Golf: Scott ends Australia’s Masters jinx

Former champion Cabrera faces defeat in sudden death play-off.

AUGUSTA: Adam Scott was ‘honoured’ to clinch his maiden major title and become the first Australian winner of the Masters as he sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to capture the green jacket. He clinched the title after edging past former champion Angel Cabrera in a sudden death play-off.

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,” said Scott. “It seems a long, long way from a couple  of years ago, or last July when I was trying to win a major.

“It fell my way, there was some luck there but it’s incredible to be in this position. I’m honoured. It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win.”

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,” admitted Scott. “You never count your chickens. It was time to step up and see how much I wanted it.”

Cabrera praises Scott

Cabrera, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion, shared a hug with Scott after the final putt.



“That’s how golf is,” said Cabrera. “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.”

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.

Meanwhile, 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.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.