Heart-stopping Masters. Up to eight players took turns leading the tournament on the last day.
It has been many years since a Masters as exciting as the one that was elucidated on this occasion at the always memorable Augusta National. A final like that is a spectacle worthy of contemplation that rarely happens… and on top of that in one of the best tournaments in the world.
No less than eight players held the lead, shared or alone, during an epic final day which, curiously, had not been accessible, because of the cut, the then number one in the world ranking, the German Martin Kaymer (78 and 72 strokes).
Rory McIlroy, who started Sunday as solo leader with a two-shot lead over the second-placed Jason Day, Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Geoff Ogilvy, K.J. Choi, Luke Donald, Angel Cabrera and Charl Schwartzel had glory at their fingertips, but only the last one could kiss the precious Masters trophy, which celebrated its platinum jubilee this year.
South African Schwartzel, 26, finally won the battle with a two-stroke lead over Australians Scott and Day after a final round not for the faint of heart.
Schwartzel, the second South African to win the Masters since 2008 (Trevor Immelman), brought out his best golf in the final holes and finished the tournament with four birdies in a row, including one from almost seven meters on the last hole. His 66 strokes and a total of 274, 14 under par, dashed the hopes of the Australians to see one of their compatriots wear the famous green jacket at Augusta for the first time.
Scott scored 67 strokes and Day, with two birdies in a row at the end, added 68. Both finished with 276, so the Masters remains the only major tournament that no Australian has ever won. The closest to doing so was Greg Norman in 1996, but he was unable to withstand Nick Faldo’s brutal final assault after the White Shark had started the final round with a six-shot lead over the English player. Faldo shot a 67 and Norman a 78.
“It was a very exciting day,” Schwartzel said. “There was a lot of cheering and the atmosphere on the course was just unbelievable – a phenomenal day,” he added.
Tiger generated much of the excitement early in the day, carding four birdies and an eagle to close a great first half with 31 strokes and erase a seven-stroke deficit.
But Woods, with the public enthusiastically behind him, missed short putts on the 12th and 15th holes and finished with 36 strokes on the back nine, leaving him with a total of 278, the same as Ogilvy and Donald. At 35 years of age, Tiger once again had glory at his fingertips, but, once again, he was unable to come back on the final day of a major.
Woods made an effort, but the erratic play that has plagued him in the worst streak of his career returned down the stretch.
“It could have been,” he said. “I hit it good all day.”
In any case, no one suffered as much as Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, leader by four strokes after the first 54 holes, who collapsed in the final round. He sent a shot between two huts near the 10th hole, finished it with a triple bogey and never recovered.
McIlroy finished with a card of 80 strokes and was 10 shots behind the champion.
Argentina’s Angel Cabrera was mixed up in contention throughout the day, but finished seventh after a round of 71 strokes to total 279, five behind the leader.
Schwartzel’s victory came 50 years to the day since another South African, Gary Player, became the first foreigner to win the Masters.
“I’m absolutely delighted for Charl and for South Africa,” Player said via social networking site Twitter. “Congratulations to him and very well done – that’s how you define a champion!”.
With Schwartzel, the last four majors have been won by unprecedented winners at this level. Germany’s Martin Kaymer won the US PGA, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen won the British Open and the US Open went to Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, who missed the cut at Augusta. It is the first time that the Americans have not won a major or the Ryder Cup. A depression in their game that is clearly showing in the world ranking, where the Americans are no longer swirling, as in the past, in the top positions.
Schwartzel, with a record of six victories in the European Tour and a 14th place as his best ranking in a major, the last British Open, ascended in Augusta to the Olympus of the golf gods.
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