Sergio García is a rarity among the world’s best golfers: he’s been so good, for so long, that fans know him by a single name–yet entering this year’s Masters, he had never won a major tournament. That drought, spanning 73 career starts, ended on April 9 in an unforgettable fashion. After trading shots with Justin Rose across the storied back nine at Augusta National, García, 37, had a chance to clinch the title with a putt on 18. He missed it, sending the pair to a one-hole playoff. This time García was as good as gold, sinking a birdie putt that caused the staid crowd to erupt in shouts of “Ser-gee-oh! Ser-gee-oh!”
It was a moment of redemption for García, whose reputation has been dogged by his inability to win the big one. Consider that dragon slain.
This appears in the April 24, 2017 issue of TIME.
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