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Norman Played A Role in Scott's Landmark Masters Win
Augusta's 10th Now Bittersweet for Cabrera
McIlroy Upbeat Despite Masters Frustration
The Long Wait Goes on for Woods
Silver Cup for History-Maker Guan at Masters
Olesen Tops European Challenge at Masters
Adam Scott Wins The Masters
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - Adam Scott sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole Sunday to beat Angel Cabrera and win the 77th Masters, becoming the first Australian golfer to capture the green jacket.
Nine months after making bogeys on the last four holes to squander a British Open lead at Royal Lytham and two years after sharing second at the Masters, the 32-year-old from Adelaide won his first major title in impressive fashion.
"I don't know how that happened," Scott said. "It seems a long, long way from a couple years ago, or last July when I was trying to win a major."
Scott and Cabrera both birdied the 18th hole to finish deadlocked after 72 holes on nine-under par 279. Each parred the hole again to open the playoff and both had birdie putts at the second playoff hole, the par-4 10th.
Cabrera just missed his 12-footer and Scott followed with his winning putt, thrusting his arms into the air with joy after the ball curled into the cup to signal the end of a journey from Down Under to the top of the golf world.
"It's amazing that it's my destiny to be the first Aussie to win," Scott said. "Just incredible."
It was Scott's second celebration after an emotional 25-foot birdie at 18 in regulation that Cabrera matched with a stunning approach to four feet and a birdie putt of his own.
"There was a split second I thought I had won," Scott admitted. "You never count your chickens. It was time to step up and see how much I wanted it."
Cabrera, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion, shared a hug with Scott after the final putt.
"That's how golf is," Cabrera said. "I came back. I had my chance to win it. Adam is truly a good winner. He's a great person and a great player and I'm happy for him."
Cabrera, a grandfather ranked 269th in the world, would have been the second-oldest Masters champion at 43, trailing only Jack Nicklaus winning the 1986 Masters at age 46.
Australian Jason Day was third on 281, two strokes ahead of world number one Tiger Woods and Aussie Marc Leishman with Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and American Brandt Snedeker sharing sixth on 284.
Woods, a 14-time major champion who has never won a major when he did not at least share the 54-hole lead, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and not won the Masters since taking his fourth green jacket in 2005.
The Masters was the only major that no Aussie had won, the Augusta National jinx -- now shattered forever -- including three heartbreaking defeats for two-time British Open champion Greg Norman.
Norman took a bogey at the 18th in the 1986 Masters to hand Nicklaus the victory and the next year Norman lost a Masters playoff when Augusta native Larry Mize holed a miraculous chip shot.
In 1996, Norman suffered the greatest last-round collapse in major golf history, leading by six over Nick Faldo only to lose by five to the Englishman.
"He inspired a nation of golfers," Scott said. "Part of this definitely belongs to him."
Scott and Day shared second in 2011, falling short when South African Charl Schwartzel became the first man to birdie the last four holes to win a major.
Scott, who uses an anchored putting stroke, fired a 69 and Cabrera a 70 in the last round.
Day could only watch Scott and Cabrera make their stunning shots at the 18th hole and ponder what might have been.
A day after closing with back-to-back bogeys, Day opened with a birdie and followed with an eagle at the par-5 second, but stumbled back with bogeys at the par-3 sixth and par-4 ninth.
Day ripped off a run of three birdies in a row starting at the par-5 13th to put himself into the lead, but bogeys at the 16th and 17th left him third after a closing 70.
"It was really tough," Day said. "Pressure got to me a little bit."
Woods, fell eight strokes off the lead before making a late charge that came up short, firing a 70 to share fourth.
"I played well," Woods said. "Unfortunately I just didn't make enough putts. I certainly had an opportunity. I thought if I shot 65 I could win it outright."
Bogeys at the fifth and seventh dropped Woods back, but he birdied the ninth and 10th, then the par-5 13th and 15th to reach five under, unable to gain enough ground on the leaders on the wet, undulating greens of Augusta National.
"I had a hard time getting accustomed to the speed," Woods said. "It was so much slower with the rain. I left every putt short."
Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old Chinese schoolboy who is the youngest player in Masters history, fired a 75 to finish on 12-over 300 to claim the Silver Cup as low amateur.
Norman Played A Role in Scott's Landmark Masters Win
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - Adam Scott withstood the sorts of challenges that foiled prior Australian bids to win the Masters thanks in part to the legacy of heartbreak endured by his boyhood idol, Greg Norman.
