A dramatic finish at Augusta National
The cheers came from all across the playing field at Augusta National, probably the kind of mayhem missing at the Masters. And the last one was reserved for a most unlikely champion, Angel Cabrera.
He had heard the roars for Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, a supercharged duel, which was pure theater. But Cabrera did not lose hope even after Kenny Perry got on the 16th hole just within inches of an ace and get a two-shot lead with only two holes to play.
“It’s a course you can do a lot of birdies, and a lot of bogeys,” Cabrera stated through an interpreter. “And a lot of magical things happen! It’s simply the Masters.” The most magical thing of all indeed happened as the sun started to set.
Perry, on the verge of becoming the oldest champion, had 22 consecutive holes sans a bogey until the veteran dropped shots on each of his last two holes to force a three-man playoff, which included Chad Campbell.
Luck turned against Kenny Perry and smiled on Angel Cabrera on the second extra hole. “Great players make it happen; your average players don’t. So that’s the way it is. I didn’t get the job done, again, and I shall look back for the rest of my life thinking what could have been,” Perry moaned.