Sergio Garcia's birdie on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff against Justin Rose on Sunday at Augusta earned the Spaniard his first major title- and a green jacket.
Only three players had more major starts without a victory than Garcia before he donned the green jacket symbolic of Masters supremacy after almost two decades of major futility.
After missing a 5-foot birdie at the 72nd hole, Garcia had to get through one extra hole to finally remove the stigma of being considered the best player never to win one of golf's biggest events.
One of Garcia's idols and two-time Masters victor, Jose Maria Olazabal, was impressed with how he looked during his practice rounds which he believes was key to staying calm on the back nine on Sunday.
"It is incredible. To do it on his (Ballesteros') 60th birthday and to join him and Jose Maria Olazabal, my two idols in golf, it is something wonderful", said Garcia before accepting the Green Jacket from last year's victor Danny Willett in Butler Cabin. This brought back memories of the years gone by when the Spaniard would come so close to winning and yet be denied a title that he so deserved to win.
"I've been in the last group a couple of times and shot 14 under when Jordan (Spieth) won".
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He also made an implicit reference to Fillon, suggesting some are seeking the presidency to get judicial immunity. The situation bespeaks "an undeniable demand for change", he said.
Garcia was still coming to terms with becoming a major champion, a feat which will push him up to No.7 in the world rankings. "It is good for him to have the monkey off his back and I am very pleased for him".
"Yeah, I would say this one probably is one that slipped by, for sure".
Asked if his previous near-misses at majors had made him feel like he was living in a horror movie, Garcia replied: "Not at all. He deserves it", Rose said.
"He definitely popped in my mind a few times, there is no doubt about it", Garcia said of Ballesteros, who died in 2011 of complications resulting from a cancerous brain tumor.
"It allowed me to have clear thoughts in my head, it allowed me to swing a little bit more freely, it allowed me to create things, which I was able to do pretty much throughout the whole day", he told CNN Sport. "And we wanted to beat the other guy, not that guy to lose it".
The American was one of many golfers to pay tribute on social media. "I just want to win here", said Rose. Also, Tiger Woods missed the Masters for a second consecutive year. "But you know, I really feel like this is a tournament that I can still go on to win", he said.
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