Garcia wins Masters
Spaniard takes 1st major in 74th attempt
Spain’s Sergio Garcia captured his first major golf title on Sunday after 73 failed attempts, making a birdie on the first playoff hole to defeat Justin Rose and win the 81st Masters.
Garcia took his emotional, long- sought triumph over England’s Rose, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion and 2013 US Open winner, after they finished deadlocked on nine- under- par 279 for 72 holes at Augusta National.
“Whew, it has been such a long time coming,” Garcia said. “I felt a calmness I never felt on a major Sunday.”
The 37- year- old Spaniard took the greatest triumph of his career, and a $ 1.98 million top prize from an $ 11 million payout.
Only three players had more major starts without a victory than Garcia before he donned the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy after nearly two decades of major futility.
Last- group playing partners and friends Garcia and Rose were level for the lead at the start of what become a tension- packed thrill ride of the final round.
Garcia led by three strokes after five holes, fell two behind after 11, then roared back to force the playoff and sank a 15- foot ( 4.57- meter) birdie putt to claim victory.
Garcia squatted and shook with excitement, rose and screamed with joy and hugged good pal Rose before walking around the green to revel in the moment, pumping his fist and punching the green in delight.
Garcia said he had lost hope of ever win- ning at Augusta, but “through the years I learned to accept what Augusta gives and takes and that’s why I’m here.”
Spain paid homage to Garcia on Monday after he became the third Spanish player to wear the famous green jacket after Jose Maria Olazabal and the legendary Seve Ballesteros.
“Finally!” blared the headline in Madrid sports daily Marca as for once the soccer stars of Real Madrid were relegated to the inside pages. “Sergio Garcia wins the Masters in Augusta, the major he has so deserved for the past 18 years.”
“At 37, Sergio broke the curse that lasted nearly two decades since he was second at the USPGA in a battle with Tiger Woods at 19,” Madrid’s other sports daily AS said in its online edition.
Many of Spain’s other sporting greats joined in the congratulations.
“Dear friends, I introduce you to the Masters champion in Augusta!! CONGRATULATIONS @ TheSergioGarcia,” tweeted Spain’s soccer World Cup- winning captain Iker Casillas.
“How great is @ TheSergioGarcia, very emotional after so many years fighting so hard! Many congratulations, what joy!” tweeted 14- time tennis Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.