The Masters: Jason Sobel's Live Blog

Originally Published: April 12, 2009

Fortunate bounce goes Cabrera's way

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By Jason Sobel
ESPN.com
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Angel Cabrera Wins The Masters

Angel Cabrera wins the Masters after a two-hole playoff over Kenny Perry

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10:00 p.m. ET: His name is Angel and though the newest Masters champion pronounces it "on-HEL," it should be noted that he received a little divine intervention on Easter Sunday.

Sandwiched between beautiful drives down the 18th fairway by fellow playoff competitors Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry was a tee shot from Angel Cabrera that could have, would have, maybe even should have crushed his chances at winning the green jacket.

The burly veteran from Argentina belted a push-slice on the first extra hole that landed among the tall pines bordering the right side, sitting precariously on the pine straw that lined the ground.

ESPNDeportes.com

With his victory at the 2009 Masters, Angel Cabrera became the first South American to win the Masters. ESPNDeportes.com

"I only had a spot like this big," he later said through an interpreter, "and only trees, so I've got to put it through there, that's it. As easy as that."

Simply trying to punch his second shot back into a playable position, Cabrera closed the club face, took a mighty lash and -- thwack! -- heard the ball come in contact with a tree limb. He looked left, right, up, down in search of it until finally noticing his ball lying in safe position on the fairway.

Divine intervention.

"It was a very short moment, because I asked my caddie," Cabrera noted. "He quickly said, 'We're fine. It's in the fairway.'"

From there, he got up and down for par, forcing a second playoff hole with Perry, then won when his opponent failed to make par on that hole.

While we'll remember the 2009 Masters for Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods dueling down the stretch in head-to-head fashion, for Campbell missing a 5-footer on the first playoff hole and for Perry's iron play eluding him on his final four approach shots of the day, the most important swing of the week might have been one that produced a shot that caromed off a branch and landed some 100 yards away.

Is it better to be lucky or good? Maybe a little bit of both -- and it's partly how Cabrera earned a Masters title on Sunday.

Thanks for reading and participating in the Masters Live Blog throughout the week. Next stop: The Players Championship. Until then, hit 'em straight ...

7:52 p.m. ET: Thanks for all of the e-mails and tweets and everything else this week. I'll be back in a little while with one final lengthy blog post to finish off the day, but this now concludes the "live" portion of the Masters Live Blog.

7:42 p.m. ET: If you didn't pick Angel Cabrera to win this week, don't worry -- there was nothing suggesting you should have.

Here's a look at what El Pato accomplished between the time of his last major victory at the 2007 U.S. Open and today:

• Events: 29
• Top-10s: 1
• Missed cuts: 10

That one top-10 came at last year's WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, where he received a T-5 for winning three matches before losing in the quarterfinals. In 27 stroke-play events, Cabrera had ZERO top-10 finishes and seven top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour.

7:40 p.m. ET: Getting a lot of questions about the prize breakdown. Here it is ...

Angel Cabrera earns $1.35 million for the victory. Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell split second/third place money, basically taking the average of second ($810,000) and third ($510,000), giving each player $660,000 total.

Doesn't matter that Perry played one more hole than Campbell; they are each considered co-runners-up.

7:35 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet ...

NoahPG@JasonSobel Who knew you could bank one off a tree in a Playoff and still put on a Green Jacket. Congrats to Angel!

Great point.

Let's not forget that just about 40 minutes ago, Campbell and Perry were in the fairway, while Cabrera was way right on 18. His punch out hit a limb and he actually didn't know where it was, looking around before finding it in the fairway, then got up and down from there to keep going.

Gotta wonder whether the greencoats will name one of those trees in there, "Angel's Tree."

7:31 p.m. ET: One more final thought on Kenny Perry ...

For a guy who hit the ball so solidly for 70 holes this week, he'll be remembered for having it all fall apart on the final two of regulation and in the playoff.

On 17, he hit a shot over the green and then chipped back off the front of the green.

On 18, he drove into the bunker then short-sided himself with his approach.

On 18 in the playoff, he leaked one right and short of the green.

On 10 in the playoff, he pull-hooked an approach way left into trees.

Those are some pretty poor iron shots under pressure for an extremely good ball-striker.

7:28 p.m. ET: Bill Macatee with Kenny Perry ...

"I had a shot to win. I played beautifully today all the way to 17. ... Not gonna hang my head. ... I may not get this opportunity again, but I had a blast ... I had the tournament to win. I lost the tournament."

7:25 p.m.: Some notes on Angel Cabrera from ESPN's research department:

• First player from South America to win Masters
• Second PGA Tour win
• 19th worldwide win (has 17 international victories)
• Joins Tiger Woods as the only active PGA Tour player with a Masters and U.S. Open win.

Whoa.

Let's read that last one again.

Joins Tiger Woods as the only active PGA Tour player with a Masters and U.S. Open win.

Pretty amazing stat right there. Tells you how difficult it is to win these tourneys. And that's obviously some pretty elite company for Cabrera.

7:24 p.m.: That's now two major victories in the last eight majors for Angel Cabrera.

In the time since the 2007 U.S. Open, Padraig Harrington owns three major titles, Cabrera and Tiger Woods each have two and Trevor Immelman has one.

7:23 p.m.: But from a foot away, Angel Cabrera cleans up his par and wins the 2009 Masters Tournament!

Somewhere, Roberto De Vicenzo might have felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

7:21 p.m.: Angel Cabrera with two putts for the win ...

First one is close, but doesn't go down.

7:20 p.m.: Kenny Perry had a very ticklish, slippery putt for par ...

And he misses.

The par attempt stayed low the whole way and rolls about 2 feet past the hole.

7:19 p.m.: Kenny Perry chips through the green and can't get it to stop, rolls about 15-20 feet past the hole.

Looks like he's still away, a huge advantage for Angel Cabrera.

7:17 p.m.: Just throwing it out there: No Masters sudden-death playoff has ever extended past the second extra hole.

7:16 p.m.: And now Angel Cabrera ...

Great shot that stays below the hole. He'll have about 12-15 feet for birdie and -- barring a miracle chip by Kenny Perry -- a green jacket.

