Garcia Took a Penalty in the Bushes and Won the Masters

For almost two decades, Sergio Garcia was known as one of the best players who had never won a major. On Sunday at the 2017 Masters, it looked like it might slip away again. Then he did something simple in a bush on the 13th hole.

The moment

Garcia bogeyed the 10th and the 11th and fell two shots behind his playing partner, Justin Rose. On the par-5 13th, he pulled his drive left into the bushes.

There was no hero shot available. So he took a one-stroke penalty for an unplayable lie, dropped, and punched the ball back up the fairway. From there he hit a wedge to about seven feet and made the putt for par. Rose, who had gone just over the green, missed a short birdie putt. A lead that might have grown to four stayed at two.

That par woke something up. Two holes later Garcia made eagle on the 15th, his first eagle in 452 holes at Augusta. He and Rose finished tied at 9 under, and on the first playoff hole Garcia birdied the 18th to win. It was his first major, at his 74th attempt. Rose walked straight over and hugged him on the green.

Your first-nine lesson: take your medicine, then play the next shot

When a beginner's ball finds the trees or the bushes, the urge is to swing anyway, maybe twice, maybe three times. That's how one tough hole becomes a long one.

The rules give you a calmer way out. If your ball is somewhere you can't sensibly hit it, you can declare it unplayable, add one stroke, and take a drop. Garcia did exactly that with the Masters on the line.

• Look before you swing. Can you make a smooth swing and get it back to the short grass? If not, take the penalty.
• Add one, drop, and move on. One stroke is a small price for a clean next shot.
• Get back in play first. Garcia punched out to the fairway, not toward the flag.
• Then trust your short game. From close in, your 52° or 56° and your putter can still save the hole.

Our lost ball and penalty guide explains your options simply, and the double bogey guide is a friendly reminder that a five or six is fine too.

Related guides and stories

• Lost ball rules for beginners
• Double bogey explained for beginners
• More “even the greats” stories
• Start here

Sources

• BBC Sport, "Masters 2017: Sergio Garcia pips Justin Rose to win at Augusta," Apr 9, 2017
• DP World Tour, "The Masters: Sergio Garcia outduels Justin Rose to land maiden major in 2017"
• theScore, "How the 13th hole won the Masters for Garcia"
• National Post (AP), Apr 2017

Facts are taken from the official and news sources above. Players are named with respect; no player photos or video are used on this page.