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The Roar

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A masterful victory that won't be forgotten

Adam Scott, from Australia, hits for the sand to the 10th green during the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. AP Photo/Mark Duncan
Roar Guru
15th April, 2013
5

With one single stroke, a five-tonne gorilla was lifted off the back of the Australian sport psyche. Adam Scott did what Ferrier, Crampton, Newton, Day and Norman could not do; he conquered Augusta National.

For years, it had been the missing jewell in the glorious Australian sporting crown.

From Olympics to the Americas Cup, Australia has exceeded expectations in almost every sporting event we have tried to win.

However, golf has been somewhat of an underachieving cousin in the rich Australian sporting family.

For all our rich history in the game, we have won just 16 major championships between 10 different men, seven of whom won just a solitary major.

Much of our success came from the Open Championship which accounts for nine of the 16 majors Australian players have won.

If the Open was where we encountered great joy, the US Masters was where every year since the 1930s we looked for joy but only encountered sorrow.

Despite our standing in golf, we won the Tour de France (a primarily European Sport) before we conquered the lush fairways of Georgia’s most famous attraction.

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It was the bête noire of Australian sport, where great player’s hopes and dreams have been extinguished amidst the beauty and ferociousness of Augusta National.

Who could forget Greg Norman in 1996 hitting a course record in the opening round, before throwing away a six stroke lead in the final round?

Watching Norman disintegrate was like watching two trains speed towards each other from a distance – you could see what was coming but there was nothing you could do.

Coming into the 2013 Masters there was again a feeling that once again, an Australian would not perform at the big dance.

With just four players entering the tournament, our Masters quest looked doomed from the start.

But as the God’s would have it, a miracle seemed to be on hand.

Marc Leishman began the charge by hitting 6-under par to be joint leader after the first round, with Adam Scott making 3-under par.

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Jason Day decided to join in on the action, hitting a 68 in the second round to move to the top of the leader board, with Leishman one behind with Adam Scott and John Senden also in the hunt.

Importantly, all four Aussies made the cut.

On moving day, it seemed all over when Day and Leishman faltered in the final part of their rounds.

But Adam Scott, who had circled for two rounds made a move to slide into second place.

Coming into the final round, Australia had three genuine chances.

To Day and Leishman’s credit, their final rounds did not disgrace themselves, finishing third and fourth respectively.

But Scott was the man.

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Playing catch-up to Argentinean Angel Cabrera, himself a former Masters champion, Scott did not wilt.

Expelling the demons of Royal Lytham and St Anne’s, Scott answered the challenge of Cabrera on 18th, slotting a put to take it to a playoff.

On the second play-off hole, a Cabrera putt cruelly halted an inch from the hole, giving Scott his opportunity.

This time he did not falter, and with one stroke he became a major winner.

The embrace of Scott by Cabrera reflected how emotional and special it is to win the Masters tournament.

It also signalled that finally, an Aussie would wear the famous green jacket.

Truly, it is a day in Australian sport that should never be forgotten as long as the planet revolves around the sun.

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