Sergio Garcia’s epic eagle on the 15th at Augusta

Having seen so many key putts slip by in previous majors, Garcia had been found wanting with the blade once again when it mattered most.

Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose were headed for a playoff after finishing 72 holes tied at nine under. It was his highest score in 79 rounds at Augusta National.

Rose then took the lead with a birdie on the par-3 16th as Garcia was unable to sink his attempt after a solid first stroke.

On what would have been the 60th birthday of two-time champion Seve Ballesteros, Garcia became the third Spanish victor at Augusta National with a birdie on the first extra hole following a sensational duel with his Ryder Cup team-mate.

“Seve, Seve, today is the 60th birthday of Seve if he was alive”, he screamed.

Eighteen years after joining the PGA Tour, 37-year-old Garcia has finally won his first major championship. That was nearly 20 years ago.

Next to Victor was Angela Akins, the former U. of Texas golfer and Golf Channel commentator.

“I thought how stupid I really was to fight against something you can’t fight and how proud I was of accepting things”, Garcia said.

“Even after making a couple bogeys I was still very positive and I still believed. I still believed there were holes I could get to”.

“I’m really happy with the way that we finished off this round to get back to red”, he said. His second shot looked to be ready to nestle into Rae’s Creek, but somehow the ball stayed up on the back, from where Garcia made birdie instead of a likely bogey. Rose ended up bogeying the hole, while Garcia notched a birdie.

On the first play-off hole, Rose sent his drive into the trees before punching his ball back onto the fairway and missing a 15ft putt for par.

Garcia took his emotional, long-sought triumph over England’s Rose, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion and 2013 US Open victor, after they finished deadlocked on nine-under par 279 for 72 holes at Augusta National.

Without that moment of steely determination – which oddly came at the same time Rose began to spray his irons and drives like Sunday Sergio of old – we might never have gotten the biggest shot of the tournament, Garcia’s second shot into 15, which kissed the flagstick and came to rest in a spot where Garcia had a makeable eagle putt.

No one had ever played as many majors as Garcia before winning his first one, so those tears were equal parts joy and relief. 6, 7 and 8 to tie Garcia at 8 under going into the back nine. No one else on the course was anywhere near their lead.

“We’ve played a lot of golf together since we were 14”, Rose said.

But he’s ahead of Rickie Fowler, Charley Hoffman, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, and Paul Casey.

“Under the gun, with the pressure, it’s not that easy to do”, Garcia said. Rose actually lost ground with a birdie at the 15th after the Spaniard had drained a 12-foot eagle putt to take a one-shot lead, accompanied by a roar that must have shaken windows all over Georgia. Not to say others haven’t piled up more starts, but they’re still waiting. He carded a birdie to Rose’s par to close within one stroke.

It lipped out, however, sending him to a four-hole play-off with Harrington.

But it turned out the drama was just getting started.

The one thing everyone else focused on were his sad-sack results in golf’s big events until that last putt rattled at the bottom of the cup: 0 for 70 in his pro career. “I feel motivated for the summer, and I will be moving on and setting goals very quickly after this”. “I will try to be second or third”, he said.

“Anything can happen on Sunday at Augusta”, Day said.

And sometimes, it even works out.