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What contributed more to Angel pulling out what seemed to be an unlikely Masters win?
 
Point: Angel Cabrera won The Masters because he was able to avoid having his brain get in the way of his swing during the 70-72nd holes as well as the playoff.
 
With two holes to go Kenny Perry had only to shoot 1 over to become the oldest winner of The Masters in history. Meanwhile, with 3 holes to go Angel Cabrera faced a nearly insurmountable obstacle.  He would be 3 down if he didn’t make a tricky 18 ft. birdie putt on 16 as Perry would invariably drain his ‘gimme’ on the same hole.  Cabrera nonchalantly knocked it in and went on to play level through the 71st and 72nd holes on his way to a playoff victory.
 
By shutting his brain off (and this is meant as a high compliment) Cabrera was able to get out of his own way and simply execute. Even when he was in trouble (e.g. the first playoff hole) he didn’t overthink his options. His approach was consistent with how he seemed to attack the course all day (and at Oakmont two years ago): See ball. Aim ball. Hit ball. Repeat as needed.  Meanwhile you could almost read the anxiety, hope and despair on Perry’s face during each setup and swing of the club from 17 and 18 in regulation, through the two playoff holes. Call it clutching up, being mentally tough or what I refer to as being ’brain dead’ (again compliment!) Cabrera’s a master of it and it’s the main reason why he is sporting the new green threads.
 
Counterpoint: Angel Cabrera has a green jacket because he got a few more breaks than the other guys, and took advantage of them when it counted.
 
Cabrera got the lucky breaks that Tiger claims is part of winning any major. He hit a quasi-shank Sunday that ended up fine in the fairway. Whereas when Phil, for example, chunk-pulled his 9-iron it was into Rae’s Creek. We all hit poor shots. Golf is about how bad your bad shots are.
 
And, Cabrera’s go-for-broke play from jail on the 18th hole ricocheted back into the fairway. You can’t plan for that. Sure, he still had to get up and down from 70 yards — very impressive — but it was a fortuitous carom that helped carry him to victory. They call it the rub of the green. Luck is involved in golf. It’s an inherent part of the insane game. When you hit 270-some shots in a four-day tournament you’re bound to get a few good and bad bounces.
 
I don’t think it takes anything away from his win. He still played great, especially at the end. But luck was also on his side, and that’s part of what makes it dramatic and interesting.