The Masters 2017: The Long Wait For Garcia Is Over

It’s Sunday at the Masters and for anyone who plays or loves this great game, it is a meaningful day. This is the day we find out who will be the one player who has a chance to match the feat of this tournament’s founder, Bobby Jones. That is, who will be the only player with a chance to win all four major tournaments in one calendar year?

Who wins the first major of the year? Who will slip into the most coveted garment in the game?

When the sun rose on Augusta, GA, this morning, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia held the lead at 6-under. Rickie Fowler was alone in second at -5. 2015 Masters champion Jordan Spieth was tied for fourth alongside Ryan Moore and Charlie Hoffman at 4-under. And two more Green Jacket winners, Adam Scott (2013) and Charl Schwartzel (2011) were in the mix at -3 and -2 respectively.

So, where did it all go wrong for these players, and where did it all go right for the winner?

Let’s have a look.

Rickie Fowler

Rickie Fowler of the United States waits on the first hole during the…

Rickie Fowler of the United States waits on the first hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Nick Faldo said a couple times during the broadcast that you want to start the final round with a pair of fours on the first two holes. Fowler made a nice par out of the fairway bunker on one, but could only manage a par on the second hole after going over the green in two.

Unlike some other players, he laid back off the tee on three, and hit a nice approach to make birdie, but gave that right back on the fourth. He followed that bogey up with another on five after missing the green right in almost the same place Hoffman had been earlier.

Fowler took a lesson from Spieth on the sixth hole when they both put their tee shots in the front bunker and made a nice par.

He made a great par on seven after going in the trees left off the tee. His approach was above the hole, but on the green, and made a really good two-putt par.

A birdie on eight put him at 5-under. And then he made a good up-and-down on nine.

His birdie putt scared the hole on 10, but then he made a bogey on 11 after he flared his tee shot so far right that he was actually okay. He had a great look at the green from a perfect angle, but couldn’t hit the green. His chip ran past the hole and he couldn’t make the return putt.

On the par-3 12th, he put his tee shot in the front bunker, couldn’t get up and down, and at -3 was too far back with too few holes remaining.

With the leaders 8-under at the time, he would have needed a string of birdies and a collapse by Rose or Garcia to get near the lead.

Three bogies on the last three holes, when he had been long eliminated, sealed his finish at 1-under and a tie for 11th place.

Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to a par putt on the ninth…

Jordan Spieth of the United States reacts to a par putt on the ninth hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The 2015 Masters Champion never got on track on Sunday. He bogeyed the first hole after putting his tee shot in the fairway bunker. He managed to bounce back by making birdie on the 2nd, but that would be as good as it would get for Spieth.

On the third hole, Spieth got lucky not going in the bunkers off the tee but flew his second shot over the green. He was in nearly the same place as Adam Scott had been earlier, and had the same result when he made bogey.

Another bogey on six, and he was two over on his round. Not out of contention, but he would have to have a magical inward nine to make the players behind him think about him.

He bogeyed 10, parred 11, and then played his nemesis hole. Last year in the final round, Spieth washed a couple balls in Rae’s Creek during a final round collapse.

This year, he put another ball in the water and went on to make double bogey.

He was probably out of the tournament before that, but Golden Bell put a couple watery nails into his 2017 Masters coffin.

To his credit, he made three birdies coming in to get to 1-under for the tournament and showed he still has the heart of a champion.

Ryan Moore

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the eighth hole during the…

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts on the eighth hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Moore’s Masters actually ended very early on Sunday. He started the round at 4-under, but made double bogey on three (after making birdie on two), and then made bogey on four. At one under, he was simply too far back to get low enough to make any real noise.

What made it worse was he played the par-5 holes on the back at 1-over. You have to at least play those holes 1-under on Sunday, or you are going to get lapped by the field.

Charlie Hoffman

Charley Hoffman of the United States walks the 13th hole during the…

Charley Hoffman of the United States walks the 13th hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

After his magical round of 65 on Thursday, when it seemed the wind was not blowing on him, Hoffman couldn’t seem to keep up that level of play.

He played 3-over on Friday, coming back down to earth, and even par on Saturday. He was relatively quiet to start his Sunday round, just 1-under through four. He bogeyed five after missing the green right and doubled the seventh hole.

