Jordan Spieth felt great, but played lousy in Masters final round

But that event is best remembered for the most recent example of Phil Mickelson’s Charlie Brown-esque misses.

It was a calmer, more mature Sergio Garcia who won The Masters on Sunday, finally taking the big one in his 71st major as a professional. Of course, had he won, that would still have been the case, given Garcia’s own history.

Thankfully, the kid who first wowed us at Medinah in 1999 by almost taking down Tiger Woods, and the target of much taunting on American soil over the years, capitalized on the best mulligan ever from the golfing gods. The Englishman who last summer won the gold medal at the first Olympic golf tournament in Rio was poised to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win major championships at Merion and Augusta National.

FALTERING AMERICANS: The final day looked like it would be a four-man duel, at least, with 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler in the next-to-last group. And yet, as the afternoon went on, it actually just became a two-man contest. At the 2007 Open Championship, he led by three going into the final round, shot a 73, missed a putt on the final hole and lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff.

SHOT OF THE DAY: Matt Kuchar sent the patrons into a frenzy with his hole-in-one at the 170-yard 16th hole, which briefly gave him hope of challenging the leaders.

“So even on 13”, he continued, “I didn’t hit that bad a drive”.

In the words of George Costanza: it moved. He took an unplayable lie and punched out only to see Rose knock his second shot just behind the green. Garcia, then, for the win, from five feet above the hole.

They were on level terms two holes later after Garcia nearly made an albatross at the par-five 15th, his eight-iron second landing inches short of the hole before brushing the pin and trickling 14 feet away, from where he made his eagle putt, the ball teetering on the edge of the cup before toppling in. No one would ever forget. He didn’t relinquish the lead until Garcia momentarily jumped ahead of him with his eagle at the 15th, which then was matched by Rose’s birdie putt.

Now, they’re headed back to the 18th tee box for the first playoff hole, tied at 9-under 279. Schwartzel, shooting a second consecutive 68, was third.

But really, for hours, this was match play. On No. 15, Garcia then hit a brilliant approach shot that landed right next to the hole, grazed the pin and rolled slightly down the slope.

Rose regrouped quickly, however, and has established himself as one of the game’s leading players, now ranked 14th in the world. On the par-5 hole, Garcia was able to get his ball back onto the fairway and save par.

Garcia’s attempt was poorly struck and never on line, but when Rose failed to get up and down from a bunker on the 17th, the pair were tied again on the last.

Birdies on the eighth and 13th lifted McIlroy to two under par, but holes were running out for the 27-year-old to claim the win he needs to complete a career grand slam.

Instead, he made what can only be described as a horrendous stroke. They were tied on nine-under.

Both Rose and Garcia missed birdie chances on the 72nd hole, but the latter made no mistake the second time around before letting out a roar of celebration. At that moment, it was hard to imagine anything other than a Garcia loss in the playoff. Rose was in trouble from the start with a tee shot that sailed right, leaving him blocked by a Magnolia tree. He sank his ball in his third stroke, giving him his first-ever major – a Masters title.