Sergio Garcia celebrates Masters victory he thought would never come

Rose took the lead with a birdie at the 16th – where Garcia missed from short range – only to have Rose blink on the next hole, making a bogey to set up the final hole and playoff dramatics.

Garcia birdied the 18th hole, minutes after seeing a shorter birdie try on the same green stay right of the cup, to beat Justin Rose on the first playoff hole of the 81st Masters, the 37-year-old’s first major championship after almost two decades of questions of if he’d ever win one.

This was a knock-down, drag-out, punch and counterpunch final round. Garcia quickly pulled ahead by three shots, thanks to his pair of birdies and a bogey by Rose, but his playing partner erased that deficit before the turn with three straight birdies. But after a wedge and a steely par-saving putt from Garcia, Rose missed a six-foot birdie attempt and what looked like a possible four-shot lead instead was just two.

Garcia had a chance to win it on the 72nd hole, only to miss his five-foot putt to get to 10 under par. Rose was in trouble from the start with a tee shot that sailed right, leaving him blocked by a Magnolia tree.

Six-time victor Jack Nicklaus hailed Sergio Garcia’s victory in the Masters as “sensational” but admitted he feared the Spaniard was facing more major misery. Faldo diagnosed Rose’s options on his second shot after a poor tee shot before Nantz and Faldo let Garcia’s second shot breathe for viewers.

Garcia, who famously said five years ago that he would never win a major, now owns a green jacket.

Garcia and Fowler will also be seeking their first major wins.

“It did pop up in my mind a few times, no doubt about it”, he said. Then he made a great putt. I’m thrilled to be standing here.

“Obviously this is something I’ve always wanted to do all my life, but it was never a horror movie”.

After falling out of contention in the third round of the 2012 Masters, Garcia famously delivered a brutal self assessment in which he said did not have what it takes to win a major.

“We have a great friendship and a good rivalry”.

“I’m really happy with the way that we finished off this round to get back to red”, he said. It’s nice for him to have that monkey off his back.

“I gave myself realistically very little chance”, Casey said.

In August 1999 achieved worldwide prominence with a final-round duel against Tiger Woods in the U.S. PGA Championship, where he eventually finished runner-up. Garcia is a longtime star but still seeking his first major championship.

“It’s been a long wait but it’s that much sweeter because of that wait”, Garcia said after being presented with his green jacket by 2016 champion Danny Willett. At the end of the day, you’re going to win majors and you’re going to lose majors, but you’ve got to be willing to lose them.

Sergio Garcia finally broke his major duck with victory at the Masters after a play-off with Justin Rose.

Garcia and Rose were tied for the lead heading to the 72nd hole of the Masters. He started the back nine a combined 31-over par in 18 previous appearances and played it 1 under the one time it mattered most. But for the most part, I’m not going to sit here and second guess one or two shots.

“The positive thing is I still feel I have so much room for improvement”. Also has 12 European Tour wins and seven other worldwide victories.

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.

He ended with a 67 and 283 total, tying him for fourth with Belgium’s Thomas Pieters (68). He would have put himself probably too far behind. “It was such a thrill”.

The guy American golf fans loved to hate somehow turned himself into the guy American fans couldn’t help loving.