Charl Schwartzel, 26, became the first player to birdie the final four holes to claim the Green Jacket. In his second appearance at Augusta National Golf Club, the native of Vereeniging, South Africa, vaulted from the pack to deny two Australians -- Adam Scott and Jason Day -- their country's first Masters victory.
Schwartzel shot 6-under-par 66 for a 274 total, 14-under. It was two shots better than Day (68) and Scott (67), just when it looked like one of the Australians might end their country's drought.
Schwartzel wouldn't let it happen.
"I've not been around when it's been that tight," Schwartzel said. "If it wasn't for Rory (McIlroy) that was leading by four, you look at the leader board, there was a whole bunch of guys that could have won. It was always going to come down to the back nine, who made the birdies coming in."
Schwartzel made a torrid birdie-par-eagle start, ran off 10-straight pars and, when it was time, he delivered in a big way.
"There were so many roars that go on around Augusta, especially the back nine," Schwartzel said. "It echoes through those trees … there's always a roar. Every single hole you walk down, someone has done something, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking at the leader board. But sometimes I would look at it and not register what I was looking at, and that sort of helped.
"I just knew it was now or never. You have to start hitting some good shots and converting them."
Schwartzel's birdie putts on the final four holes were from 8, 15, 12 and 15 feet.
Day tipped his cap to Schwartzel's effort.
"If you want to go out and win a tournament, that's how you're going to do it," Day said. "Hats off to Charl. He played magnificently. I'm happy for him that he played so well."
It was only the second time in 21 years that the Masters champion did not come out of the final pairing. Zach Johnson did it in 2007.
Schwartzel became the second South African in nine months to win a major title and followed the story line of this Masters perfectly. The question of whether youth would be served again was answered emphatically, as was the question whether international golfers would add a fourth-straight major title. Schwartzel did, following in the footsteps of his good friend and frequent practice partner, Louis Oosthuizen, who won the British Open last July.
Schwartzel's victory came on the 50th anniversary of the first Masters title for Gary Player, South Africa's best-known athlete and greatest golfer. Player was the first international golfer to win the title.
Some of golf's greatest players put their considerable talents on display at Augusta National, and it made for enthralling athletic competition and achievement. Tiger Woods put on a charge to get to 10-under for the Tournament and tie another Australian, Geoff Ogilvy (67), and England's Luke Donald (69) for fourth.
McIlroy, who led through 54 holes, had to endure a gloomy unraveling of his game and shot 80. He finished 10 shots back at 284, an unthinkable outcome at the start of the day.
"I think when his emotions settle down, he can take a lot of positives about how far he got in this event," Scott said. "He just needs to let it get out of his system and reset everything and get on with it. He's as good as it gets for a 21-year-old."
Woods, the four-time winner, shot 67, his finest last round ever in the Masters. It wasn't enough. That's how intensely the final 18 holes unfolded. Woods' play on the front nine - he shot 31 with an eagle and four birdies - signaled that something special was about to happen, but it wasn't what anybody expected.
The first page of the leader board was in constant ebb-and-flow mode. Ten golfers reached 10-under at some point in the final round.
"I got off to a nice start and posted 31," Woods said. "On the back, I could have capitalized some more."
It only took one hole for McIlroy's 54-hole lead to be sliced in half. Schwartzel, who has won six times on the European Tour since 2003, chipped in for birdie at the first hole. Behind him, McIlroy missed the first green with his approach. McIlroy made only three bogeys on the first 54 holes of the Masters. He started the final round with his fourth bogey when the par attempt slipped past the left edge.
By the time McIlroy had finished the second hole, making a par 5, he was tied for the lead with Schwartzel. After the improbable chip-in at the first, Schwartzel holed a 114-yard sand wedge shot from the fairway of No. 3 for eagle 2.
"On the first hole, things started going for me," Schwartzel said. "It's always nice when things start in the right direction. I don't think I've ever heard a roar that loud around me. It was just a great way to start."
The hole-out for eagle looked good from the moment it left the face of Schwartzel's club. A blind shot, he waited for a response. The crowd let him know when it disappeared.
"You could hear it getting closer and closer," Schwartzel said.
"It was one of the most exciting tournaments I've ever played in," said Day, who finished with back-to-back birdies. "I'm very happy with how I played. I played my heart out. I couldn't do anything more.
"It's lived up to everything I expected and more. I've had the best first Masters experience. This is going to go down in the memory bank. I've had a blast. … There were so many numbers going up and down (the leader board). It must have looked great on TV. I can't wait to watch it. The atmosphere out there was unbelievable."