He was still 3-under at the turn on Sunday and if he could have done anything on the back nine, he might have put pressure on the leaders. A bogey on 10 wasn’t good, but what killed Hoffman’s chances were a double on the par-5 13th and a bogey on the 15th. As I just pointed out, you must play those holes at no worse and 1-under.

He only made one birdie on the inward nine, on the 14th, while making four bogeys and a double.

Adam Scott

Adam Scott of Australia reacts to his third shot on the 18th hole…

Adam Scott of Australia reacts to his third shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Scott started the day three back of the leaders. He needed to have a hot start to his round to get the leaders to think about him.

Instead of doing that, he made four straight pars to start the round. (Remember, as Sir Nick Faldo reminded us, you have to play the first two holes in 4-4. Scott made par on the par-5 second hole.) He bounced back from a bogey on five with a solid birdie on six.

However, on the final nine holes, like so many others, he just didn’t have anything. He bogeyed 11, 15 (Can’t bogey that hole), and 17 while making birdie on only 13 and 14. It was a very quiet round for a man who has won this tournament.

At the end of the day, however, on a day when he needed fireworks, Scott had nothing but sparklers.

Charl Schwartzel

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa plays his second shot on the first…

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa plays his second shot on the first hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

At four back of the leaders to start the round, Schwartzel also needed to get off to a hot start. Like Scott, with whom he played, he was far too quiet on the front not. A solid birdie on two was given back on three. He would birdie nine, but by that time, because he had been so quiet, he was five back of the leader, Rose, at the time.

Schwartzel turned it on during the back nine by making birdies on 11, 13, 15, and 18, but it was too little too late.

If you’re going to put pressure on the leaders when you’re four back to start the day, you have to do it early in the round. By the time Schwartzel got to 5-under, Garcia and Rose were battling at 7-, 8-, and 9-under.

Justin Rose vs. Sergio Garcia

Justin Rose of England watches his tee shot on the 12th hole as…

Justin Rose of England watches his tee shot on the 12th hole as Sergio Garcia of Spain looks on during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

These two men were never really threatened by anyone except each other, and it was fun to watch.

Garcia made a bold statement right from the jump by making birdie on one to Rose’s par. Rose had hit 3-wood off the tee and came up short of the green on his approach. Credit Garcia for hitting a fine approach and making a great putt to take an early lead. Garcia -7, Rose -6

Both men made par on the second hole, Sergio from the front bunker, Rose when he missed a fairly short birdie putt.

Both men played the third aggressively. Garcia was able t hit a good approach and make the birdie while Rose went over the green. He was able to save par, but was two back now. Garcia -8, Rose -6

The players traded pars on the par-3 fourth hole, a hole that a lot of players seemed to struggle on.

In a profound demonstration about how golf is a game of inches, both men were in the fairway off the tee. Garcia hit his approach to the green where it stayed on top of the ridge. Rose hit his shot only about two feet short of where Garcia was, but his ball rolled back off the green. When Rose was unable to get up and down, Garcia’s par gave him a three-stroke lead. Garcia -8, Rose -5

Then, things turned sour for Garcia.

Sergio made a solid par on the sixth, while Rose hit a really good shot to about eight or nine feet. He would make the putt to pull within two. Garcia -8, Rose -6

On the seventh hole, and on what would have been Seve Ballesteros’s 60th birthday, Garcia channeled the brilliance of his idol when, after he pulled his tee shot into the trees, he lofted his second shot into a front bunker, blasted out to about five feet, and slipped the slippery putt in the side door for incredible par.

While all that was going on, Rose played the hole the way we are used to seeing it played. He piped his drive down the fairway, played the slope on the green by hitting the ball long over the hole and rolling back to about two feet. His birdie pulled him within one. Garcia -8, Rose -7

Sergio Garcia of Spain pulls a club from his bag on the 17th hole as…

Sergio Garcia of Spain pulls a club from his bag on the 17th hole as caddie Glen Murray looks on during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Both men were short of the green on the eighth hole after their second shots. Rose pitched to about 12 feet while Garcia had a slick 6-footer, both for birdie. Rose made an excellent putt that Garcia couldn’t match and the two were tied at -8.

Both men made par on the ninth hole and finished the front nine in 34, but not before Justin made a nervy two-putt from above the hole on the ninth.

