Countdown to the Masters 2011 – Day 37: Player comes back from seven behind in 1978

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Welcome to Day 37 of the Today’s Golfer Countdown to The Masters 2011. Every day from February 17th until the big day when the season’s first Major tees off, April 7th, we will be bringing you some of our favourite memorable moments from The Masters since the tournament started in 1934.

With 24 hours to go, no one in their right mind thought Gary Player had a hope in hell of victory and of claiming his third Green Jacket. After 54 holes, the American Hubert Green led the field at 10-under-par, with the diminutive South African way down the field, an amazing seven shots off the lead, on 3 under.

And even nine holes into his final round, there was little to suggest he was going to walk off with the title, as he was still five shots off the lead. However, he put together a quite incredible back nine of 30, making birdies at seven of his last 10 holes, to win by one from Rod Funseth, Hubert Green and Tom Watson, with Jack Nicklaus a further three shots back. The South African’s 64 matched the best round ever shot at the Tournament; but no one had shot that score in their final round on their way to victory.

On the 10th Player sank a 25 foot birdie putt, and followed that with a 15-footer for birdie on the short par-3 12th. At the two par-5s (13th and 15th) he made two birdies, two putting both from a long way out. Then at the 16th he holed another 15-footer for a birdie; and at the final hole made a 10-footer for yet another one

Funseth, Green and Watson were still out on the course, and when they came to the final hole, they each had very makeable putts to force what would have been the first ever sudden death playoff. But it was not to be. Funseth missed from 15 feet, Watson from 10, and most painfully of all Hubert Green missed from just three feet.

Player picked up $45,000 for the first prize; but much more importantly to him as he admitted afterwards, became the oldest ever Masters winner at the time, at 42 years of age.

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