Adam Scott has defeated Angel Cabrera of Argentina on the second playoff hole to become the first Australian to win the Masters. After Cabrera&aposs birdie putt rolled to the edge of the hole and stopped, Scott sank a three-metre putt to claim his first major title, going one better than his runner-up performance at Augusta National in 2011 and exorcising his demons from his final-day capitulation at last year&aposs British Open. Scott had started the fourth round a shot behind joint overnight leaders Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker. But on a dramatic final day, where fellow Australian Jason Day led by two shots at one point, Scott birdied the 18th to take a one-stroke lead only to watch Cabrera match him, which forced a playoff. Scott and Cabrera went back to the 18th tee for the first playoff hole and both scored par. The 10th hole was their next stop and the 32-year-old Australian sank the decisive putt to end his country&aposs wait for a green jacket. Scott and Cabrera finished the fourth round on Sunday tied on nine under for the tournament, two shots ahead of Day with Tiger Woods and another Australian, Marc Leishman, tied for fourth on five under. Snedeker carded a three-over 75 to slump to four under overall, alongside Denmark&aposs Thorbjorn Olesen. With four holes to play, Day looked the more likely of the three Australians to break the curse when he produced three-consecutive birdies from the 13th hole to reach nine under, two clear at the top of the leaderboard. But the 25-year-old Australian bogeyed his next two holes and then just missed a six-metre birdie putt on the 18th, which would have given him a share of the lead, finishing with a two-under 70. Scott bogeyed the opening hole but after a birdie on the third, the Adelaide-born world number seven produced nine-straight pars before birdying three of the last six holes to complete a three-under 69. On the 18th, Scott uncharacteristically hit his drive into the rough but recovered on his second shot to be within seven metres of the pin, before sinking a clutch putt for birdie. Cabrera, whose birdie putt lipped out on the 17th hole, made no mistake on the 18th to card a 70. Having won the 2009 Masters in a playoff, Cabrera seemed the favourite to triumph and when Scott&aposs approach shot on the first playoff hole rolled off the green, the 43-year-old Argentine was in the box seat. But Cabrera&aposs approach shot also rolled off the green and while the former champion went very close with his chip shot, a second playoff hole was required. The 2013 Masters was the 10th to be decided by a playoff and the third in five years with none having gone past a second hole and Scott continued that trend. After both players&apos tee shots landed within metres of each other down the middle, Cabrera left his approach shot around four metres short of the pin, while Scott was above the hole, slightly closer. Cabrera produced a brilliant up-hill putt, which was on line all the way but stopped next to the hole before Scott completed his second clutch putt of the day to clinch the title.
Author: Omnisport