7:15 p.m.: Kenny Perry is first to play ...

Uh-oh. From 178 yards, he hits an ugly hook, bounds down the hill way left.

7:15 p.m.: Here's what Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry have done on No. 10 so far this week ...

• Cabrera: par-par-birdie-bogey
• Perry: birdie-par-birdie-par

Advantage: Perry?

7:12 p.m.: Bill Macatee interviews Chad Campbell ...

"A little unfortunate today. ... I hit a great drive, had that 7-iron ... just hung it out to the right. ... Hit a great bunker shot and a bad putt ... just left the blade open and missed it."

7:11 p.m.: And so we go to the 10th hole ...

Nice drives by each player. Not too far away from each other in the fairway.

7:10 p.m.: If Chad Campbell comes back later tonight and puts 100 balls in that spot, I bet he makes 95 of 'em.

Not sure if that was a nervy stroke or a poor read, but honestly, that's one he should have holed.

He'll be thinking about that putt for the rest of his life.

7:08 p.m.: Two.

Chad Campbell misses his 4-foot attempt.

Wow.

He lipped it out on the right side of the cup. We're down to the day's final pairing again -- Kenny Perry vs. Angel Cabrera. We're off to the 10th.

7:07 p.m.: Angel Cabrera needs to save par to keep going ...

And he does it! The playoff will continue to the 10th hole.

Will it be a two-man playoff or all three?

7:06 p.m.: Chad Campbell needs to get up and down to keep playing ...

Knocks it just past the hole. He'll have about 4 feet coming back for par. Nice bunker shot there.

7:05 p.m.: Next up is Kenny Perry ...

Whoa! Almost pulled a Larry Mize! Perry comes within a foot of chipping in. He'll have a kick-in par from there.

7:04 p.m.: Angel Cabrera is hitting his third shot from the fairway ...

And he knocks it to about 6 feet.

What a turn of events. The guy who drove it into the trees could actually win the playoff! Not inconceivable, by any means.

7:03 p.m.: Now Chad Campbell ...

From great position, he finds the greenside bunker on the right.

Wow, two players right in the fairway and neither can come anywhere close to hitting the green.

7:02 p.m.: And now Kenny Perry from the fairway ...

Yikes. Pushes it well right. Short of the green, not too far from where Angel Cabrera was in regulation.

7:01 p.m.: Angel Cabrera from among the trees ...

Hits a limb, but comes down in the fairway. Could've been worse.

6:59 p.m.: If you're wondering what Phil Mickelson's mindset is right now, consider this:

If he had knocked one on the middle of the green on 12, then two-putted and made the putts on 15 and 17, he'd have his third green jacket right now.

If he had gotten up and down from the drop area and made the two putts, he'd be part of this playoff right now.

6:58 p.m.: And lastly, here's Kenny Perry ...

Good drive. Stays left of the bunker he found during regulation.

6:57 p.m.: And now here's Angel Cabrera ...

Ouch. Big push/slice off the tee. Behind a tree on the pine straw down the right side. No shot from there.

6:56 p.m.: First up is Chad Campbell ...

Nice drive down the right side. Good angle from there.

6:54 p.m.: Channeling former NFL coach Jim Mora:

"What's that? Ah -- playoffs? Don't talk about -- playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs?"

Here's what each player has done in a playoff in his PGA Tour career:

Kenny Perry, 3-2
Won 1991 the Memorial Tournament, def. Hale Irwin
Lost 1996 PGA Championship, lost to Mark Brooks
Lost 2008 AT&T Classic, lost to Ryuji Imada
Won 2008 John Deere Classic, def. Brad Adamonis, Jay Williamson
Won 2009 FBR Open, def. Charley Hoffman

Chad Campbell, 0-1
Lost 2005 Nissan Open, lost to Adam Scott (unofficial)

Angel Cabrera, 0-0

6:48 p.m.: E-mail from Rob in Dallas:

Right now do you think that Cabrera is playing the best? Hard to tell since they all have gotten loose on 17 and 18.

Honestly, if I was to handicap this playoff, I'd say even odds on all three players. Not sure you can say any of 'em has an advantage over any other.

Here's what each has done on No. 18 so far this week:

• Kenny Perry: par-birdie-par-bogey
• Chad Campbell: bogey-birdie-bogey-par
• Angel Cabrera: par-birdie-par-par

Based on those numbers, I suppose Cabrera has the advantage on this first extra hole, but it's negligible.

6:47 p.m.: This is the fifth three-way playoff in Masters history. Here are the others:

• 1987, Larry Mize (4-3) defeated Seve Ballesteros (5) and Greg Norman (4-4) with a birdie on the second playoff hole (No. 11).
• 1979, Fuzzy Zoeller (4-3) defeated Ed Sneed (4-4) and Tom Watson (4-4) with a birdie on the second playoff hole (No. 11).
• 1966, Jack Nicklaus (70) defeated Tommy Jacobs (72) and Gay Brewer (78).
• 1962, Arnold Palmer (68) defeated Gary Player (71) and Dow Finsterwald (77).

6:45 p.m.: E-mail from Kerem in Istanbul:

What are the playoff rules for the Masters? A three-way tie would be awesome to watch.

You ask and you shall receive.

Angel Cabrera sinks his par putt and we'll see Cabrera, Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell heading back to No. 18 for a three-man sudden death playoff.

6:44 p.m.: Kenny Perry gives it a plumb-bob ... and another one ... and another ...

Here we go, for the win ...

AND HE MISSES.

Perry misses on the low side, very much like Chad Campbell did in the second-to-last group.

6:43 p.m.: Kenny Perry will have a putt on 18 to win the Masters.

Never a great putter, he's been solid on the greens in each of his four victories over the past year.

6:42 p.m.: And now here's Angel Cabrera ...

Very good chip to about 2 feet.

6:41 p.m.: Kenny Perry is first to play ...

Rolls to about 15 feet past the pin and checks up. Similar putt to the one Chad Campbell missed just a few minutes ago. We've seen this putt a lot already today.

6:39 p.m.: For as brilliant as Kenny Perry's tee shot on 16 was, this could become a bitter two-hole collapse here at the end.

