Golfing News

The Green Jacket That Nobody Seemed to Want is heading south of the equator.

Angel Cabrera survived the back nine at Augusta and a three-man, two-hole playoff to claim The Masters title on Sunday, earning the first Green Jacket for the continent of South America.

Cabrera, who won the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, began the day tied for the lead with Kenny Perry, who at 48 years, 8 months was trying to become the oldest major winner in history. The two, along with Chad Campbell, and early in the day, Phil Mickelson, seesawed the lead.

Mickelson made the first move of the day when many expected his playing partner, Tiger Woods, would make it. “Lefty” birdied six of his first eight holes, two from the deep woods and four in a row, to get to 10-under par and one shot off the lead as he walked off the 8th green. But he dumped his tee shot in the water on the par-3 12th, took double bogey, and wasn’t a factor the rest of the way. He closed with a 67 and finished in 5th place.

The three leaders played the back nine in epic fashion, and they all birdied the par-5 15th, leaving Perry ahead of Campbell by one and Cabrera by two. Perry looked to extend the lead when he hit a 7-iron to mere inches of the hole on the par-3 16th, accompanied by a trademark roar from the crowd, but Cabrera matched Perry with a birdie. That shot into 16 would be the last iron shot worth a darn that Perry would hit Sunday.

Perry bogied the No. 17 from the fairway, and then bunkered his tee shot on 18 and couldn’t recover, making another bogey that forced the three-way playoff, which started back on the 18th tee. No player hit the gree in regulation, but Perry’s chop came within a roll of going in and ending the precedings.

Perry and Cabrera made par (Campbell bogied, ending his day) and the two went to the 10th hole, were Perry hit another wayward approch shot. Cabrera safely found the green and two-putted for the victory that made him a multiple-major champion, putting the long-hitting Argentinian in truly lofty company.

The PGA TOUR will gird up its loins and try to match the excitement of this weekend next week at the Heritage Classic at Hilton Head Island, where Boo Weekley is the two-time defending champion.

Popularity: 6% [?]

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR LATEST OFFERS