters since the world ranking began in 1986. Major No. 2 restored him to a top-20 golfer in the world, though; he settled at No. 18.
"This is a great moment, the dream of any golfer to win the Masters," Cabrera said during the green jacket ceremony. "I'm so emotional I can barely talk."
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| Other notable finishers at the Masters | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Score | Finish | Comment |
| Kenny Perry | 12 under | T2 | It was 48-year-old Kenny Perry's chance to not only grab his first major but also become the oldest major champion in history. He squandered a two-shot lead with bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 and couldn't get his game back in time for the playoff. Was it his last chance to win a major? |
| Phil Mickelson | 9 under | 5 | On the front nine, it seemed as though Phil Mickelson might be able to pull off a come-from-behind win for the Masters record books, but a double at the 12th all but put an end to his exciting run at a third Green Jacket. |
| Tiger Woods | 8 under | T6 | Locked in a battle with Mickelson all day, Tiger would have fooled anyone who didn't know they weren't in the final group into thinking they were. His eagle at the eighth kicked the duel into high gear, but like Mickelson, Tiger's round fell apart on the back nine. His 15th major will have to wait. |
| John Merrick | 8 under | T6 | This rookie put together the low round of the day at Augusta National and earned himself an invitation to next year's tournament. Merrick, 27, is yet to win his first TOUR title, but this finish should do wonders for his belief in his abilities. |
| Rory McIlroy | 2 under | T19 | The 19-year-old teen phenom from Northern Ireland fell apart at the end of his second round and barely made the cut. He was able to put himself back together on Sunday, though, with a 31 on the back nine -- sending him on his way to a tie for 19th in his first Masters appearance. |
| EASIEST HOLE | TOUGHEST HOLE |
|---|---|
| The easiest hole was the 530-yard, par-5 15th with a Sunday scoring average of 4.440. There were 2 eagles, 33 birdies, 13 pars, 1 bogey and 1 double bogey. | The toughest hole was the 460-yard, par-4 9th with a Sunday scoring average of 4.320. There were 0 eagles, 2 birdies, 31 pars, 21 bogeys and 3 double bogeys. |
| SHOT OF THE DAY | ROUND OF THE DAY |
|---|---|
|
In the middle of an improbable rally, Phil Mickelson hit one of |
Masters rookie John Merrick went out on Sunday with a purpose: |
| QUOTE OF THE DAY |
|---|
| "I'm not going to feel sorry. I've told this out here. I've said, if this is the worst thing that happens to me, I can live with it. I really can. Great players get it done, and Angel got it done. This is his second Major he won. I've blown two, but that's the only two I've had chances of winning." -- Kenny Perry on missing his second shot at winning a major |
WOODS' DRAMATIC CHARGE FIZZLES AT VERY END
By T.J. Auclair, PGA.com Interactive Producer
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- If you listened to Tiger Woods, you might think the 73rd Masters was a complete failure.
Just ask how he felt about his swing.
“It was just terrible,” he said. “I don’t know what was going on. It was just frustrating.”
And that was after a 4-under 68 in Sunday’s final round, his best score of the week. At 8-under 280, Woods tied for sixth in his first major appearance since returning from reconstructive surgery on his left knee. It was his 10th top-10 finish at the Masters.
Sunday’s low score was a pleasant surprise, considering how poorly the round started out. With his opening tee shot, Woods delivered a monster-sized hook that nearly came to rest in the eighth fairway. He recovered for a miraculous par, setting the stage for what would be an all-around dramatic day.
“I hit it so bad warming up today, I was hitting quick hooks, blocks,” Woods said. “You name it, I hit it all on the range, and then on the very first hole I almost hit it into eighth fairway. It’s one of the worst tee shots I’ve ever hit starting out.”
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MASTERS ROOKIE MERRICK PLAYS HIS WAY INTO 2010 FIELD
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- John Merrick remembers laying down beside the 18th green here in 2004.
The UCLA senior was exhausted -- from a college event the weekend before and, well, a long
night. So he plopped down.
The next thing he knew, someone in a green jacket was standing over him. “Son,’’ he said, “you can’t be laying down.’’
Merrick chuckled. He’s come a long way.
On Sunday afternoon, Merrick played his way back to Augusta National next year. He closed out his first Masters with a 66 an hour before Tiger Woods finished and he was all smiles. Four birdies in a row coming in. Leader in the clubhouse at 8 under par.
Player in 2010 Masters field with what would be -- no matter what unfolded behind him the rest of th day -- a top-16 finish.
“I definitely played well,’’ said the 27-year-old. “I can’t wait to come back.’’
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MICKELSON PLEASED WITH SUNDAY COMEBACK
By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Correspondent
AUGUSTA, Ga. – He had nothing to lose.
Seven shots back with 18 holes to play on Masters Sunday. A glam pairing with the best player in the world. An hour’s head start on the leaders. Accessible pins. Not much wind.
Green light.
“From the start you have nothing to lose," Amy Mickelson said. “You can attack."
Throw darts. Let those two Green Jackets in your locker be your guide.
“I thought it would allow him to be athletic and aggressive and not think too much," Amy said.
And that’s exactly what Phil Mickelson did. He threw it right in there. Five birdies on the front that pulled him within one shot of the lead. Two more on the back.
Mickelson gave himself a chance. Even when his tee shot found a watery grave at the 12th and he walked away with a double-bogey, he didn’t back down. He birdied 13 and 15 and came to 17 and 18 with the slimmest of chances.
It just wasn’t enough.
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