Masters 1999: Notebook: Garcia makes it a Spanish double

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Olazabal earns second green jacket

Sunday, Apr. 11 6:49pm ET
Notebook: Garcia makes it a Spanish double
ESPN.com news services
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- It was a Masters double for Spain with Jose Maria Olazabal winning the title and countryman Sergio Garcia taking the low-amateur medal.

Sergio Garcia is expected to turn pro after his Masters appearance.
Garcia, the British amateur champion, became the first European to gain the honor Sunday by shooting a 1-over-par 73 in a round that included four birdies.
"I know it makes Spain proud," said Garcia who finished with a 7-over-par total of 295. "It's something I wanted to do. And I played a good round in the most difficult of our four days here. It's exciting to know I'm the first from Europe to win low-amateur at The Masters."
Garcia beat out a contingent that included Georgia Tech junior Matt Kuchar, who finished in the top 25 at Augusta last year; Tom McKnight, the finalist in the U.S. Amateur; and U.S. Public Links champion Trevor Immelman of South Africa.
"I learned a lot in my first Masters," Garcia said. "I learned you have to have a lot of patience."
McKnight, a petroleum distributor from Virginia, was two shots back of Garcia after a 77. McKnight knocked Garcia out of the U.S. Amateur. Hank Kuehne, who beat McKnight for the U.S. Amateur title, didn't make the cut.
Kuchar shot a final round 78 to finish 11-over. Immelman shot 79 for a 17-over total.
Garcia wouldn't say when he plans to turn professional.
"I'm going to wait until I get back to Spain and talk it over with my family," Garcia said.
Manny Zerman of South Africa was the first foreigner to win low-amateur and that was in 1992.
The amateur must play all four rounds to win the medal. England's Trevor Homer was low after two rounds in 1974 but missed the cut.
No. 11 takes its toll
The 11th hole is the start of Amen Corner and it was the one that terrorized players the most in the final round of The Masters. The par-4 played to a 4.6 stroke average, highest at Augusta National.
Ben Hogan once said of the hole: "If you ever see me on the green in two, you know I pulled my second shot. The play is to the right, where it's safe."
Greg Norman made a long birdie putt there and Jose Maria Olazabal got through the hole with a par.
David Duval's hopes died when he made double-bogey there by hitting a ball into the water. Lee Westwood also made a 6 on the 455-yard, par-4.
Contenders Bob Estes and Steve Pate each bogeyed.
Masters officials raised the green two-feet so they could bring in a tough pin position near the water.
Most players tried to play safe to the right, but it left them a tough chip looking directly at the water.
Westwood gets a taste
For a few brief moments, Lee Westwood shared the lead during the final round of The Masters. It marked the first time in his brief career that the Englishman was in contention during the final round of a major.
"When I was tied for the lead, I knew," said Westwood, 25. "It felt great. It's the first time I've been in this position, to win a major. My stomach was in knots. The Ryder Cup was not as bad."
The stint atop the leaderboard was short-lived. Westwood went bogey-double-bogey-bogey on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes and finished in a tie for sixth at 3-under-par 285.
Not as well-known on this side of the Atlantic, Westwood has a resume to match David Duval and Tiger Woods. He won seven events worldwide last year, including the Freeport-McDermott Classic on the PGA Tour.
"It's nice to be in position to win a major," he said. "I will win one one day."
O'Meara falls short
Defending champion Mark O'Meara said it would take a miracle for him to come-from-behind to win a second green jacket. He got a 6-over-par 78 instead.
O'Meara's rounds of 70-76-60-78 left him 5-over 293 for the championship.
"I'm proud of the way I defended my championship," O'Meara said. "My putter was off this week. But I hung in there good until today. I tried to give it a great defense but I just didn't play that well."
Top 16 will be back
Top 16 finishers are invited back to The Masters next year and that includes Carlos Franco of Paraguay, who is playing his first year on the PGA Tour.
The top 16 finishing list with Masters champions excluded are Franco, Greg Norman, Steve Pate, Davis Love III, Bob Estes, David Duval, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood, Nick Price, Jim Furyk, Colin Montgomerie, Brandel Chamblee, Bill Glasson, Scott McCarron, Brandt Jobe, Lee Janzen and Justin Leonard.
Ties are included in the calculations.
Absent Tiger
Woods, the 1997 Masters champion, was never a factor.
He finished with a 75 for a 289 total, 1-over. He failed to get into the 60s in any round.
"I hit a lot of great shots and a lot of ugly ones," Woods said. "I just didn't make the putts or give myself a lot of opportunities."
Record stands untouched
One Masters record remained safe for another year.
No player has ever shot in the 60s all four rounds. Tiger Woods came close when he won the tournament with a record 18-under-par in 1997. He shot in the 60s the last three rounds, but a first-round 70 when he went out in 40 and came back in 30 kept him from the exclusive all-60s club.
"The greens here are too elusive for anyone to shoot in the 60s in all four rounds," said two-time champion Ben Crenshaw.
Ball headed to auction
The ball that Greg Norman lost at the 12th hole on Saturday was found by CBS commentator Bobby Clampett and is headed for charity.
The ball, a Maxfli XS with the number 0 and the word "SHARK" on it, was found deep in the Asiatic jasmine behind the 155-yard, par-3 hole.
"It was embedded pretty deep," said Clampett, who had the tower assignment on No. 12. He got permission to look for the ball at the end of play.
Norman had to go back to the tee. His third shot found the green and he sank a long putt for a bogey.