After 2009 triumph, Argentine suffers angonising Masters defeat to Aussie Adam Scott.
The tough 10th hole at Augusta National will now contain bittersweet memories for Argentina’s Angel Cabrera.
It was at the plunging, tree-lined dog-leg four years ago that he triumphed in a playoff over Kenny Perry to steal a sensational and emotional win in hot and sunny conditions.
But on Sunday, with rain pelting down and the umbrellas up, the roles were reversed as he lost in a playoff to Adam Scott, the Australian sinking a 10-footer for victory.
It was a cruel climax for Cabrera, who moments earlier had seen his own birdie putt come up short on the lip of the hole.
Victory would have made Cabrera, at 43, the second-oldest winner of the Masters after Jack Nicklaus in 1986 and the first grandfather to do so.
Cabrera, who came into Augusta National on a miserable run of form that had seen his world ranking fall to 269th, said that he had gained from all the experieces he had gathered from 13 previous Masters campaigns.
But the unique experience of his playoff win in 2009 was far from his mind as he and Scott set off for their dramatic showdown.
“No, I wasn’t thinking about that at all,” he replied when asked if 2009 had run through his thought processes.
“I was very much into today’s playoff. I played very well both holes. I wasn’t lucky, but I was very much into this playoff.
“Yeah, that’s golf. Golf gives and takes. Sometimes you make those putts, sometimes you just miss them. But that’s golf.”
Cabrera and Scott know each other well having played together several times on President’s Cup teams and the Argentinian was quick to embrace the younger man as soon as the winning putt had been sunk.
Scott, he said was a worthy winner of the tournament.
“I told him I was happy for him, that I know that he deserved it, and that he was going to eventually win it like he did right now. It was just a matter of time.”
Scott returned the praise, calling Cabrera “a great man.”
“I’ve gotten to know him a fair bit through the President’s Cups. I played with him a couple times in them and have spent some time with him. I think he’s a gentleman.
“He said a great thing to me in 2009 at The President’s Cup before we all left, and unfortunately we lost that event.
“But I was on a captain’s pick there and my form was struggling, but he pulled me aside and he said, ‘You’re a great, great player.’
“Something I didn’t forget and really nice of him. It’s an incredible camaraderie between all of us out here, and he’s a great guy. And that was a nice gesture down 10.”
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