Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003
Tuesday, Apr 15, 2003 |
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Golf
WEIR(D), NO WAY! Canada's left-handed golfer Mike Weir (left) is joy personified as he gets the green jacket from Tiger Woods after winning the Masters tournament at Augusta, Georgia, on Sunday. Weir won a play-off against Len Mattiace of the U.S. — AFP
It was a demonstration of courage by 32-year-old Weir who became the first left-handed player to win the Masters and only the second to win a Major. The only other `leftie' to win a Major was Bob Charles at the British Open in 1963. Weir had to sink a six-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to set up the play-off, both men completing 72 holes at the Augusta National Golf Club at seven-under par 281. ``I wouldn't wish that last putt on 18 on anybody. That's as nerve wracking as it gets and I was lucky to get it in the hole and happy to get it in the hole,'' said Weir. ``I have dreamed of it and worked very hard. It is a great thrill to be the first Canadian to win the Masters. It is so special that it is tough to put it into words,'' he added.
Heartbreak for Mattiace
It was heartbreak for Mattiace, who played the round of his life. The 35-year-old American, playing in the Augusta National as a professional for the first time this week, looked at times as if he could do no wrong as he shot a seven-under par 65. And when he did make a slip, the golf Gods shone on him, like at the par-five eighth when he was heading for a bogey but chipped in from off the green to snatch a birdie. An 80 foot putt at the par-four 10th for an unlikely birdie, an eagle at the par-five 13th, another at the par-five 15 followed by another at the 16th — it was fairytale stuff from Mattiace who began the day at level par and five shots behind overnight leader Jeff Maggert. But Mattiace returned to reality when he pulled his second shot on the first play-off hole, the 495-yard par four 10th, and chipped the ball right across the green. His par putt ended up 20 feet past the hole and his bogey putt slipped three feet past, taking the heat off Weir, who had three putts from 45 feet for his first Major title. ``I gave it my all today. I was right there. I did a great job of focusing on every shot, and under the utmost pressure. Ever since I was a little kid I watched Masters and today I was part of it,'' enthused Mattiace. ``It's a great thing to know that you've basically executed your whole plan that everything came together,'' he added. For Weir, it was his third win of the year. The left-hander reached the turn in the lead, holding off Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and the charging Mattiace. But by the time he left the infamous Amen Corner his two-shot advantage over Mattiace at the end of the outward nine had switched to all level. Weir held his nerves and birdies at 13 and 15 brought it all square. It was the birdie at 15 that confirmed Weir had nerves of steel. The Canadian knew he had to get a birdie to keep his hopes alive. From 80 yards out he hit his third shot to within three feet. It was a sparkling approach made under intense pressure. Woods misses out Tiger Woods' quest to make Masters history got off to a horrible start when he dropped three strokes in two holes. The 27-year-old, determined to become the first player in history to win three straight Masters crowns, appeared to be on track when he birdied the par-five second. But then disaster struck on the short par-four third when Woods blocked his drive to the right, way over the spectators into trees, beside a shrub. Woods was forced to hit out on to the fairway left-handed. With only a short pitch, the World No. 1 sculled the ball over the green and ended up taking a double bogey. Three putts a hole later and Woods had slipped off the leaderboard as he tumbled to one-over par and out of contention. Woods has never won any of his eight Majors by coming from behind — he has either been leading or having a share of the lead going into Sunday. ``It was one of those weeks when I couldn't get anything going,'' said Woods. ``I didn't have the feel for chipping today. I was just trying to make contact.'' Maggert, who began the day two shots clear, carded a triple bogey on the third when he collected a two-shot penalty after his ball bounced back off the lip of a fairway bunker and hit him in the chest. A stunned Maggert finally got the ball out of the bunker but carded a triple bogey and slipped two back of Weir who had led after the second round. But Augusta National had not finished with Maggert. The par-three 12th finally destroyed the 39-year-old Texan when he overhit his tee shot into the back bunker. Maggert blasted out and could only watch in horror as the ball skidded across the green and slid down the bank and into Rae's Creek. Maggert then hit his fourth into the water and by the time he walked off the green he had gone from four-under for the championship to one-over. But he continued to battle and finished the championship two-under and alone in fifth place. ``I'd like to play a couple of holes again. Funny things happen sometimes,'' said Maggert. Mickelson, desperate to rid himself of the tag of being the best player never to have won a Major, again failed to mount any real challenge and had to settle for his third third-place finish in three years. — AFP
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