Cabrera Wins The Green

Filed in archive Golf News on April 13, 2009

Courtesy: Getty Images

So, how 'bout that Masters finish?

There are any number of ways you can come at an assessment of Sunday's sudden-death finish.

Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera were never worse than sixth from the opening tee ball on Thursday morning.

And they stayed close together right through to the sudden-death playoff late yesterday afternoon. That is a remarkable feat in a tournament known for ripping names off Sunday's leaderboard in twos and threes.

Perry fashioned two rounds in the 60s; Cabrera put up three rounds in the 60s - that's pretty remarkable, too. We are all aware of just how slick Augusta's greens are.

And what about Chad Campbell? Was it his tournament to lose on Sunday on the back nine?

If it was, he sure didn't show any inclination to do so. Only two bogeys on the back nine - at 9 and 11 - and then birdies at 12, 13 and 15.

Is that a guy cracking under the strain? Nope.

You can quarterback this thing all day, if you want to. My take is that Campbell spent too long watching Perry and Cabrera duel it out down 18 and when the playoff came, Campbell hadn't hit a ball or stroked a putt in at least half an hour.

Maybe that had something to do with it, maybe not. But he was gone on the first playoff hole.

Cabrera, we will recall, stayed calm when all around him lost their heads on Sunday to become the first Argentinean to win the U.S. Open in 2007.

He stayed calm on Sunday, as well, despite a nervous tee shot on the first playoff hole and a botched recovery shot out of the trees.

Did he deserve the victory? Of course. Anyone who tames Augusta deserves the Green Jacket.

But Campbell and Perry also deserved to win. Trouble is, there is only ever one winner, isn't there?