Masters Day 4 Wrap Up

Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera on the second extra play-off hole at Augusta National to claim his first major championship and become the first Australian winner of the Masters.

After making a fine birdie at the 72^nd and parring the same hole during the play-off, he knocked in a 12-footer on the 10^th following Cabrera’s narrow miss.

He was always in the running on a topsy turvy day, with the lead shifting between him, compatriot Jason Day, Cabrera and overnight leader Brandt Snedeker.

Snedeker started off with a birdie, but things started heating up when Day holed his third at the par-5 2^nd to reach eight-under-par.

But both Snedeker and Day dropped shots on the front nine, and Scott, who offset a bogey at the first with a birdie at the fourth, was also struggling for momentum.

At the turn, it was Cabrera – who birdied the second and seventh - who found himself in a three shot lead on nine-under-par.

He would bogey the 10^th, and after another dropped shot at 13 and Day and Scott birdies at the same hole, his lead had been wiped out.

Day pushed on from there, and found himself in the outright lead after back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15 took him to nine under.

He bogied 16 and 17, though, and trailed Cabrera – who birdied 16 – and Scott – who two-putted for a four at 15 – by one standing on the 18^th tee.

Needing a birdie, his effort from 20 feet just slipped past the right hand side of the cup, and his fate was now in the hands of those behind.

From the fairway behind, Scott hit a fine approach to 15 feet and displayed some uncharacteristic emotion after his ball toppled into the left of the hole.

He clearly felt nine-under-par was good enough for victory, but Cabrera, watching from the 18^th fairway, sensationally knocked his approach to three feet and tapped in the putt to force a play-off.

Both players made par on the first extra hole, the 18^th, and gave themselves good birdie opportunities on the 10^th.

Cabrera’s 15-footer slipped narrowly past, and Scott, banishing the demons from his heart wrenching collapse at the Open, buried his putt to become a major champion for the first time.

 “Australia is a proud sporting nation and it’s amazing that it’s come down to me today,” said Scott.

“There is one guy who inspired a nation of golfers and that was Greg Norman. Part of this belongs to him.” 

Photoo credit www.tourprogolfclubs.com