Can he at the very least reach a playoff? We'll see ...

6:38 p.m.: And now here's Kenny Perry from the bunker ...

Oh, no.

He's short-sided himself on the left side of the green. Ball is lying on a downhill slope without much green to work with at all.

Quite honestly, it will be difficult for Perry just to get up and down from here.

6:37 p.m.: Angel Cabrera with his approach into the 18th green ...

And it leaks short and right of the green. Not a solid swing right there.

6:34 p.m.: Up ahead on 18, Chad Campbell with a right-to-left breaker for birdie ... and it doesn't fall.

He will tap in for par to finish with a final-round 69 and 12-under for the tournament.

Will it be good enough for a playoff? Perhaps ...

6:33 p.m.: Perry has found the first bunker on the left side.

That's close to the shot Mickelson had earlier and remember -- he made bogey from there.

6:32 p.m.: Big tee shot for Angel Cabrera, right down the center.

6:30 p.m.: Perry does indeed clean up his bogey.

First bogey in 22 holes, falls to 13-under with one to play.

Angel Cabrera picks up a stroke by making par.

And we are locked up in a tight one with the final group heading to 18.

6:29 p.m.: Nice approach by Chad Campbell into the final green.

He'll have a putt not unlike the one Shingo Katayama just made a few minutes ago -- about 15-20 feet.

6:28 p.m.: Perry putts up to about 2 feet short of the hole. Likely bogey from there to move back to 13-under.

6:26 p.m.: Let's not start sizing up Kenny Perry for that green jacket just yet.

He blades one past the hole and it rolls all the way off the front of the green.

Gonna be happy with just a two-putt for bogey from here.

Gotta wonder if Perry's starting to feel a little of the ol' chickenbone-in-the-throat syndrome.

6:23 p.m.: Meanwhile, Angel Cabrera winds up in nearly the same place.

They could both get up and down from there ... or we could be in for a huge swing.

6:22 p.m.: Kenny Perry with 176 yards into the 17th green ... and it winds up off the back left.

Tough up and down from there.

6:19 p.m.: Bingo Bango Bongo Shingo.

Shingo Katayama is now your clubhouse leader, punctuating a final-round 68 with a birdie on 18 to finish at 10-under. A lot of stuff would have to go incredibly wrong for the three guys in front of him, but it looks like he's got a solo fourth-place finish, if nothing else.

And somewhere, Phil Mickelson is getting into his rental car and heading down Magnolia Lane.

6:18 p.m.: After knocking his second shot into the greenside bunker on 17, Chad Campbell pitches to a few feet. He'll have that left for par to remain at 12-under.

6:16 p.m.: If you're thinking Kenny Perry might falter on these final two holes, well, it could happen ... but it hasn't yet this week.

Perry has gone par-par-par on 17 and par-birdie-par on 18.

Still just four bogeys for this guy through 70 holes so far.

6:14 p.m.: The scorecard doesn't care how pretty it is.

Angel Cabrera might have been 15 feet farther from the hole than Kenny Perry, but he holes his putt, too, and the final pairing walks off 16 with a pair of birdies.

6:13 p.m.: That wasn't just the greatest shot of Kenny Perry's life; it might go down as one of the best shots in Masters history.

Seriously.

Sure, it might rank somewhere behind Gene Sarazen's double-eagle and Jack's "yessir" putt, but with a 1-shot lead and three holes to play, that's as money a shot as we'll ever see.

6:10 p.m.: Good shot from Angel Cabrera on 16, as he uses the slope and winds up 15 feet above the hole.

But that's nothing compared with Kenny Perry, who nearly drains one for an ace!

Unbelievable shot for Perry considering the pressure of the situation. The ball hit about 15 feet below the hole, took one hop and rolled to within inches.

That's a tap-in from there and he'll move to 14-under, up by 2 with two to play.

6:06 p.m.: Speaking of Chad Campbell, he's got a shorty for birdie on 16 and ...

Uh-oh, looks like he just came down with a case of the Mickelsons.

Campbell pushes the short birdie putt, fails to keep pace with Kenny Perry. He'll remain at 12-under with two to play.

6:05 p.m.: Kenny Perry counters Angel Cabrera's birdie with one of his own at 15. That's his first birdie on a par-5 hole since No. 13 yesterday.

He's now at 13-under, 1 up on Chad Campbell.

6:02 p.m.: After a leaky second shot from 209 yards on 15, Angel Cabrera hits a great chip to within a foot, and that's a birdie.

He's now at 11-under and in second place, 1 back ... for now.

5:59 p.m.: Chad Campbell is now at the 16th hole, which has spelled trouble the first three days. He's played these final three holes in 4-over so far, but ...

When you're hot, you're hot.

Campbell nearly jars his tee shot; he'll have a 5-footer for birdie, not unlike the one Woods drained not too long ago.

5:55 p.m.: Chad Campbell can't make eagle, but takes birdie on 15. That's now birdie on each of the last three par-5 holes for Campbell.

He's tied with Perry at 12-under ... for now.

5:53 p.m.: He would need to do something really special coming in -- and get some help -- but Shingo Katayama just made birdie on 16 to move to 9-under with two to play.

Do they allow cowboy hats at the champions' dinner?

5:51 p.m.: Chad Campbell with a viable eagle opportunity at 15 to move into sole possession of the lead.

As we've seen throughout the week, when Campbell gets hot, he gets really hot -- and he looks to be getting hot again right now.

5:49 p.m.: Macatee with Phil Mickelson ...

On the tee shot on 12: "I was trying to hit a 9-iron over the bunker. ... That was really a terrible swing ... to miss it that far right of where I was aimed was costly."

On the missed putt on 15: "That certainly hurt. ... I didn't hit a very good putt on 15, obviously. ... I didn't trust my read when I made impact, and it was pretty tentative."

On the score he wanted to shoot coming in: "I thought if I could shoot under par [on the back nine], I would have a chance ... but these guys are too good right here. I'm not gonna leave, but these guys are too good."

5:47 p.m.: Kenny Perry for par from 4 feet on 14 ... and he's got it.

Perry has now played 68 holes this week with only four bogeys. That will win most major championships, including this one, apparently.

