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A color scheme common to winners of the Masters Tournament in recent years adorned the flag of the victor. Unlike previous years however, the colors would not represent the United States of America.
Hailing from Adelaide, Australia, Adam Scott secured his native country’s first win at the Masters.
The 77th Masters Tournament kicked off April 11 at the Augusta National Golf Club.
Over 90 of the world’s most seasoned professional golfers met in Augusta, Ga. to compete for the coveted Green Jacket.
The magnitude of his win increased due to the fierce competition that took place after the fourth round itself expired.
Scott and Angel Cabrera both ended their final round ahead of the competition, tied at nine over par for the tournament.
Sophomore and school sports radio host Jon Stafford elaborated on the obstacles the two top finishers faced during the final round.
“The hardest thing to do in the Masters is to keep a lead,” Stafford said. “It really all comes down to Sunday, where it becomes a mental competition to stay focused on their game rather than the leaderboards.”
Both competitors then had to fight for their lead as they played alternating holes against each other in a playoff for the title.
The playoff began on the tee box of the 18th hole. Shots from the duo nearly mirrored each other throughout the par four hole.
Both Scott and Cabrera took their tee shot to the fairway a small distance from each other. Their next shots put them on the rough located just before the green itself.
Finally, the two competitors sunk putts from less than two feet out for birdies.
A similar birdie putt attempt on the next hole would decide who out of the two would receive the Green Jacket.
Shots made on the next playoff hole mimicked the tight play shown previously, with the exception of the final putt.
Cabrera missed his putt for birdie as the crowd that had gathered around the green looked on in silence.
Scott sunk his shot for a birdie and the championship title, as the crowd erupted in cheers for the Aussie.
Many faculty members, along with students at Oklahoma Christian University, likely watched on in the same silence as Scott made history with his final shot.
Eagles golf coach David Lynn later compared his predictions with the final results after seeing the playoff finish.
“I honestly thought that Woods was going to be the favorite to win,” Lynn said. “Neither Scott or Cabrera were even on my list honestly. Their play on Sunday was beyond impressive.”
Tiger Woods ended his 2013 Masters run tied for fourth overall.
Woods might have ended the tournament out of the top three, but did receive attention for a controversy during Saturday’s rounds.
Tournament officials called Woods in early Saturday to discuss an incident that took place on the course.
Woods had taken a bad drop coming out of a hazard on Friday. His scorecard was later signed and turned in without the required penalty coming into play.
Putting an incorrect score on a scorecard and turning it in normally results in an automatic disqualification.
However, officials took the blame for not letting Woods know about the potential problem.
They also cited a rule created two years prior that prevented automatic disqualifications when television viewers report a violation.
One competitor raised media hype for a different reason. For Chinese native Tianlang Guan, participating in the tournament itself was considered a rare feat.
The 14 year-old professional made history by becoming the youngest person to ever tee off at the Masters.
Some controversy also made its way into Guan’s play. Guan was given a one-stroke penalty for slow play during his second round.
The penalty came close to making Guan miss the cut for the final day. He caught a break, however, when Jason Day posted a 68 to take the first place spot for that round.
Guan got into the final round through a rule that prohibits anyone within ten strokes of the leader from being cut.
He was never able to top the leaderboards, but earned some praise after making it through initial cuts.
Guan ended his run at three over for the fourth round. His rounds of 73, 75, 77, and 75 put him at twelve over for the tournament.
Guan did win low amateur honors for his performance in the event.
Sophomore Derek Baxter saw even Guan’s presence in the event an accomplishment for such a young player.
“Just the fact that he made the cut at all was cool,” Baxter said. “It’s beyond impressive for a 14-year-old to do that.”
The tournament contained multiple stories of success and heartbreak throughout its four-day duration.
Overall, the rarely seen Masters playoff between Cabrera and Scott made for an assuredly unique finish for the 77th annual Masters Tournament.
Scott received his prestigious Green Jacket in a ceremony following the end of the final round.
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