Scott trailed for much of Sunday's rainy final round before making a 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, only to have Argentina's Angel Cabrera, a two-time major champion, match him with a birdie to force a playoff.
Faced with intense pressure, Scott calmly kept his poise, made his shots and dropped a 10-foot birdie putt on ther second playoff hole to capture the green jacket, the jinx-shattering first ever claimed by an Australian golfer.
"It's amazing that it's my destiny to be the first Aussie to win," Scott said. "Just incredible."
Part of what toughened the 32-year-old from Adelaide for the intense Masters crucible was watching two-time British Open winner Norman suffer three runner-up finishes at Augusta National without ever claiming the victory.
"Part of this is for him because he's given me so much time and inspiration and belief," Scott said. "I drew on that a lot today. I somehow managed to stay in each shot when I needed to."
Norman took a bogey at the 18th in the 1986 Masters to hand Jack Nicklaus his 18th and last major title at age 46. In 1987, Norman lost a Masters playoff when Augusta native Larry Mize holed a miraculous chip shot.
In 1996, Norman suffered the greatest last-round collapse in major golf history, leading by six over Nick Faldo only to lose by five to the Englishman in an epic turnaround.
"Most of us would feel that he could have slipped a green jacket on, for sure," Scott said.
Scott himself settled for a share of second at Augusta National in 2011 with countryman Jason Day.
The breakthrough green jacket might belong to Scott, but Norman earned himself a few stitches at least.
"He inspired a nation of golfers," Scott said. "He was the best player in the world and he was an icon in Australia. Everything about the way he handled himself was incredible to have as a role model.
"He has devoted so much time to myself and other young Australian players who came after him. Incredibly generous.
"Hopefully at some point I'll get to sit down with Greg and have a chat and go through it all. I'm sure he's really happy.
"I would love to share a beer with him over this one."
Plenty of Aussie sports fans would welcome the chance for a celebratory pint of two with Scott as well.
"We are a proud sporting country and like to think we are the best at everything," Scott said. "And this was one thing in golf that we had not been able to achieve."
Ironically, it's a New Zealander -- Scott's caddie Steve Williams -- who also played a vital role in bringing the Aussies a long-sought Masters triumph.
The final putt came in near-darkness on the tree-shadowed 10th hole on an overcast and gloomy evening.
"I could hardly see the green in the darkness," Scott said. "I was struggling to read it so I gave Steve the call over. He said, 'It's at least two cups (width), it's going to break more than you think.' He was my eyes on that putt."
Scott knew he was having a good day at the par-5 13th hole when his approach hung precariously on the bank of Rae's Creek but did not fall into the water.
"That was a great break," Scott said. "Everyone who wins gets those kind of breaks."
It was a rainy day of grinding at Augusta National with Scott swatting aside every obstacle.
"I just kept plugging away and I didn't know if it was going to happen through nine, but a good back nine here solves a lot and gives you a chance," Scott said. "It was just great that everything fell into place for me."
Augusta's 10th Now Bittersweet for Cabrera
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - The tough 10th hole at Augusta National will now contain bittersweet memories for Argentina's Angel Cabrera.
It was at the plunging, tree-lined dog-leg four years ago that he triumphed in a playoff over Kenny Perry to steal a sensational and emotional win in hot and sunny conditions.
But on Sunday, with rain pelting down and the umbrellas up, the roles were reversed as he lost in a playoff to Adam Scott, the Australian sinking a 10-footer for victory.
It was a cruel climax for Cabrera, who moments earlier had seen his own birdie putt come up short on the lip of the hole.
Victory would have made Cabrera, at 43, the second-oldest winner of the Masters after Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and the first grandfather to do so.
Cabrera, who came into Augusta National on a miserable run of form that had seen his world ranking fall to 269th, said that he had gained from all the experieces he had gathered from 13 previous Masters campaigns.
But the unique experience of his playoff win in 2009 was far from his mind as he and Scott set off for their dramatic showdown.
"No, I wasn't thinking about that at all," he replied when asked if 2009 had run through his thought processes.
"I was very much into today's playoff. I played very well both holes. I wasn't lucky, but I was very much into this playoff.
"Yeah, that's golf. Golf gives and takes. Sometimes you make those putts, sometimes you just miss them. But that's golf."
Cabrera and Scott know each other well having played together several times on President's Cup teams and the Argentinian was quick to embrace the younger man as soon as the winning putt had been sunk.
Scott, he said was a worthy winner of the tournament.
"I told him I was happy for him, that I know that he deserved it, and that he was going to eventually win it like he did right now. It was just a matter of time."
Scott returned the praise, calling Cabrera "a great man."