5:44 p.m.: One last note on Tiger and Phil for now. From my buddy Jared in Boston:

Tiger and Phil is like watching "The Departed." Great movie until the last 15 minutes.

Yup, that about sums things up right there.

5:42 p.m.: Bill Macatee of CBS just spoke with Tiger Woods ...

On his pre-round preparation: "One of the worst warmup sessions I've ever had this morning."

On what he needed to do to win: "Just keep going out there. My number was 11 [under]. If I could post 11 ... I thought I'd be all right."

On the turning point: "I hit a good tee shot down 17 ... just didn't let it cut back to the right and was dead from there."

5:40 p.m.: And some 25-26 hours after declaring this tournament to be a three-man race between Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera, we now have ... a three-man race between Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell and Angel Cabrera.

They're not all coming back to 9-under, so one of these three men will become a first-time Masters champion.

5:37 p.m.: From about 20 feet, Mickelson misses.

After shooting an opening-nine 30, that's a final-round 67. Good, yes, but could have been so, so, so much better.

He's done at 9-under.

And Tiger? He fails to make barkie from the trees. Misses the 10-footer, makes his third bogey of the week on 18.

That's a final-round 68 to finish at 8-under.

Each player is going to have nightmares later tonight, thinking about the things he could have improved upon and capitalized on throughout the week and, especially for Phil, here in the final round.

5:36 p.m.: Phil Mickelson chips to the middle of the green on 18. He's going to have a lengthy putt to save par.

Of course, based on those recent misses, he might not have wanted to hit it too close.

5:34 p.m.: Big putt for Kenny Perry, looking to take a 2-stroke lead ... and he misses the 6-footer on 13.

Meanwhile, Angel Cabrera is still lingering. He makes birdie and moves to 10-under with five to play.

5:32 p.m.: After Tiger Woods rattles one around the tall pines on 18, Phil Mickelson goes bunker to greenside bunker.

Mickelson has a decent chance to get up and down for par, but again -- will it be enough?

5:28 p.m.: E-mail from Brad in Victoria, British Columbia:

Do you think with Mickelson's mis-club on 12 and his short misses on 15 and 17 that he's wasted one of the greatest final rounds ever?

I hate saying "ever" while still living in the present of the round, but I'll say this much: Phil Mickelson could very easily be four strokes better right now, which would mean a 10-under round playing the final hole. Had he made par on 12 and holed those short putts, he could be looking at par right here on 18 for the first 62 in major history.

5:26 p.m.: I know this has never been widely publicized, but Phil Mickelson has had some troubles driving the ball on the 72nd hole of major championships in the past.

That doesn't change here, either.

Mickelson knocks one right into the middle of the left fairway bunker on 18. Gotta start thinking that even a par from there might not be good enough once it's all said and done.

5:25 p.m.: Said it before and I'll say it again: Don't sleep on Chad Campbell.

Big breaker for eagle on 13, right on line ... and it just barely stays short.

That's still an eagle, though. And Campbell moves to 11-under for the first time all day.

5:23 p.m.: Phil Mickelson for his birdie from 5 feet ... and he misses another one!

From very much the same distance as the eagle attempt on 15, Mickelson can't find the bottom of the cup.

Between the tee shot on 12 and the short misses on 15 and 17, he's left a ton out there. Even if you just look at those putts, if he makes 'em, he'd be tied for the lead at 12-under right now.

5:22 p.m.: And he misses.

Bogey for Woods on 17. First of the day. And that will end his Masters chances right there.

5:19 p.m.: Tiger flies his pitch shot about 12 feet past the hole.

I think it's safe to say this: If he misses the par coming back, his hopes for a fifth green jacket are over.

That would put him at 9-under with one hole to play. With Perry at 12-under and Mickelson potentially moving to 11-under, TW needs to make this.

5:17 p.m.: Phil Mickelson with a great approach to 5 feet on 17. He could NEVER miss one from that distance ... uh, right?

Meanwhile, Tiger Woods is forced to bail out short right. Advantage: Phil.

5:16 p.m.: And NOW Kenny Perry has finally made a birdie.

He's weathered the storm, he's refrained from making any mistakes, and now Perry drains a birdie on 12, moving to 12-under and in the lead by 2.

5:13 p.m.: Tweet, tweet ...

almostaghost@JasonSobel: tiger or phil have to win this so today becomes legendary, no?

No.

I think we've already hit legendary. If Kenny Perry hangs on or Chad Campbell comes from behind to win, then they've stepped up to challenge on a day when Tiger and Phil both climbed the leaderboard.

I mean, isn't that what everyone is always asking for? I'm constantly asked questions such as, "How come no one ever steps up to challenge these guys?" Well, a win by someone else today would answer that -- again.

Of course, if one of those two wins, then sure, that would be pretty legendary, too.

5:11 p.m.: Chad Campbell has now played his last five holes in birdie-bogey-par-bogey-birdie.

Nice 15-foot putt on 12 for the latest bird and he joins Tiger and Phil at 10-under.

5:08 p.m.: Phil Mickelson two-putts for par. Tiger Woods drains his birdie with a confident stroke.

Phil and Tiger are now tied for second place at 10-under.

Whatever happens these next two holes, you can put this one right up there with some of the most dramatic final rounds in Masters history.

5:07 p.m.: Kenny Perry has finally made his first birdie of the day at 11 ...

Or not.

His putt hangs on the lip and never drops. Perry throws his putter down in frustration. Soooooo close to a 2-shot lead with seven to play.

5:03 p.m.: Here comes Tiger.

Woods hits his tee shot on 16 to about 5 feet. He'll have that left for birdie.

Now here's Phil, who is 11-over in his career at the 16th ... and it stays about 20 feet above the hole.

If we see miss-make here, the world's top two-ranked players will be tied for second place behind Kenny Perry with two holes to play.

Just throwing this out there: After 18 holes playing together today, could we see Tiger and Phil going at it in sudden death after the round?

