US challenge petered out before the turn and the Spaniard eventually saw off Justin Rose, his Ryder Cup team-mate, at the first extra hole in what also became a celebration of their great sportsmanship
For a few brief moments on Sunday afternoon the 2017 Masters was alive with possibility. At the far end of the 1st hole, Tea Olive, Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler, the two finest young players in the US today, were standing in front of the green, scheming over the chip shots they were about to play. Way back behind them Justin Rose and Sergio García, another couple of close friends, were making their way up the fairway from the 1st tee, to the spot where their drives fell. Close behind them came a herd of fans, joining the thousands already gathered close by. The only thing anyone was any too sure of then was that in the end the winner was likely to be one of these four men. But which it would be was anyone’s guess.
Five hours later it was still all up in the air. Only now there were just two contenders left, Rose and García, two men who grew up playing with, and against, each other. Their duel here will go down as one of the great contests in the history of the Masters, all the better because they both seemed to take so much enjoyment in each other’s success.
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