Adam Scott has won his maiden major title and became the first Australian winner of the Masters with victory against former champion Angel Cabrera in a sudden death play-off at Augusta.
Adam Scott, 32, holed a 15ft birdie putt in deteriorating light across the 10th green on the second extra hole to deprive Angel Cabrera after both players birdied the 18th in regulation to reach nine under on a dank, drizzly day.
Australian Jason Day, runner up with Adam Scott in 2011, was third at seven under with Tiger Woods (70) and another Australian Marc Leishman (72) tied for fourth at five under.
“It fell my way today, there was some luck there but it’s incredible to be in this position. I’m honoured,” said Adam Scott, who squandered a four-shot lead with four to play to lose the Open to Ernie Els last year.
“This is the one thing in golf we hadn’t been able to achieve,” he added.
“It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win.”
Adam Scott has won his maiden major title and became the first Australian winner of the Masters with victory against former champion Angel Cabrera
Adam Scott rolled in a stunning long birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 to snatch a one-shot lead over Angel Cabrera, who was waiting back down the fairway in the final group. The Argentina’s 2009 winner kept his focus despite the roars from the green and hit his approach to a few feet before making his birdie for a 70 to join Adam Scott.
Both came up slightly short of the 18th green on the first extra hole and Angel Cabrera, playing first, almost holed his chip and tapped in from a foot for a four.
Adam Scott left his chip three feet shy but holed it and they went back down the 10th. They both hit good approaches to the heart of the green but Angel Cabrera, who won a play-off against Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry three years ago, missed his putt before Adam Scott made his.
“That’s how golf is. I came back and I had that chip on 18, I could have won it,” said Angel Cabrera.
“But Adam’s a good winner. I would have been happier if I had won but he’s a great player, I get along with him, we’ve played together in the President’s Cup and I’m happy for him.”
Angel Cabrera, the joint overnight leader with Brandt Snedeker, held a two-shot lead at nine under during the first nine but on the way home he shared the lead with Adam Scott and Jason Day, who was two in front with three to play before bogeys at 16 and 17.
Tiger Woods was four behind at the start of the day after being penalised two shots for an illegal drop on Friday, but struggled to ignite his round and carded a two-under 70 for a seventh top four in his last eight Masters following his last win in 2005.
Tiger Woods, a 14-time major champion, chasing his fifth Green Jacket and first major title since 2008, said his putting cost him.
“I played well, unfortunately I just didn’t make enough putts and also missed a few shots here and there,” said Tiger Woods, the world number one.
“I certainly had an opportunity. If I shot 65 I thought I could win it outright, and it looked like that might be the number. I just couldn’t quite get the peed right the first eight holes I left them short.”
Chinese 14-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang finished with a 75 for 12 over on his remarkable debut that saw him become the youngest Masters competitor and youngest player to make the cut at a major, and winner of the low amateur prize.
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Tiger Woods is facing investigation and could be disqualified from the Masters over claims he took an illegal drop.
World’s No 1 Tiger Woods suggested his drop at the 15th was taken “two yards away” from the original position, which should have incurred a two-stroke penalty, one more than his final score.
Tiger Woods currently lies three shots behind second-round leader Jason Day.
In his press conference afterwards the golfer said that he found it preferential to take a couple of extra yards back to play that shot.
If he did take two yards back he’s in breach of the rules. Tiger Woods was therefore liable to an extra penalty that should have been added on to his scorecard before he signed it last night.
Tiger Woods is facing investigation and could be disqualified from the Masters over claims he took an illegal drop
It wasn’t, and therefore Tiger Woods may be liable to disqualification from the Masters and that’s what the officials will be discussing this morning.
The US Golf Association rule 26-1a states that a player must take their drop “as nearly as possible at the spot from which the original ball was last played”.
Explaining the circumstances around his drop Tiger Woods said: “I went down to the drop area, that wasn’t going to be a good spot, because obviously it’s into the grain.
“And it was a little bit wet. So it was muddy and not a good spot to drop.
“So I went back to where I played it from, but I went two yards further back.
“I tried to take two yards off the shot of what I felt I hit – that should land me short of the flag and not have it either hit the flag or skip over the back.”
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Chinese golfer Guan Tianlang has become the youngest player to make the cut at a major golf tournament at the US Masters in Augusta.
Guan Tianlang, 14, was penalised for slow play at Augusta, but his overall score of four over was still enough to see him become the youngest player to make the cut.
He was given the one-stroke penalty after making par on the 17th, having earlier been warned for slow play during the Masters second round.
Guan Tianlang said: “I respect the decision. This is what they can do.”
Gregory Bourdy, at the 2010 US PGA, was the last to be penalised for slow play.
Guan Tianlang carded 16 pars in total, although the one on 17 became a bogey after the European Tour’s chief referee John Paramor alerted him of the penalty.
The teenager said he took extra time trying to gauge the tricky wind conditions.
Chinese golfer Guan Tianlang has become the youngest player to make the cut at a major golf tournament at the US Masters in Augusta
“This still is a wonderful experience,” he said.
“I enjoyed this week so far and think I did a pretty good job.”
Masters competition committee chairman Fred Ridley released a statement explaining that amateur Guan Tianlang and playing partners Ben Crenshaw and Matteo Manassero were deemed out of position on the 10th hole.
Guan Tianlang began being timed on the 12th hole, received his first warning after his second shot on the 13th, then was penalised after his second shot on the 17th “when he again exceeded the 40-second time limit by a considerable margin”.
Despite the setback, the teenager went on to par the last for a 75, to go with his first-round 73.
Guan Tianlang is exactly 10 shots behind tournament leader Jason Day of Australia.
Two-time winner Ben Crenshaw said: “This is not going to end pretty. I’m sick for him [Guan Tianlang]. I feel terrible. He is 14 years old. I’m so sorry this has happened.”
Matteo Manassero held the record of being the youngest to make a major cut when at the age of 16 he qualified for the last two days of the 2009 Open.
The Italian said Guan Tianlang did take too long on his shots.
“I think it’s the biggest thing he needs to be careful about, because I think he’s ready,” said Matteo Manassero, who is five over for the championship after shooting a 74.
“When the caddie pulls the club for him, I think he’s ready. But most of the times that he takes a little too long he just asks questions that I think he knows, but just to be sure, just to be clear in his mind.
“We all feel sorry, but this is the way professional golf goes.
“This will end up being a great experience for him.”
Clubhouse leader Fred Couples, the 1992 champion, was reluctant to criticise Guan Tianlang’s penalty saying the rules should be applied just as strictly to the teenager despite his tender years.
“The soft-coated answer would be I feel bad, but I also feel like they just don’t go around handing out one-shot penalties here,” he said.
“I don’t even know of anyone who has ever got one.
“It feels hard to give a 14-year-old a penalty, but he’s in the field. He beat a lot of guys yesterday, whatever the age he is.”
Guan Tianlang also became the youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, breaking the 56-year-old record held by Canadian Bob Panasik, who was 15 when he made it through to the last two rounds of the 1957 Canadian Open.
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