5:01 p.m.: Wow, this leaderboard has changed in the past hour or two. Here's the current order:

1. Kenny Perry: -11
2. Phil Mickelson: -10
T-3. Tiger Woods: -9
T-3. Chad Campbell: -9
T-3. Angel Cabrera: -9

4:59 p.m.: Well, Phil Mickelson's birdie attempt is about 12 feet shorter than Tiger's, so it's almost an eagle gimme, right ...?

No.

Mickelson pushes his eagle bid to the left and misses. That would have given him a share of the lead with Perry. Instead, he's 1 back with three to play.

4:57 p.m.: We've seen Tiger Woods hole so many clutch putts over the years. Is this another one ...?

No.

Just barely missed it on the high side.

That's a birdie, will move him to 9-under, 2 shots off the lead. But he'll still need to do some work on the last three holes to catch his playing partner, if not the guys in the final pairing.

4:54 p.m. ET: Eagle hole? Eagle hole!

Tiger Woods knocks his second shot on the par-5 15th to about 15 feet, but Phil Mickelson counters by hitting his to about 4 feet.

They'll each have eagle from there and you'd better believe Kenny Perry, Angel Cabrera, Chad Campbell and just about everyone else within a 100-mile range could hear the roars after those two shots.

In fact, a minute later, they've barely subsided …

4:52 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson could have used what Todd Hamilton just did.

After rinsing his first in the hazard at No. 12, Hamilton holed out from the drop zone for par.

He then proceeded to take a jog up Hogan's Bridge. Of course, anything more than a brisk walk is strictly prohibited here at Augusta National. I'm surprised a marshal didn't tell him to slow down.

4:49 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet …

redsox33redsox@JasonSobel: so far so good! that 3-man race theory is way back in the rearview mirror now though … did anyone see it getting this intense?

Maybe not at this point 24 hours ago … but we should have.

Even though the status quo sort of remained throughout the entire final round last year, this has traditionally been a tournament in which anything can happen on the final day. No reason to think that wouldn't be the case this year, too.

4:45 p.m. ET:E-mail from Jason in Bloomington, Ind.:

Reverse Blog Jinx!!! Since you put up that stat on Tiger's par-5 play yesterday, he has gone birdie-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie on the par-5's. Just sayin' …

You're welcome, Tiger.

That's noteworthy as Tiger and Phil now come to the par-5 15th. Definitely a birdie hole … but could it be an eagle hole for one of them? We've seen two of them so far (Justin Rose, Camilo Villegas).

4:43 p.m. ET: Another halve for Tiger and Phil.

Mickelson lips out his birdie attempt, but stays at 9-under with four to play. Woods makes par as well; he's at 8-under. They're both right there, but unless the leaders start falling back they'll need to make a few more red numbers coming in.

4:39 p.m. ET: I once read a book about a guy who always made par, no matter what.

Can't recall the title of this novel, but one of the underlying themes was that the guy could be hitting his fourth shot on a par-4 from the trees and he'd hole it. Or he could have a tap-in for birdie and he'd miss.

Well, that may be a true story for Kenny Perry. He's just made the turn in even-par for the day with -- you got it -- nine pars. It's good enough so far, as he leads by 1 with nine holes to play.

4:36 p.m. ET: Interesting dichotomy on the par-5 holes between the final group and the seventh-to-last.

While Perry and Cabrera have played the two front-side par-5s in even-par, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have played their three so far in a combined 7-under, including a pair of birdies on 13.

4:30 p.m. ET: ESPNEWS interview. You know you're watching. Back in a few …

4:28 p.m. ET: Talk about not taking advantage … Perry and Cabrera each make par on the par-5 eighth hole. That's now eight straight for Perry, who is still tied for the lead with Campbell, but not making the most of things.

4:22 p.m. ET: Telling stat of the day: Every player in 11th place or better right now is in red figures for the round … except for Steve Stricker (1-over and in T-9) and the two guys in the final pairing, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera.

That's a blueprint in how to get a packed leaderboard in a hurry.

4:19 p.m. ET: Only once in Masters history has a player made back-to-back eagles.

Make it twice.

Dustin Johnson went 3-2 on Nos. 13 and 14. That's four crystal goblets in about a 15-minute span.

He just followed with birdie on 15, which only brings him to 1-over for the round. Sort of tells you what his previous 12 holes had been like.

4:17 p.m. ET: I'm a man!!!

John Merrick is on fire. Four straight birdies, including a near ace on 16, and he is now at 8-under with two to play. He'll likely be the clubhouse leader in about 20-30 minutes. Not sure he'll have enough, but two more birdies to finish would at least put some doubt in the minds of the leaders.

4:16 p.m. ET: Shankopotamos!

Angel Cabrera is a pure ball-striker, but the dude just hit a hosel-rocket with his second shot on No. 8.

U-G-L-Y. He ain't got no alibi.

The good news is he can still theoretically get up and down for birdie from there -- or at least save par.

4:14 p.m. ET: On 12, Phil Mickelson tries to knock a 9-iron onto the front of the green and let it release, but it hits the front right slope and … splash.

That's right -- water ball for Philly Mick. Going to be very costly. Looking at bogey at best from there, could be even worse.

4:12 p.m. ET: Don't sleep on Chad Campbell.

Birdie on the par-5 eighth hole and he's now at 11-under, tied for the lead with Perry.

Campbell has looked very solid so far, with two birdies and six pars.

4:07 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson makes par on No. 11, which is just fine. Not exactly a birdie hole.

Question: If you're Phil Mickelson, would you take seven more pars and a final overall total of 10-under for at least a share of the lead when the round is over?

I say no. With two par-5s coming up, I think Phil would love to shoot at least 34 on the back. That would be a final-round total of 64 and put him at 12-under. And it would mean Kenny Perry needs to shoot 1-under for the remaining 11 holes just to force a playoff.

Still tough to gauge, but I think 12- or 13-under could be the winning number right now.

4:04 p.m. ET: First bungle of the day for Kenny Perry … and while it may not have helped, at least it didn't hurt him.

Perry had about a 5-footer for birdie on the seventh, but missed it. He'll remain at 11-under rather than taking a 2-shot lead.

