April 16, 2013
Ceci Ferrara
Sports Writer
Sports Insider
In a second hole of a sudden-death playoff against Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, Adam Scott nailed a twelve-foot birdie putt to win the Master’s on Sunday. It was not only a personal triumph for him, but for his country: Scott is the first Australian to don a green jacket in the tournament’s seventy-seven-year history.
“We like to think we’re the best at everything. Golf is a big sport at home, and this is the one thing in golf we hadn’t been able to achieve,” Scott said in his press conference. “It’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Australian to win. It’s incredible.”
While Scott was obviously elated, he could empathize with Cabrera: last summer, he suffered heartbreak when he lost the Open Championship to Ernie Els. He made bogey on his last four holes to lose by one shot. After the loss, he vowed to do better: “Next time—I’m sure there will be a next time—I can do a better job of it.”
The victory is the thirty-two-year old Aussie’s first major win, and his ninth career PGA tour win. Interestingly enough, it is also the second to end in a playoff. In 2008, Scott beat Ryan Moore in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship with a birdie on the third extra hole.
Another Australian, Jason Day, rounded out the top three, while Tiger Woods tied with Marc Leishman for fourth. Woods found himself muddled in drama during the tournament, making an improper drop after he hit a shot in the water. He was assessed a two-shot penalty, but many fans and media outlets felt that Woods should have disqualified himself or been removed from the tournament.
Fred Ridley, chairman of the competition committee, has defended the decision, stating, “Integrity has been the underpinning of this tournament,” while Woods himself clarified the situation on Twitter over the weekend. In a series of Tweets on April 13, Woods said: “I didn’t know I had taken an incorrect drop prior to signing my scorecard. Subsequently, I met with the Masters Committee Saturday morning and was advised they had reviewed the incident prior to the completion of my round. Their initial determination was that there was no violation, but they had additional concerns based on my post-round interview. After discussing the situation with them this morning, I was assessed a two-shot penalty. I understand and accept the penalty and respect the Committees’ decision.”
Despite coming in fourth, Woods is still ranked as the number one golfer in the world. With his Master’s win, Scott is now ranked third.
Capitals
The Capitals (23-17) sure know how to surprise and excite their fans.
Just a few weeks ago, it was unlikely the Caps would even make the playoffs. With a seven-game win streak starting April 2, they are now number one in the Southeast Division with just six games left in the season.
Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have been at the center of the Capitals’ late-season resurgence, combining for forty-nine points and twenty-one goals since coach Adam Oates reunited them on the first line in mid-March.
While Ovechkin now has eighteen goals and is the leading goal-scorer in the entire league, Coach Oates, along with Backstrom, believes the turnaround is bigger than one person.
“With us winning, I think everybody gets confidence from that and our line has been playing pretty good lately, and hopefully we can keep this rolling,” Backstrom told the media. “We’re creating more chances out there, we’re putting the puck in the net. Obviously Ovi’s scoring, but I think our line is working good together and that’s the key.”
Though the Caps are in first place, the final six games will be crucial to their playoff fate. Nothing is set in stone, and the Capitals know that. But if they can continue to play at the level they have been, as goalie Braden Holtby said, “It’s not even going to be close.”
