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 Perry felled by golf's Angel 

Perry felled by golf's Angel

18 Apr, 2009 10:48 AM
HE may not speak English very well but it was pretty obvious how Angel Cabrera felt after his miraculous victory in the US Masters last week.

The Argentinean was gone for all money standing on the 13th tee three shots adrift of Kenny Perry.

Three holes in front, Tiger Woods and his playing partner, archrival Phil Mickelson, had the spectators and viewers as they attacked the famous back nine at Augusta.

At one point it looked like Mickelson and Woods were taking the tournament away from the final groups but an uncharacteristic meltdown by the worlds one and two and suddenly the attention was back on the leader.

A birdie on the treacherous 15th followed by a near ace on the 16th and overnight leader, Kenny Perry now held a two shot lead with just two holes to play.

When everything appeared to be winding down to a well deserve maiden major victory for the popular American, suddenly his 48 year old nerves got the better of him.

I must say my 50 year old nerves were a little suss as well and I had to take one of the many ad breaks to calm myself down in my ensuite.

I got back just in time to see one of the worst chip shots I have seen from one of the worlds best, when Perry gusted his ball back over the 17th green.

That miss hit and resulting bogey had not only brought Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera back into the picture, but showed that the leader was not all comfortable with the prospect of having to par the last to win.

Sadly for Perry and his family, who were reacting to every shot he played, a routine par on any other day was not achievable in the pressure cooker atmosphere of a major Championship and it was into extra time.

Once again Cabrera appeared to be packing his bags for Cordoba when he carved his tee-shot into the woods and then arrowed his nut straight into a tree.

Luckily his ball ricocheted back onto the short grass but with Chad Campbell sitting in the middle of the fairway it appeared he had one arm already in the green jacket.

As if we needed another twist in this gripping day, it was actually Campbell who bowed out with a bogey while a nervous Perry and gallant Cabrera marched on to the next hole.

Sadly for Kenny, his wife and what appeared to be about twenty kids, the stress and trauma of winning the Masters was too much and when Cabrera nailed his iron shot to with in 15-feet and Perry pulled his into another county, the jacket was heading to Argentina.

I guess I was pulling for Kenny Perry simply because at 48 years of age he's not going to have many more chances.

In his post round interview, he was very honest about his nervousness and the fact that he may never have that opportunity again.

It's the second time the Kentuckian has lost a major in a play-off; Mark Brooks beat him some years ago in the US PGA.

"Great players get it done, and Angel got it done," Perry said, rather philosophically.

"This is his (Cabrera) second Major he won. I've blown two, but that's the only two I've had chances of winning."

As for Angel Cabrera, he now joins an elite club of golfers who have won two majors on two totally different types of courses.

And who's to say he can't win more?

THE ALLAN MACKAY AUTO'S PEUGEOT PLAYER OF THE WEEK. Despite the fact that Mount Broughton's Terry Steer recently had a lesson from professional Robert Kennedy, he still managed to shoot his best score at his home club last Saturday. In the April monthly medal Terry slipped it around the demanding layout in a sensational nett 62. When I asked Rob what he had told Terry, he replied with that old chestnut "I'm sorry, that would be a breakdown of doctor patient confidentiality". I think Rob has watched one too many episodes of "Law & Order"

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