3:58 p.m. ET: Let's do a quick leaderboard check with a little stream-of-consciousness ramble on each player …

1. Kenny Perry (-11): Will 18 pars be good enough? Doubtful.
T-2. Phil Mickelson (-10) A score of 4-under on the back would mean the lowest single-round total in 406 all-time majors.
T-2. Chad Campbell (-10): Sort of the forgotten man in the whole mix.
T-2. Angel Cabrera (-10): Needs to bounce back from those bogeys and start finding fairways.
5. Jim Furyk (-8): Needs to make a move pretty soon.
T-6. Tiger Woods (-7): If anyone has a Jack-like 30 in him on the back-nine, it's TW.
T-6. Shingo Katayama (-7): Now if Shingo could shoot 30, that would really be a spoiler.
T-6. Steve Stricker (-7): Like Perry, all pars so far. Unlike Perry, that's not good enough.

3:54 p.m. ET: Catch your breath everybody. Another pair of pars for Tiger and Phil at No. 10.

End of the rally? Or just the eye of the storm?

We'll see ...

3:49 p.m. ET: Spy report from Lanier out on the course ...

This is incredible! The crowds around me are so packed that I don't even have to be careful when sending an e-mail. People are running to join at 10 as if they are afraid they will miss history. And with a 30, I guess many did.

As if that didn't tell the entire story, he followed up with one more note ...

You may have to keep me posted; I can barely breathe in this mass of humanity!

When was the last time the seventh-to-last group at the Masters had a following five, 10, maybe even 20 times bigger than the final group of the day? Ever?

3:47 p.m. ET: E-mail from Marc in Salt Lake City:

Your predictions have finally come to pass. Two chunked chips by Cabrera the last two holes (and the one on 2 was weak as well). You've been saying all week he doesn't have the short game of the other contenders. Well done.

Look, make enough predictions and one of 'em is bound to come true, right?

But let's not write off Cabrera, either. Just hit a nice shot to about pin-high on No. 6. He's still very much in the thick of things, obviously.

3:42 p.m. ET: Back in the 2:07 p.m. entry, I wrote, "As long as he keeps it in play, Perry won't make any big numbers. (In the first three rounds, he's posted only four total bogeys.) He's never been the greatest putter, but if he hits enough greens, he'll almost accidentally make a few birdies."

So far, that theme is holding true, as he's started the day with five consecutive pars.

That gives him sole possession of first place, as Angel Cabrera just posted a second straight bogey. Nice little logjam of Cabrera, Mickelson and Campbell just 1 stroke behind Perry.

We've got a fantastic final round going right now. This could be turning into an all-timer. Stay tuned ...

3:37 p.m. ET: Tiger and Phil have each had an up and down week coming into today.

That's different than getting up and down, which each one just did nicely on No. 9.

That's six birdies and three pars for Mickelson, who ties the Masters record with a front-nine 30. Only the second time a player has accomplished that feat in a final round.

3:34 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet ...

NoahPG@JasonSobel The leaderboard is getting awfully spicy, and the story lines are getting better. Masters Sunday becoming quite a spectacle.

Seriously ... is this the same tournament in which someone shot a final-round 75 last year and still won by 3? Is it even the same course?

I think it's safe to say the roars have returned to Augusta National. And the leaders aren't even on the back nine yet, where even more birdies may be available.

3:31 p.m. ET: Entering today, Tiger Woods had played 57 competitive rounds here at Augusta National ... and never made an eagle on No. 8.

That changed a few minutes ago, but he's now amongst the paying spectators in two on No. 9. Playing partner Phil Mickelson is in the front bunker.

3:29 p.m. ET: And yes, I wrote "leaders" not "leader" in the last post.

That's because Angel Cabrera followed his birdie on No. 3 with a bogey on the next hole. Kenny Perry, meanwhile, has four straight pars and they are both on top at 11-under.

3:24 p.m. ET: E-mail from my buddy Tom working on the SportsCenter highlight of the Masters back in the home studio of Bristol, Conn.:

When the leaders are playing, do you think they can hear the roars coming from Tiger and Phil's group? In how many places do they post the standings on the course? Is it possible that they go four holes, hear a bunch of roars and have no idea whether it is Phil or Tiger gaining on them?

The leaders may choose to focus solely on their own games, but there's no blocking out the roars that are emanating from the Tiger/Phil pairing. This is a fairly wide open course -- no corporate chalets or on-course merchandise tents to curtail the noise.

The cheers for Tiger and Phil are greater than cheers for anyone else. And the cheers on a Sunday here at Augusta National are unlike any others. Combine the two and there's no way they don't know about the guys sneaking up on them. And even if all of that fails, yes, there are plenty of hand-operated scoreboards here on the course. I'd be surprised if the leaders weren't glancing at 'em every so often.

3:20 p.m. ET: So, uh, yeah ... remember what I wrote off the top about Tiger and Phil not playing that great? That may have been slightly off ...

Woods has been weathering the storm and rolls in a lengthy eagle on No. 8 to move to 7-under.

But ...

Phil Mickelson counters with a birdie on that hole and moves to 10-under. He's now 6-under for the day through eight holes. And, oh by the way, a birdie here on No. 9 would give Mickelson the lowest front-nine total in the history of the Masters.

Three players have shot 30 on the front 9: Johnny Miller (third round, 1975), Greg Norman (fourth round, 1988) and K.J. Choi (second round, 2004).

3:14 p.m. ET: Pars at the first hole for all four players in the last two groups? Good. Pars at the second hole? Not so good.

That basically loses a stroke to the entire field, as most others on the leaderboard made at least birdie.

As mentioned, Campbell did follow with a birdie on No. 3 and now Angel Cabrera does the same. He's now at 12-under and 1 shot ahead of playing partner Kenny Perry.

3:09 p.m. ET: Uh-oh, Phil Mickelson just dropped from third place.

Nothing he did wrong, though.

Chad Campbell just chipped in at No. 3 to make birdie and move into sole possession of third place, 1 behind Cabrera and Perry.

3:07 p.m. ET: E-mail from Kevin in North Carolina:

I know there is plenty of golf left, but how momentous would it be for Mickelson to possibly win this Masters and obtain the No. 1 world golf ranking with Tiger as his playing partner?

Great point.

