Greg Norman should be very proud. Although he himself never managed to win the Masters at Augusta, at last one of his countryman has done so. As a matter of fact there were two Aussies neck-and-neck for the lead until the final holes. Jason Day almost had his day as well.
Adam Scott became the first Australian golfer to ever win the Masters and he did so in high style and in the rain. Scott ended the four rounds of regulation play tied with veteran champion Angel Cabrera sending them both into a sudden death playoff to determine the match and the Masters.
Cabrera, the 2009 Masters Champion, held the lead half way through final round only to lose it and then win it back again on 17. It was an exciting finish as Adam Scott sank some very tricky putts to keep himself in competition for a piece of the lead. Scott earned the victory by sinking some very clutch putts to end the match.
It was still raining lightly and getting dark when the two stepped out onto the beautiful course at Augusta to have it out for the win. On the first playoff hole, Cabrera’s second shot just chipped the edge of the hole but did not go in.
On the second sudden-death hole, both golfers were playing side by side until Scott sank a difficult putt of about 15 feet for a birdie to win the 77th Masters.
Early favorite, Tiger Woods shot a 70 in the final round but it just was not enough. Woods was a 3 to 1 favorite going into the Masters this year and speculation was high that he was returning to the championship form that he displayed to place in the top 5 at Augusta for 7 years in a row. But the Tiger missed some shots that he should have made and will now go back home to prepare for the U.S. Open.
14 year old Chinese golfer Tianlang Guan played his heart out at the Masters among his childhood heroes. No one expected him to win but, very few expected him to do as well as he did in his very first Masters event. Hell, he was an 8 to one shot to even make the cut! Guan ended up by taking home the Silver Cup as the low Masters amateur this year. Watch out for this young man in the future.
Congratulations to Tianlang Guan and Adam Scott for their excellent performances in the 77th Masters.