In the span of nine holes, we watched Garcia build a three-stroke lead, and then we watched Rose erase it.

And that’s when the Masters started.

Neither man hit what could be called great tee shots on the tenth. Sergio had 251 yards to the hole on his approach, which is about 80 yards more than what you normally see. Garcia flared his second above the bunker to the right of the green while Justin put his second short of the green. He was able to get up and down while Sergio was forced to take his medicine and make bogey. Rose -8, Garcia -7

Justin Rose of England plays his shot from the 12th tee during the…

Justin Rose of England plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Garcia’s trouble off the tee continued on 11 as he pulled his drive into the pine straw to the left of the fairway. Almost stymied behind a tree, he lashed a wicked slice out of the woods in front of the green. Under the circumstances, it was a great shot. If he hits that ball too straight, his tournament might have been over right there.

Rose had found the fairway off the tee and put a great shot to about nine feet for birdie but was unable to make the putt.

Garcia did him a favor by not getting up and down, however. Rose -8, Garcia -6

Both men once again traded pars on the short par three that Jordan Spieth despises, and it was off to the par-5 13th.

Garcia, still battling his driver, yanked his tee shot into the woods left, or he may have been trying to play a fade, but that is simply not the shot to hit with a driver on 13 unless you are left handed.

For his part, Rose found the second cut with his drive and putt his second shot over the green.

Forced to take a drop from an unplayable lie, Garcia punched out short of the green, pitched on to about seven feet and made what can only be called a brilliant par, once again reminiscent of his role model, Ballesteros.

From behind the green, Rose putted up to about four feet, but somehow missed the putt that might have put the tournament out of reach.

One has to think being three up with five to play is significantly bigger than only two up.

Garcia played a great approach on the par-4 14th to five feet and made the birdie while Rose made a solid par. Rose -8, Garcia -7

On the par-5 fifteen, Garcia hit what could be called the shot of the tournament.

Both men had a go at the green in two. Rose pulled his second shot just left of the green, in position to make no worse than par, but most likely birdie.

Garcia laced a shot right at the hole with an 8-iron that nearly flew into the hole. He would calmly roll the eagle to the hole where it seemed reluctant to fall, but did with its very last ounce of energy.

Rose did make birdie to tie Garcia at -9.

Garcia hit a majestic shot to the par-3 16th, leaving about five feet of slippery green to negotiate for birdie. Rose left himself about twelve feet, but Sir Nick Faldo said his putt was the easier of the two.

The three-time champion would be proven to be an incredible prognosticator when Justin drained his putt for birdie while Sergio missed his. Rose -10, Garcia -9

If anything can be said to have cost Rose this tournament, it was his putter. He missed a short putt for birdie on two. He missed a birdie putt on 11. He missed a short birdie on 13. It wasn’t that he putted badly. It was just that he missed putts he probably should have made at very bad times.

Justin Rose of England reacts on the 13th hole during the final round…

Justin Rose of England reacts on the 13th hole during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

The 17th was more of the same. After dumping his second shot in the front bunker, he blasted out to about six feet. After Garcia secured his par, Rose missed his par saver and the game was tied again at -9.

Both players striped great drives on 18th and hit wonderful approach shots. Rose pushed his approach a bit, but it kicked off the side of the bunker and rolled toward the hole, finishing eight feet away. Garcia fired right at the flag and had about four feet for birdie.

Neither man was listening to Nick Faldo when Nick said the putts were straighter than they thought. Rose expected his to break left. It stay straight and burned the edge. Garcia’s putt was actually not very good as it didn’t even touch the hole.

Tied at -9, we had a playoff.

It was over almost as quickly as it started. Justin pushed his drive into the trees right of the fairway while Sergio played a perfect drive into the right side of the fairway.

Forced to punch out from under trees, Rose put his third shot about 18 feet away. When he missed that putt, he gave Garcia two putts from twelve feet to win his first major.

Danny Willett of England presents Sergio Garcia of Spain with the…

Danny Willett of England presents Sergio Garcia of Spain with the green jacket after Garcia won in a playoff during the final round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Sergio only needed one.

It was a great tournament, and we have a great champion.

Congratulations, Sergio Garcia!

Cover Photo via YouTube