An underlying subplot of this pairing is that if Phil can win the Masters and Tiger finishes lower than second, Mickelson will become the game's top-ranked player for the first time in his career.

3:05 p.m. ET: Mickelson indeed makes his birdie on 7. That's a par-birdie-birdie-par-birdie-birdie-birdie start so far to move to within 2 of the leaders.

And guess what? Another birdie hole coming up for Phil at the par-5 eighth.

3:02 p.m. ET: Tiger Woods' week in a microcosm? This birdie putt on 7, a big downhill bender which hits the cup and lips out.

Adding insult to injury, his par putt is outside of Phil's birdie putt.

And no, didn't hear Mickelson tell him, "You're still away!"

3 p.m. ET: WOW!

Phil Mickelson from the trees on the right side of No. 7 ... to within inches of the hole!

Unbelievable shot. He'll tap that one in for his fifth birdie of the day, moving to 9-under and in a share of third place.

Get excited, folks. We could be witnessing history in the making.

FYI, Mickelson posted five birdies on the front nine in 27 holes coming into this round; he's now about to make his fifth in seven holes today.

2:58 p.m. ET: Looks like the greens aren't the only things befuddling Woods right now.

After hitting his approach to the back left of the seventh green, Woods says in frustration, "Wind from the right? How 'bout that gust. You've got to be kidding me."

2:55 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet ...

Dimonator@JasonSobel isn't Tiger Woods supposed to be the one doing what Phil Mickelson is currently doing?

In theory, maybe ... but not the way he's putting the ball so far.

Woods has gone from missing putts by inches in the past few days to missing by 5 feet or more. Looks thoroughly confused and frustrated on the greens right now.

2:51 p.m. ET: Look, Tiger Woods doesn't like losing the Masters. He really doesn't like losing to Phil Mickelson. And here's guessing he really, really, really abhors the fact that Mickelson is racing up the leaderboard as his playing partner.

And yet, there's nothing TW has done about it. He makes another par on 6, but Phil makes his fourth birdie of the day.

Mickelson's now 8-under and in a share of fourth place, just 3 strokes behind the leaders.

2:46 p.m. ET: Every player in the final two pairings has started out with a par on the first hole.

No blood.

2:43 p.m. ET: Some good Phil Mickelson notes from the ESPN research department:

In the 15 times Phil Mickelson has made the cut at the Masters, he has broken par on seven occasions in the final round. He has three final rounds in the 60s; two of those three times he won.

Here are his best final-round totals, with results in parentheses:

• 2003: 68 (3rd)
• 2006: 69 (Win)
• 2004: 69 (Win)

And right on cue, Mickelson fires another dart on the par-3 sixth hole. He'll have about 5 feet for his fourth birdie of the day.

2:38 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet, tweet ...

No, it's not another check of the Twitter feed. That would be a third birdie for Phil Mickelson.

Lefty moves to 7-under, now up to a share of fifth place, while Tiger needs to hole a tense par save just to stay at 5-under.

2:34 p.m. ET: E-mail from Andy in Blogs Unknown:

I promise you that Jim Nantz is licking his lips to try for Angel Cabrera, "On Easter, Angel rises."

Too easy.

I still have my money on a dark horse: "Touched By An Angel."

Although that could be misconstrued as kinda creepy.

In related news, Cabrera just hit his opening tee shot about 900 yards.

2:32 p.m. ET: Tweet, tweet ...

jsmith85@jasonsobel At the bottom of the 'board we have Rocco and Andres Romero fighting tied at +10. AR has one hole left.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times in Argentina.

I think the people of that country would trade a DFL (Dead Freakin' Last) for Romero if it could mean a victory for Angel Cabrera.

2:26 p.m. ET: Tiger and Phil each blow their birdie attempts way past the hole on No. 4, each make their par-saving comebackers.

Just call 'em The Odd Couple ...

"On April 12th, Tiger Woods was asked to remove himself from his usual place atop the Masters leaderboard. That request came from his competitors. Deep down he knew they were right. But he also knew that someday he would return. With nowhere else to go, he appeared in the earlier tee time of his childhood friend, Phil Mickelson. Sometime earlier, Mickelson's competitors had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two former champions share a tee time without driving each other crazy?"

There's a good chance that preceding paragraph made absolutely no sense at all.

2:21 p.m. ET: "Pleasures of the Flesch!"

If you've been reading the Live Blog throughout the week, then you may remember the possible Jim Nantz victory calls for different players that we discussed during Round 1.

Well, that was one cheesy entry for a Nantz-ism if Steve Flesch wins this thing.

Gotta wonder whether the announcer is thinking about it right now, as Flesch just made a nice 15-foot par save on 6 to remain at 6-under.

2:15 p.m. ET: The third-to-last pairing of Rory Sabbatini and Steve Stricker is just about to tee off.

Stricker is an interesting candidate to contend today. He's among the world's best putters, though that hasn't often helped him when on the leaderboard in the final round of a tournament.

From the PGA Tour media staff:
Steve Stricker has not made a bogey since the second hole of the second round. His streak of 35 consecutive holes without a miscue is a career-best for Stricker at a major championship.

Again, the player who makes the fewest mistakes may win the green jacket. That could bode well for Stricker.

2:12 p.m. ET: Phil Mickelson goes 1-up on Tiger Woods.

Damn, did it again. Sorry. Reverting back to my Live Blog from the Accenture Match Play Championship.

Birdie for Phil on No. 3 to move to 6-under. Par for Tiger, he remains at 5-under.

2:07 p.m. ET: One reason to really like Kenny Perry today: He's a terrific ball-striker. So far this week, he's hitting nearly 80 percent of fairways and 80 percent of greens in regulation.

As long as he keeps it in play, Perry won't make any big numbers. (In the first three rounds, he's posted only four total bogeys.) He's never been the greatest putter, but if he hits enough greens, he'll almost accidentally make a few birdies.

Yes, there are scores to be had out here, but the player who makes the fewest mistakes and practices the most patience just may claim the green jacket. I think Perry just may be that man.

2:02 p.m. ET: Tiger and Phil are now All Square through two.

What's that? Oh, sorry -- thought they were the only ones playing out here.