"I've gotten to know him a fair bit through the President's Cups. I played with him a couple times in them and have spent some time with him. I think he's a gentleman.
"He said a great thing to me in 2009 at The President's Cup before we all left, and unfortunately we lost that event.
"But I was on a captain's pick there and my form was struggling, but he pulled me aside and he said, 'You're a great, great player.'
"Something I didn't forget and really nice of him. It's an incredible camaraderie between all of us out here, and he's a great guy. And that was a nice gesture down 10."
McIlroy Upbeat Despite Masters Frustration
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - Rory McIlroy finally broke 70 in the Masters on Sunday, but his final-round effort came too late to salvage what was another disappointing campaign at Augusta National for him.
Three birdies against two bogeys were enough to get the Ulsterman into the 60s where he needs to be if one day he is win the year's first major tournament having already won the US Open and PGA Championship.
Earlier rounds of 72, 70 and especially a crushing 79 in Saturday's third round, where he went into the water at both the 11th and the 15th and walked away with sevens, had already scuppered what was his fifth attempt at winning a Green Jacket.
All in all, McIlroy, who will turn 24 next month, said that he had been happy with his form during the week.
"But obviously I went through a bad stretch of holes there yesterday from seven to 11, played them in five over, but apart from that I actually felt like I had a decent tournament.
"But it's just about trying to limit those mistakes. I'm learning each and every year around here. And I still got plenty of more years to try and get one of those jackets."
McIlroy came closest to winning the Masters while making his third attempt in 2011. Leading by four strokes and playing superbly well, the wheels came off his game in the final round and he slumped to an 80 which left him in a tie for 15th.
Just a few weeks later he won the US Open by eight strokes for his first major title and later on advanced to take the world number one spot.
Augusta National, he admits, is not his favorite golf course at the present time, though he says he is prepared to do what it takes to get to know it better.
"It's a frustrating golf course at times, but even today I hit some good shots into pins and instead of going 10 feet away I rolled off the green and stuff like that," he said.
"It's just the way Augusta is and I think you have to embrace it and accept that's what it's going to be like sometimes."
The Masters flop is just the latest in a long line of setbacks for McIlroy this year folowing his change of golfing equipment during the winter break.
He has yet to win a tournament and has lost his top dog status to Tiger Woods, but McIlroy says he still feels he is heading in the right direction.
"I'm on the right track going forward. I'm comfortable with my golf game, the equipment hasn't been an issue all year, it was more just me," he said.
"So I'm happy where I'm heading and I've got a few really good events coming up I'm looking forward to those."
The Long Wait Goes on for Woods
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - For Tiger Woods, the long wait for a 15th major title continues.
The 37-year-old American briefly threatened the leaders going down the back nine in the final round of the 77th Masters on Sunday, but he had left himself with too much to do and he eventually had to settle for a tie for fourth place.
That means that by the time he tees off at Merion Golf Club in the US Open in June it will be five years since he last won one of the big four titles.
It also means that he will need to wait another year to add to his Masters green jackets, his fourth and most recent coming in 2005.
Woods' driving ambitions are to match and better the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus and to overhaul the record six Masters wins by Nicklaus.
Starting the day four strokes behind joint leaders Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera, Woods said that he believed he had an outside chance of winning a major while coming from behind for the first time.
"I thought 65 would win it outright today," he said.
"I thought that was going to be the number. Maybe eight or nine under. So who knows, if I would have shot my number, it might have been a different story."
Woods made no inroads into the lead early on, opening with four straight pars and when he dropped shots at the sixth and seventh, it looked like his chances had vanished.
"I had a hard time getting accustomed to the speed (of the greens)," he said.
"The speed was so much slower than it was yesterday, and that was before it rained. Then they changed pretty dramatically. I struggled hitting putts hard enough. Every putt I left short for probably the first eight holes."
But coming down the back nine, the world number one suddenly sparked into life with birdies at 12, 13 and 15. He had a chance to pick up another shot at the 16th, but narrowly missed a short putt and his challenge was over.
Woods came into Augusta National on a strong high after three wins in the United States this year that propelled him past Rory McIlroy to the world number one spot and he declared himself fully-fit and mentally in tune.
He was close to taking the lead in Friday's second round when bad luck struck at the 15th hole as a perfect pitch hit the flagstick and spun back into a water hazard.
He got away with a six but worse was to follow the next day when he was handed a two-stroke penalty for an improper drop, turning an unfortunate six into a damaging eight.
Asked whether that had been on his mind at all during his final round, Woods said: "Absolutely not.
