Argentine golfer, Angel Cabrera, won the 73rd Masters at Augusta yesterday. He is the only active golfer alongside Tiger Woods with Masters and US Open titles.
The 39-year-old from Córdoba took the title after beating Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell in a play-off. Perry appeared set for victory but let it slip away after bogeying his last two holes to finish on 12 under. This left Cabrera with two putts for his par and the win.
Cabrera, at 69 in the world, becomes the lowest-ranked Masters champion since rankings began in 1986. He jumped 51 places after the winning the tournament, to number 18.
He received US$1.35m for the victory and is the first player since Peter Thomson in 1954-55 to claim major championships as his first two US PGA Tour titles.
When asked how important his win would be in his home country compared to football and Maradona or basketball and Manu Ginobili, Cabrera said that although football has always been the biggest sport in Argentina “the Masters is the Masters”. He added “This is a great moment for any golfer… This moment, and the win in Oakmont, are the greatest moments of my life.” Cabrera won the US Open in Oakmont in 2007.