Augusta victor Scott’s tribute to ‘incredibly generous’ Norman

Adam Scott plans to celebrate with Australian great Greg Norman after breaking his major duck, and that of his nation in the US Masters, with a dramatic victory in near-darkness at Augusta.

“A phone conversation’s not going to do it, we’re very close,” Scott said. “I would love to share a beer with him and talk through it all.”

Scott saw off Angel Cabrera with a birdie at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off to lay the ghost of Lytham last year, when he bogeyed the last four holes of the Open to lose by one stroke to Ernie Els.

The 32-year-old thought he had won the title in regulation when he holed from 25ft for birdie across the 18th green, celebrating wildly and roaring ‘Come on Aussie’ at Kiwi caddie Steve Williams – who was with Tiger Woods for 13 of his 14 major triumphs.

However, Cabrera had other ideas after watching the drama unfold from back on the fairway, hitting his approach to three feet for birdie to tie Scott on nine under and force extra holes.

Both players parred the 18th from near-identical spots short of the green – Cabrera almost chipping in – and when the Argentinian narrowly missed his birdie attempt on the 10th, Scott holed from 15ft to secure the green jacket which so cruelly evaded Norman.

“I knew that was really then my chance, because it was getting too dark to play any more. Had to finish it,” Scott joked. “I could hardly see the green in the darkness so I called Steve over.

“I don’t get him to read too many putts, because I felt like I was reading them good. I said, ‘Do you think it’s just more than a cup?’ He said, ‘It’s at least two cups, it’s going to break more than you think’.”

Norman finished a shot behind Jack Nicklaus in 1986, was denied by Larry Mize’s play-off chip-in a year later and famously blew a six-shot lead in the final round in 1996 to lose out to Nick Faldo, but won many admirers for the dignified way he handled that crushing disappointment.

“Anyone near to my age, he was the best player in the world, an icon,” Scott added. “Everything about the way he handled himself was incredible. He was a role model and he has devoted so much time to myself and other Australian players who came after him. He is incredibly generous.

“Part of this definitely belongs to him, so it’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first Aussie to win, just incredible.

“It seems a long way away from last July when I was trying to win another major. It fell my way (at Augusta), there was some luck there.”

This was a reference to the moment when his approach to the par-five 13th held up on the bank of the green instead of rolling into the water, from where he chipped and putted for birdie to end a run of nine straight pars, while another birdie on the 15th set up the dramatic finale.

Fellow Australian Jason Day had been two shots clear on the 16th tee, but bogeyed his next two holes to finish third on seven under, with compatriot Marc Leishman and 
Tiger Woods another two shots back in fourth.

Cabrera, who won in 2009 in the same circumstances, said: “That’s how golf is. I came back and I had that chip on 18, I could have won it.

“But Adam’s a good winner. I would have been happier if I had won but he’s a great player. I get along with him, we’ve played together in the President’s Cup and I’m happy for him.”

Scott became the fourth player in the last six major championships to triumph with the aid of a long putter, turning the spotlight back onto the ban on anchored putters proposed by the R&A and USGA.

Asked what effect his victory would have on the debate, Scott said: “I don’t know what it’s going to do. We are all waiting to hear what’s going to happen.

“I don’t know that this is going to impact any decisions at all. You know my feeling on it all; that it was inevitable that big tournaments would be won with this equipment, because these are the best players in the world and they practice thousands of hours. They are going to get good with whatever they are using.”

The ban would come into effect in 2016 and although the European Tour have voiced their support, the PGA Tour and PGA of America have opposed it, opening up the possibility of different rules applying in different events.