Masters moments: Jose Maria Olazabal adds second Augusta win
Thursday 4 April 2019 17:27, UK
Jose Maria Olazabal claimed his first Masters victory in 1994 and had three top-20 finishes over the next four years, although he missed out in 1996 due to illness.
The Spaniard was off the course for 18 months and unable to walk at one stage due to foot problems that were later traced to his back.
Olazabal, then 33, was firmly back to full health when he returned to Augusta National in 1999, and made a steady start with a two-under 70 to be one off the pace after a rain-hit opening round.
A six-under 66 took Olazabal into a one-shot lead at the halfway stage and he remained one clear after the third round despite a one-over 73, with Greg Norman his nearest pursuer.
Norman looked as though he could put some of his past failures behind him when he eagled the 13th in the final round to lead, but Olazabal made a birdie to tie the Australian.
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In testing conditions, Norman bogeyed the 14th and 15th, with Olazabal remaining rock-solid as he kept a bogey off his card over the final 13 holes, a birdie at the 16th effectively sealing the title.
He finished with a one-under 71 and eight under overall, two clear of Davis Love III (71), with Norman (73) one shot further back in third.
"When I was at my lowest, I never thought about this happening again," said Olazabal, the only player to win two Masters in the '90s. "I thought I would never play golf again. To stand before you in a green jacket is an achievement I didn't even think about."
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