European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 10, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                It stars and stripes tuesday april 10200 sports islanders beat devils in shootout to secure last playoff berth Page 37 masters Back to Normal players attack roars Echo on amen Corner a Winner emerges Augusta a the faithful came Early every Day As they Al ways do walking quickly with their Green fold ing chairs to stake out the prime spots in amen Corner it want Al ways an easy March to make be cause for the better part of four Days this masters was almost As agonizing to watch As it was to play Augusta National had morphed into a chamber of horrors with disaster lurking at every turn there were Tim Mahiberg whispers the 0 Green jackets had gone too far this time and that the spirit of Bobby Jones had been lost in the reverend ing Battle to protect the course against modern technology everyone braced for a stumble to the finish the Winner want going to be the Best player in the world merely the Only one left standing on the 18th Green some time Early sunday evening then just when All seemed lost a real masters broke out on the Back nine the familiar roars that had been missing All week echoed once again through the tall Pines As an entire Leader Board full of players traded shots through amen Corner and Down the final holes eagles and birdies returned to their proper places and All was right again in the world of Golf Well almost Zach Johnson is your new masters Champion and while he seems like a Nice enough Guy Hes not going to be com pared to Tiger Woods Phil Mick Elson or even Retief Goosen for that matter the masters is supposed to be won by Guys who pull out the heavy Metal take dead aim at the pin and pull off shots like the one Woods hit on the 13th Hole that curled Back within 3 feet of the cup for his Only Eagle of the week Gene Sarazen began that tradition in just the second masters in 1935 when he spanked a 4wood 235 Yards and watched it Bounce into the Hole for a double Eagle that allowed him to tie Craig Wood and eventually beat him in a playoff Johnson want going to win his Green jacket with such dramatics you cant make double Eagle Lay Morry Zach Johnson tips his hat to the gallery after finishing the 18th Hole during the final round of the masters on sunday Johnson held off Tiger Woods on the Back nine with a final round 3under 69 and matched the highest winning score in masters history with 1over Par total leaders cards a misters sunday yardage 7445 pan 72 final Par out Zach Johnson Rory Sabbatini Retief Goosen Tiger Woods Par in Johnson Sabbatini Goosen Woods 454 343 45436 543 353 44435 443 343 43533 443 343 34432 544 344 45437 443 545 3443672288 443 435 2543469289 443 455 4433569291 444 545 3443769291 543 345 3443572291 the key Hole Augusta a a look at the key Hole in sundays fourth round of the masters Hole 16 yardage 170 Yards pan 3 key facts Winner Zach Johnson who three putted the Hole the first three rounds made a 12footer for Birdie to open a three stroke Lead Tiger Woods later missed his Birdie putt on the Hole ing up and Johnson did that All week on the parts relying on his wedges and Putter to make up the difference against the Power hit ters who were supposed to be the Only ones with a Chance to win on a bulked up Augusta National it worked on the 13th Hole when Johnson had just 213 Yards to the Green and still somehow managed to resist the temptation to go Over Raes Creek with a Long Iron this is a player who knows his game and he wedged it in close for a Birdie hardly a shot heard round the world but Good enough to take a Lead Johnson would never give up All around him though players were attacking a Back nine that played so hard the Day before that the entire Field barely broke 40 anyone within 10 shots of the Lead seemed suddenly emboldened to shoot at greens and pins that they trembled in fear of the previous three rounds see masters on Page 38 worry Tiger Woods reacts to a missed Birdie putt on the 14th Green Woods had just gotten Back into the final round Chase with an Eagle on no 13 heats Wade Rusty but pain free in return 027664 till 463149