Sergio Garcia of Spain birdied the first hole in a sudden-death playoff to outlast Justin Rose of England and win the Masters on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., breaking his 0-for-73 drought in major tournaments.
Both players missed birdie putts – Rose’s was from 10 feet while Garcia’s was from 5 feet – on the 18th hole to push the tournament into a sudden-death playoff tied at 9-under-par 279.
The players returned to the 18th tee for the first playoff hole.
Garcia ripped his approach to 10 feet before Rose found the green on his third shot well outside the Spaniard’s ball, meaning he would have to putt first.
Both players shot 3-under-par 69s on Sunday before heading into the playoff.
Then the duo was tied again when Garcia parred and Rose bogeyed the par-4 17th after hitting his approach shot into the bunker short of the green.
Kuchar had a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.
Rose and Garcia began the final round tied for the lead at 6 under but the Spaniard, playing in his 74th major event and still looking for his first win, quickly moved to a three-shot lead thanks to birdies on the par-4 first hole and the par-4 third and Rose’s bogey on the par-4 fifth.
Rose turned things around with three straight birdies on the par-3 sixth, the par-4 seventh and the par-5 eighth holes, and the two players hit the back nine tied at 8 under.
He dropped another shot on the par-4 11th when he drove his ball into the woods to the left of the fairway and couldn’t fashion a par; Rose walked off the 11th green with a two-shot lead.