Sky Sports.com - Masters 2008

Cabrera: worthy winner

That has to go down as one of the best Masters tournaments of all time.

It had everything. From the stunning final-day comeback of Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods to the three-way tussle for supremacy between Angel Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell, we were holding our breaths right up until the very end.

The Augusta course was set up to make it more accessible than usual and the result was four days of golf that rewarded the bold and adventurous players. Ultimately, though, it was the sheer experience and mental resilience of Cabrera that saw him through.

Having won the US Open in 2007, Cabrera knew his game would hold up under pressure and more importantly he knew he had what it takes to become a major champion.

As he said in his interviews afterwards, memories of his victory at Oakmont set him up for his Augusta triumph, even though he has not lifted a single title since then.

His lack of Tour wins makes him a surprise winner in many ways, but if you look back at his difficult childhood, it's perhaps no surprise that he has the steel you need to win a major championship.

His parents split up when he was very young, his grandmother brought him up and he didn't have a great education - he had to go out and work to eat, so that inner toughness, that will to succeed was ingrained in him very early on in his life.

It was his flair and his aggression that impressed me most, typified by that brave second shot on the first play-off hole to take himself out of the trees. You need great mental strength to take on a shot like that.

In many ways he was due a victory - and what a time for him to pull one out of the bag! Well done Angel, it was a magnificent effort.

Reflecting

On the other side of the coin, Kenny Perry will be left reflecting on what might have been.

For three-and-a-half days he seemed destined to become the oldest ever major champion and I thought he might pull it out of the bag when he was putting for the title on the 18th.

One suspects that he might never again have such a good chance to win a major and those two bogeys on the final two holes will live in his memory for a long, long time.

The accepted wisdom is that Kenny will probably never win a major. But many people were saying that this time last week, so who knows if he's got one more great performance inside him?

Chad Campbell will also be disappointed, but this could turn out to be another great learning experience.

He was given a second chance in the play-off and he'll be disappointed that he failed to find the green when he needed to. Hopefully the disappointment will allow him to bounce back stronger because he proved he is more than capable of mixing it with the very best in the world.

Greates

Speaking of which, the resilience of Tiger Woods continues to amaze me. Having looked slightly out-of-sorts early on at Augusta, he showed just why he is the greatest player in the world to come right back into contention on the final day.

He may be one of the most naturally gifted golfers of all time, but it's his desire to never be beaten that has taken him to where he is today. I've no doubt that he'll add at least one more major title to his tally at some point in 2009.

Perhaps more impressive was the final round from Mickelson. His front-nine 30 was simply stunning and he just didn't seem capable of missing the pin.

If he hadn't found the water at the 12th (arguably the pivotal hole of the tournament) I genuinely believe he could have gone on to win the Masters. Woods and Mickelson seemed to inspire each other on that final day and produced two of the most electrifying rounds the Masters has ever seen.

Materialise

The only disappointment for me was that the European challenge failed to materialise.

There is no doubt that we have an exceptionally talented group of players, so for Graeme McDowell to be the highest-placed European in 17th was rather disappointing.

European players have traditionally struggled at Augusta in recent years and it was a shame they were unable to take advantage of the changes to the course to mount a real challenge.

There were some signs of encouragement. Despite his bunker controversy, Rory McIlroy showed glimpses of the game that will one day take him to a major title.

And it was wonderful to watch as Sandy Lyle rolled back the years and showed some of the younger generation just how it's done.

But despite the disappointment for many of Europe's stars, the real winner this weekend was the sport itself.

Easter Sunday proved how delicious golf can be. Tiger and Phil may have provided a tasty main course, it was the dessert that will live longest in the memory; Angel delight!