Unheralded Zach Johnson wound up wearing the green winner's jacket after surviving the toughest Masters scoring conditions in history when Tiger Woods faltered down the stretch.
Johnson, who missed the cut in seven of 11 prior major starts, made three birdies in four holes to win a back-nine battle with Woods here on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club and captured the 71st Masters by two strokes.
The 31-year-old US player, whose only prior PGA victory came in 2004 at Atlanta, fired a three-under par 69 to finish 72 holes with a one-over par 289, matching the highest-ever winning score at the Masters.
PHOTO: AP
"I feel very lucky," Johnson said. "This is very surreal. I dreamed about it but I didn't think it would be this year. It was a dream, an absolute dream. My dreams have been answered."
Woods, who began the round one stroke ahead of Johnson, eagled the par-5 13th but then settled for pars as Johnson birdied 13, 14 and 16.
"I couldn't make the shots I needed to keep myself in the ball game," Woods said. "If I make the same birdies he does on the same holes, it's a moot point.
"Keep plodding along," he said. "This course was playing very difficult. You had to give yourself the best chance on birdies because they were hard to come by."
Woods shared second place at three-over 291 with South Africans Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. US player Jerry Kelly and England's Justin Rose shared fifth at 292.
`Great shots'
"I felt very calm and comfortable and hit some great shots under pressure," Rose said. "It was a pity the last couple of holes, but I kept my head up all the way and I'm pleased with that. I kept grinding and believing in myself."
Stuart Appleby, the 54-hole leader by a shot over Woods and Rose, tried to become the first Australian to win the Masters but fell to seventh place at 293 with Padraig Harrington.
Johnson took home US$1.3 million from a total purse of US$7.25 million. He shared 32nd place here last year after missing the cut in his 2005 debut.
"Zach has been a very good player for a long time," Goosen said. "He hits the ball straight and low and accurately and that's what you need to do around here."
Denied
Johnson denied Woods his 13th major title and third major in a row. Woods is 12-for-12 in majors when leading after 54 holes. but still has never won a major when trailing after three rounds, as he did by a stroke to Appleby.
Woods lamented his bogey-bogey finishes on Thursday and Saturday.
"I basically blew this on those four holes," Woods said.
Johnson became the first Masters winner not to play in the final pairing since Nick Faldo in 1990.
Gusty winds, lightning-fast greens and frigid conditions helped push Johnson's final total to 289, matching the record highs posted Sam Snead in 1954 and Jack Burke in 1956.
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