Angel Cabrera wins US Masters

• Monday, 13 April 2009
• Alex Narey
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Angel Cabrera won the 73rd US Masters after a three-way play-off with Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell.

The big-hitting Argentinean triumphed on the second extra hole with a par, after Perry had missed the green with his approach and failed to get up and down.

Campbell, the first round leader, was eliminated on the first extra hole after he missed a four-foot putt to save par.

Cabrera’s win in the fading light capped a thrilling day of golf, that was earlier dominated under blistering sunshine by world numbers one and two, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

The Americans, paired together for the first time at the Masters since 2001, started the day on four-under-par, and made a stunning surge up the leaderboard with a scatter of birdies.

Mickelson was particularly impressive, with six birdies alone on the front nine and four in succession. But his chances were dealt a huge blow on the par-3 12th when his ball rolled back into the water, and a series of missed opportunities with further birdie chances aplenty left the Californian on nine-under.

Woods, nowhere near his best in the opening three rounds, saved his best for last with a four-under-par 68. After birdying the 16th, he was only one shot off the pace. However, a weak finish with bogeys at 17 and 18 left him on eight-under and a tie for sixth place.

Playing in the last group, Perry looked odds on to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of being the oldest player to win the Masters. The 48-year-old Kentuckian made successive birdies on 15 and 16, the latter with a wonderful tee shot resting two feet short of the pin.

But bogeys on 17 and 18 meant a three-way play-off with Campbell and Cabrera. Even on the first extra hole, Perry was in control, but Cabrera held his nerve with a fine up and down after playing out of the trees.

“This win, to take back to Argentina, is going to help a lot with our game,” said Cabrera. “I was happy with my game and I had confidence. I was just trying to enjoy it.”

Perry, who deserves credit for the way he handled the defeat, said: “I was proud of how I played. I played great and I was positioning the ball where it needed to be positioned.

“I’m not going to feel sorry. If this is the worst thing that happens to me, I can live with that. I really can. Great players get it done, and Angel got it done.”