After a pair of nice par saves on the first, they each keep pace with the field by carding birdie on No. 2.

Interesting fact: That's the first birdie for Woods on the second hole so far this week. About time, huh?

1:57 p.m. ET: Every player currently in the top-20 who has already played the second hole -- that's a group of six guys -- has made either eagle or birdie.

Tiger and Phil are now on No. 2 after each saving par on the first. They'll need red numbers just to keep pace.

1:55 p.m. ET: Steve Flesch is heating up.

Just followed that eagle with a birdie on No. 3. He's now at 6-under.

1:49 p.m. ET: Let's check out the Twitter feed ...

brendankogrady@jasonsobel Are you one of the mind that if Cabrera pulls it out, he's the greatest golfer ever from Latin America?

I think he'd be OK sharing that honor with Roberto De Vicenzo. I mean, this guy would have been not only a British Open winner but also a Masters champ if it wasn't for a royal screw job due to the game's silliest rule. (Not to keep pimping old stories I've written, but here's some background, in case you don't know.) Between the two of 'em, I think they can be co-greatest golfers from Latin America.

1:44 p.m. ET: E-mail from John at the University of Florida:

I'm not asking about Tiger or Phil specifically, but do you think that somebody in the field today will be able to go low (i.e. 66 or lower) and make a huge move? Just curious as to whether or not the course is receptive to scores being made today.

Well, first of all, the weather is absolutely perfect. About 75 and sunny, slight swirling breeze, but unless it picks up during the afternoon, nothing that will negatively affect shots.

That said, we've got most of the traditional Sunday pin placements, so nothing will be easy.

Is a 66 out there? Yes, definitely. If it comes from someone in the last two groups, he'll likely be the Masters champion. If it comes from someone like Tiger or Phil, though -- or anyone else starting at 4-under -- they would need the leaders to shoot 73 or worse just to force a playoff and Chad Campbell to fail to break par.

We have seen two 65s already this week, from Campbell in Round 1 and Anthony Kim the next day, so that's a possible score. Unless it comes from someone near the top, though, even that number will need some help.

1:43 p.m. ET: Steve Flesch finished T-5 here a year ago and he's already making a move today, holing out for eagle on the par-5 second.

He's now at 5-under and up to a tie for 10th place.

1:41 p.m. ET: Yes, there is a Live Blog of the Live Blog.

I'm sooooo popular.

1:39 p.m. ET: As I wrote earlier, it will be difficult but not impossible for players starting the round 7 shots back to come back and win.

Here's a piece I wrote last year on Gary Player's 1978 victory. A quick excerpt:

As the story goes, Player was having breakfast with his agent, Mark McCormack, prior to the final round. "I don't have anybody in contention," McCormack lamented. "What about me?" asked Player. "You have to be kidding," McCormack replied. "You're seven strokes behind." He was, but that would change very quickly. Player went out in 34 strokes, culminating with a birdie on No. 9. It was a sign of things to come, as he simply torched the back nine at Augusta, making six birdies en route to a course-record 64, including at the final hole when he drained a 22-foot putt -- in Player's mind, the best shot he's ever hit at the Masters. "I was playing so well," Player recalled, "I played very much like Tiger [Woods], where I didn't know the people around me. I didn't know what my scores were. & The power of the mind can do all kinds of things. But I was really keyed up and I was focused so hard and I was playing so well that I was just thinking of birdies."

For someone to come from behind today, he'll also have to play "very much like Tiger." That will be a difficult task -- even for Tiger himself.

1:37 p.m. ET: What town is left of Augusta? I think there may be a West Augusta ... if so, that's where Tiger Woods' opening tee shot just wound up.

Wait -- is there an East Augusta, too? Because Phil Mickelson just went way right.

Hey, here's the good news: For two guys who don't spend much time together, their second shots will be played from about 400 yards apart, so they've got that going for them, which is nice.

1:35 p.m. ET: The "marquee" pairing of the day -- if you can ever refer to the seventh-to-last group as such -- is just about to tee off.

Woods and Mickelson have been paired together 23 times on the PGA Tour. Here are the results:

Better score: Woods 11, Mickelson 8
Scoring average: Woods 69.0, Mickelson 70.3

They've played together seven times previously in majors:

Better score: Woods 4, Mickelson 1
Scoring average: Woods 70.3, Mickelson 72.0

1:30 p.m.: Congratulations, golf fans. You've successfully navigated through the golf calendar to reach today, the final round of the Masters Tournament, the game's Holy Grail.

I'll be your guide throughout the day here in the Live Blog and in case you can't tell, I'm pumped. Doesn't get any better than this, with Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry tied atop the leaderboard and 17 others within 7 strokes of the lead when the round began.

Let's start off with a few predictions that I have no doubt will be entirely wrong and blamed on the Blog Jinx by the end of the day ...

• You'll hear the name Julius Boros more than a few times today. The 1968 PGA Championship winner is currently the oldest player to claim a major title at 48 years, 2 months, 23 days. Kenny Perry is exactly 48 years, 8 months, 2 days today. Could be history in the making.

• None of the players at 4-under-par will finish better than third or fourth. Seven shots is a lot to make up -- not impossible, though, as I'll explain in a coming blog post -- but there are too many veterans with experience in front of these players. In fact, of the top nine on the leaderboard, each player is at least 33 years old and has competed in at least six Masters.

• Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will each play well, but not well enough. I see something like a 68-70 for each guy, which could propel them into a back-door top-five finish. Will be fun to watch them in the same pairing, but in the end it won't have much of a factor on the overall result.

• In fact, someone else at 4-under coming in will fare better than either Tiger or Phil. Watch out for the pairing of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who should be comfortable as Ryder Cup teammates.

• Last year, Trevor Immelman entered the final round at 11-under, shot 75 and still won by 3. If one of the current co-leaders, also at 11-under, shoots 75 today, he'll be lucky to finish top-five.

• And the winner is ... predicted right here. That's right -- I'm gonna make you watch grainy video of me bumbling in front of the camera trying to spit out my selection. Good times.

OK, let's get this thing going. As always, hit me at mastersblog@gmail.com or Twitter account JasonSobel for questions, comments, suggestions or anything else ...