Adam Scott, first Australian to win the Augusta Masters

Adam Scott, 32, has become the first Australian to win an Augusta Masters. In the steady rain at Augusta National, Scott beat Argentina’s Angel Cabrera on the second playoff hole to win his first Grand Slam tournament. Both players had finished tied in the four official rounds with 279 strokes (9 under par), after 72 holes. Third place went to another Austrian, Jason Day, who was two strokes out of the playoff, while the current world number one, Tiger Woods, was fourth after moving up several places during the final day and was four strokes behind the winner, tied with Australian Marc Leishman.

Among the Spaniards, the best classified was Sergio García, leader after the first round, who finally finished eighth, with 3 under par, tied with Lee Westwood and Matt Kuchar. Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño finished 20th, with an overall score of 1 over par. José María Olazábal finished with a total of 7 over par.

Since the event’s inception in 1934, never had an Australian golfer won the Masters, although many of them came close, such as Scott himself in 2011, when he finished tied for second place.

“It’s amazing to be in this position (champion),” Scott explained. “Australia is proud to be a sporting nation, but it has never won this tournament before,” he added.

“Today very well could have been won by Jason (Day) or Marc (Leishman). This is a small victory in tribute to Greg Norman,” said the winner.

Fellow Australian Jason Day finished third and his compatriot Marc Leishman in fourth place, tied with American Tiger Woods.

In 79 years of the Masters, eight Australians have finished second or tied for second place, including Scott and the famous Greg Norman in 1986.

For the Argentinean Ángel Cabrera, his performance in this Masters was excellent, despite being one stroke away from winning his second title at Augusta, after the one he surprisingly won in 2009.

El Pato’ Cabrera had a fourth round of 70 strokes, which was ruined by two bogeys at the 10th and 13th, although four birdies saved the day making him wait for Scott, who with a card of 69 strokes negotiated the tie at 279 strokes, to force a sudden death playoff.

In the playoff, both players made par on the first hole in contention, but on the second, Scott got the birdie and then Cabrera could not improve on it, settling for par.

Cabrera, winner of the Masters in 2009, had taken the lead on Saturday, along with American Brandt Snedeker, one stroke ahead of Adam Scott.

Cabrera, the only Latin American player to participate in the Masters, archives his other Grand Slam victory at the 2007 U.S. Open.

FINAL RANKING

1. Adam Scott (AUS) 279 (69-72-69-69)

2 Angel Cabrera (ARG) 279 (71-69-69-70)

3. Jason Day (AUS) 281 (70-68-73-70)

4. Tiger Woods (USA) 283 (70-73-70-70-70)

. Marc Leishman (AUS) 283 (66-73-72-72)

6. Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 284 (78-70-68-68)

. Brandt Snedeker (USA) 284 (70-70-69-75)

8. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 285 (66-76-73-70)

. Lee Westwood (ENG) 285 (70-71-73-71)