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Augusta, Ga. • Sergio Garcia's 18th-hole birdie came a little late and ultimately was unnecessary.
Yet the way he won his first major tournament title made it even more meaningful, if that's possible. His victory over Justin Rose in the Masters required a playoff Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, making him do even more to produce a major breakthrough that he thought would never come.
Garcia could have ended their friendly duel with a short birdie putt on No. 18 in regulation. That would have been too easy, of course. But then he made a longer birdie putt on the same hole to end the playoff quickly, with Rose's bogey having given Garcia a comfortable winning opportunity.
Just for the sake of drama and history, Garcia's putt ringed the hole and fell into the cup. He crouched and pounded his hands on the green where the late Seve Ballesteros, Garcia's hero as a child in Spain, won two green jackets. Ballesteros, who died in 2011, would have turned 60 on Sunday.
Ballesteros "definitely popped in my mind a few times," said Garcia, who also grew up idolizing Jose Maria Olazabal, another two-time Masters champion.
And now he's a one-time winner. "I have a beautiful life, major or no major," he said.
He'll happily take the victory, though. The title came at a course that really doesn't suit his game, with so many holes designed for draws off the tee. Adjusting his attitude about Augusta National made the victory possible, after he realized "how stupid I was, trying to fight against something you can't fight."
Garcia was considered the best player never to have won a major for so long that he almost played his way out of that conversation — even though he's only 37. He has finished second four times in majors, including a playoff loss to Padraig Harrington in the 2007 British Open. "Either I lost them," he said, "or someone did something extraordinary to beat me."
Both descriptions applied to Rose, a former U.S. Open winner, who said Sunday's duel "must have been fun to watch."
No kidding. Another wild afternoon at Augusta National featured major rallies and big fades, sorting out the standings. Matt Kuchar was the only American in the top five, and that finish required him going 5 under par in a five-hole stretch — including a hole-in-one on No. 16. Playing together in the second-to-last twosome, Jordan Spieth (75) and Rickie Fowler (76) crumbled.
So that left Rose and Garcia, who started the day tied for the lead and ended up there after shooting 69s, with a bunch of twists and turns in between. Garcia led by three shots after five holes, only to lose five strokes over the next six holes — thanks to Rose's birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 8 and Garcia's bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11. Garcia could have fallen further behind on the No. 13, but he salvaged a par after a penalty shot and Rose missed a short birdie putt.
After Garcia birdied No. 14, the drama increased on No. 15, where Garcia's eagle topped Rose's birdie, creating a tie. Rose's birdie at No. 16 gave him the lead, but then he bogeyed No. 17. Each player missed his birdie opportunity at No. 18 in regulation, sending them into the playoff.
Rose's drive into the trees basically ended things, as he couldn't save a par after punching out to the fairway.
The gallery welcomed the triumph of Garcia, who occasionally has been viewed as a villain in America. "It was encouraging to see the crowd get behind him," said Rose, his friend. "Obviously, people felt strongly that it was his time."
One extra hole later, Garcia's major title arrived.
Twitter: @tribkurt —
Storylines
• Sergio Garcia of Spain wins his first major title, beating England's Justin Rose in a sudden-death playoff in the Masters.
• Garcia and Rose each shoots a final-round 69 for a 9-under-par total, finishing three strokes ahead of former champion Charl Schwartzel.
• Daniel Summerhays of Farmington closes with a 73 to tie for 46th place in his first Masters.