"I got to focus on what I need to do, where I need to place the golf ball and shoot the lowest score I possibly could at that moment."
Woods will next turn his focus on Merion for the US Open in June and Muirfield in the east of Scotland for the British Open in July for his next chances to bag that elusive 15th major.
Silver Cup for History-Maker Guan at Masters
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - Guan Tianlang's historic debut at the Masters ended with a rousing reception from fans gathered around Augusta National's famous 18th hole on Sunday.
Playing his final round in the company of 55-year old Scot Sandy Lyle, the 1988 Masters champion, the 14-year-old Chinese schoolboy carded a three-over 75 which left him at 12-over 300 for the tournament.
He ended up fourth from bottom of the 61-strong field that survived the cut, but Guan had already left an indelible mark on the tournament as the youngest-ever player to compete in the Masters and the second youngest in any of the major tournaments.
Bogeys at the first, fifth and sixth saw him reach the turn in 39 and he dropped a further shot at the 11th before finally bagging a birdie at the par-five 13th, his first since sinking a putt from the edge of the 18th green in the first round.
Another birdie followed at the par-three 16th before he bogeyed 17 and parred 18, where he doffed his cap to the fans already clustered around the green in anticipation of the tournament climax still hours away.
"It's not easy to play here and make the cut and be the low amateur and I think I did a pretty good job," said Guan, who completed the tournament without a double bogey on his card and without a three-putt.
"I'm a little bit tired today. Still a lot of things to improve. Short game is good, but could still get better and my driving has to get a little bit longer. Yes, everything needs to improve."
With the leaders yet to go out, the finale to Guan's first Masters largely went unnoticed, but he had already attracted the crowds and the plaudits by making the cut against all the odds with rounds of 72 and 73.
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jack Nicklaus had all expressed their admiration for his stroke-making skills and composure in the line of fire, especially when he was handed a penalty stroke for slow play near the end of his second round.
The latest in this long line of Guan fans was rising star Thorbjorn Olesen, his third round playing partner on Saturday, who vaulted up the leaderboard with an impressive 68.
"Unbelievable. He's a great player," said the 23-year-old Dane, who is seen as one of the brightest young prospects in the game.
"I mean, every shot he hit was almost at the pin and in the right spots. He could have holed a few more putts today, but he didn't. But I was really impressed by his game. It was impressive to watch.
"A lot of kids in China must watch and dream that they can be here, also. So I think it's really good for the game. There are coming more and more good golfers from Asia, so it's nice for the game."
Words of praise apart, there was silverware substance also for Guan in the form of the Silver Cup that goes to the top amateur, as long as he completes all 72 holes.
That was already a given since Friday evening as Guan's five amateur rivals all failed to make the cut.
That leaves the Guangzhou prodigy in illustrous company as past winners of the trophy include Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia.
Later in the Butler Cabin, where Adam Scott was being presented with his Green Jacket, Guan said that he hoped to inspire other budding golfers back home.
"I think it will invite more young kids in China to start playing golf and it's really helpful. I look forward to it," he said of his cup win.
Guan will return home to China to continue his studies and work on his golf game but he has already said that he will try to qualify for the US and British Opens.
As to when he would turn professional, he said that that could wait.
"Haven't decided yet, but it won't be too early as a lot of things need to improve. Nothing to rush."
Olesen Tops European Challenge at Masters
AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 14, 2013 (AFP) - Debutant Thorbjorn Olesen finished top European in the Masters on Sunday as once again no one managed to match Jose Maria Olazabal, the last European to win in 1999.
The 23-year-old Dane has emerged in the last year as a potential major winner, playing well at last year's British Open and breaking into the world top 50, thus punching his ticket to Augusta National for the first time.
He opened poorly with a 78, but got better and better as he grew more familiar with the demands of the famed Georgia layout.
In Sunday's final round, Olesen suddenly appeared on the leaderboard with a run of birdies at a time when others were struggling to cope with the steady rain that was falling.
He settled for a 68 and at four under for the tournament finished as top European, five strokes off the pace.
"I love it. It's a dream for me. It's lovely to be here at a major and especially at the Masters. It's a great golf course and the atmosphere here is amazing," he said.
Olesen nearly missed making his debut at Augusta National as he was involved in a car crash last month that left him with a stiff neck and caused him to pull out of a tournament that had been on his schedule.
The injury was still slightly bothering him as the week started but he said it improved after that.
"Yeah, it's definitely not the best preparation for this week. But I felt like before the accident that I played some great golf the whole year, in Europe and in the Middle East," he said.
