Garcia Finally Win After a Masterful Round at the Masters
After four beautiful days of golf, Sergio Garcia would walk out the winner of the Maters Tournament. Sergio Garcia wins his first Green Jacket and first Major title in his 19 year career. Garcia would win the first playoff hole against Justin Rose to win the Masters. Garcia would par the final hole to win at 9 under par.
Garcia who never won a major title in his career entered the final day tied for the lead with Justin Rose. Garcia would start the day by gaining an early 3 stork lead over Rose, but would soon lose it and fall behind by 2 strokes early during the back 9. Garcia would make his push at Rose on the 14th hole where he would eagle the hole to tie once again with Rose. Both men were tied going on to the final hole. After both men hit great approach shots to green, Rose would miss his putt, which would have given him the lead. Then Garcia, needing to sink his putt for the win, also missed, just barley thought to force a sudden death playoff to determine the Masters. On the first playoff hole, Rose would hook his tee shot into the rough and Garcia hit a nice shot down the right side of the fairway. Rose would lay up on his next shot, while Garcia hit another nice approach shot to be within 15 feet of the cup. Rose would reach the green on his next shot, and miss his par putt, all but sealing the victory for Garcia. Garcia would win 2 putts later and capture his first major title and in turn first Masters title as well.
The week got started off on a bad foot when the par 3 contest got rained out, and on day one, the number one golfer in the world Dustin Johnson had to withdraw because of a back injury he suffered the day before falling down some stairs. Garcia was the only golfer to shoot under par all 4 days. Big names like Jordan Speith, Rory McIlroy, and Rickie Fowler never really got into contention. Speith entering the final day was only 2 strokes back, but would finish the day shooting 3 over par and 1 under for the entire tournament.
For Garcia, this win finally gets him a major that he has missed for his career. He had been in 70 majors before this win, the longest such drought in Professional golf history. This win also comes on what would have been the 60th birthday of golfer Seve Ballesteros, who Sergio would idolize growing up. Ballesteros, who is a Spaniard, won the Masters in 1980 and 83, and was the face of golf in Spain where Garcia grew up. So, this win has extra meaning to it as well.
Garcia is the third Spaniard to win the Masters and the second European to win the Masters in as many years, the first time since the early 90s that 2 non Americans have won the Masters in back to back years.