This year's Masters...wow, just wow.
A final round at Augusta is rarely straight-forward, as John Rahm discovered yesterday, but if the 'roller-coaster' analogy was ever appropriate it would have to be for this past weekend.
This year had it all, but here are our favourite moments and memories.:
Sergio's strength
What a special moment it must have been for Sergio when he finally put on that jacket. Augusta has never been too kind to the Spaniard, in past years the back 9 has loomed like a specter over his performances. In his Masters career Sergio had shot a collective 38+ over the last 9 holes compared to Justin Rose's 11-; when the pair made the turn with Rose just ahead many would've written him off.
Spurred on by what must be one of the best pars ever made on the 13th, Sergio roared back to level on the 17th as Rose faltered.
The tension reached fever pitch on the 18th as Garcia missed from 6ft for the win, condemning him to re-play the 18th again as part of a sudden death playoff. Had he missed his chance? Would that putt play on his mind as he reset for the playoff? Not at all.
To finish with a birdie on a playoff hole is something...but to do it on the 18th at Augusta is something incredibly special. A perfect approach left him with less than 10ft for birdie and two putts for the jacket. He needed only one.
What a moment. Huge congratulations to Sergio and a thank you to the final pair for playing the kind of golf Augusta is worthy of.
Here's the moment he took the jacket:
Pieters Maiden Masters Performance
What a season it's been for the young man from Belgium. Finishing in the world's top 40, 4 top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour and now a tied 4 finish in the Masters.
Displaying a maturity well beyond his years, the 24-year-old led the field for some time before two double bogeys on a tough second day saw him slip down the pack. A superb back 9 on the final day brought him right back into contention, and were it not for a touch of magic from Kuchar on the 16th, he'd have had the 4th spot all to himself.
A great touch around the greens and immense power off the tee will make Pieters a formidable contender for years to come. Come next year's Ryder Cup he could be a very important player for Europe.
Kuchar's Magic Moment
To pull this out of the bag in the last 3 holes of the Masters...there's only one word; Kuuuuuuuuuuch!
Rory's near misses
Sitting at even par for the tournament heading up the 18th hole, Rory McIlroy hit his approach shot with laser-like accuracy toward the flag.
Expecting it to land beyond the flag and then finish up within a few feet, the ball cannoned into the flagstick at speed and finished up off the green. Unthinkable!
Rory will certainly have felt he could've at least finished amongst the top 5, especially with the thoroughbred pairing of Fowler and Spieth going off the boil in the final round. If he could've strung together one or two rounds like his final day he would certainly have been in the mix.
Russell Henleys slam dunk
The last man to put his hat in the ring for the Masters, Russell Henley slam dunks his ball for an eagle at the par 4 5th hole.
The shadow (or lack of in this case) Dustin Johnson may loom over this Masters result. There will be plenty out there that will wonder 'what-if' the big driving American had negotiated those, now infamous stairs successfully. Coming into the Masters with such form and such momentum, it's hard to see DJ not at least pushing the top of the leaderboard.
But, then again, Augusta is a place where anything can and often does happen.
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