"So I came into this week with a lot of confidence, but I knew that it was going to be tough with the last week that I had. But it turned out to be very good after the first day."
Olesen's emergence was some small compensation for another failure on the part of such as Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia to win a major title in emulation of Rory McIlroy's US Open and PGA Championship wins.
Westwood had chances early on in the final round but failed to take them as once again his chipping and putting let him down.
After carding a 71 he finished tied for eighth, six strokes adrift, while Rose and Donald vanished off the leaderboard altogether.
Donald said Augusta National would always be a tough assignment for him given its punishing length, although he had not totally given up hope.
"I think it's always going to be tougher for a guy that hits it my distance," he said.
"As important as short game is around here, some shots, no matter how good, you just can't get it close.
"So going into these greens with less club, as I said, the margins are very fine. If you're going in with an eight iron compared to a five iron, it makes it a little bit easier.
"But I still hold out hope. Seeing someone like Brandt Snedeker, who has a similar game to me, doing well, I have confidence that it will work out."
Garcia, who was joint leader after the first round and who eventually finished tied with Westwood after a 70, said that overall it had been the best he had played at the Masters.
"I think I am where I deserve, and you have to be happy with that," he said.
"I tried as hard as I could every single day. Unfortunately a couple of the days didn't go my way. I had two very good days and two not so good ones. So overall I can't be too disappointed with it."
Collated final round scores on Sunday in the 77th Masters at par-72 Augusta National Golf Club:
279 - Adam Scott (AUS), Angel Cabrera (ARG) 71-69-69-70
* Scott won at second play-off hole
281 - Jason Day (AUS) 70-68-73-70
283 - Tiger Woods (USA) 70-73-70-70, Marc Leishman (AUS) 66-73-72-72
284 - Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 78-70-68-68, Brandt Snedeker (USA) 70-70-69-75
285 - Sergio Garcia (ESP) 66-76-73-70, Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-71-73-71, Matt Kuchar (USA) 68-75-69-73
286 - John Huh (USA) 70-77-71-68, Tim Clark (RSA) 70-76-67-73
287 - David Toms (USA) 70-74-76-67, Ernie Els (RSA) 71-74-73-69, Dustin Johnson (USA) 67-76-74-70, Fred Couples (USA) 68-71-77-71, Nick Watney 78-69-68-72
288 - Henrik Stenson (SWE) 75-71-73-69, Branden Grace (RSA) 78-70-71-69
289 - Bill Haas (USA) 71-72-74-72, Jason Dufner 72-69-75-73. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP) 68-74-73-74, Bo Van Pelt (USA) 71-74-70-74, Steve Stricker (USA) 73-70-71-75
290 - Michael Thompson (USA) 73-71-79-67, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 72-70-79-69, Richard Sterne (RSA) 73-72-75-70, Stewart Cink 75-71-73-71, Luke Donald (ENG) 71-72-75-72, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 71-71-75-73, Fredrik Jacobson (SWE) 72-73-72-73, Justin Rose (ENG) 70-71-75-74, Jim Furyk (USA) 69-71-74-76, Bernhard Langer (GER) 71-71-72-76
291 - Martin Kaymer (GER) 72-75-74-70, John Senden (AUS) 72-70-75-74, Zach Johnson 69-76-71-75
292 - Ryan Moore (USA) 71-72-81-68, Ryo Ishikawa (JPN) 71-77-76-68, Paul Lawrie (SCO) 76-70-75-71, Vijay Singh (FIJ) 72-74-74-72, Brian Gay (USA) 72-74-74-72 D.A. Points 72-75-72-73, Robert Garrigus (USA) 76-71-72-73, Rickie Fowler 68-76-70-78
293 - Thomas Bjorn (DEN) 73-73-76-71, David Lynn (ENG) 68-73-80-72, K.J. Choi (KOR) 70-71-77-75
294 - Lucas Glover (USA) 72-74-74-72
295 - Peter Hanson (SWE) 72-75-76-72, Trevor Immelman (RSA) 68-75-78-74, Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP) 74-72-74-75, Bubba Watson (USA) 75-73-70-77
297 - Keegan Bradley (USA) 73-73-82-69, Sandy Lyle (SCO) 73-72-81-71, Phil Mickelson (USA) 71-76-77-73, Scott Piercy (USA) 75-69-78-75
300 - Guan Tianlang (CHN) 73-75-77-75
301 - Kevin Na (USA) 70-76-74-81
302 - John Peterson (USA) 71-77-74-80
304 - Carl Pettersson (SWE) 76-70-77-81