Adam Scott beat Angel Cabrera on the second extra play-off hole at Augusta National to claim his first major championship and become the first Australian winner of the Masters.
After making a fine birdie at the 72nd and parring the same hole during the play-off, he knocked in a 12-footer on the 10th following Cabrera's narrow miss.
He was always in the running on a topsy turvy day, with the lead shifting between him, compatriot Jason Day, Cabrera and overnight leader Brandt Snedeker.
Snedeker started off with a birdie, but things started heating up when Day holed his third at the par-5 2nd to reach eight-under-par.
But both Snedeker and Day dropped shots on the front nine, and Scott, who offset a bogey at the first with a birdie at the fourth, was also struggling for momentum.
At the turn, it was Cabrera - who birdied the second and seventh - who found himself in a three shot lead on nine-under-par.
He would bogey the 10th, and after another dropped shot at 13 and Day and Scott birdies at the same hole, his lead had been wiped out.
Day pushed on from there, and found himself in the outright lead after back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15 took him to nine under.
He bogied 16 and 17, though, and trailed Cabrera - who birdied 16 - and Scott - who two-putted for a four at 15 - by one standing on the 18th tee.
Needing a birdie, his effort from 20 feet just slipped past the right hand side of the cup, and his fate was now in the hands of those behind.
From the fairway behind, Scott hit a fine approach to 15 feet and displayed some uncharacteristic emotion after his ball toppled into the left of the hole.
He clearly felt nine-under-par was good enough for victory, but Cabrera, watching from the 18th fairway, sensationally knocked his approach to three feet and tapped in the putt to force a play-off.
Both players made par on the first extra hole, the 18th, and gave themselves good birdie opportunities on the 10th.
Cabrera's 15-footer slipped narrowly past, and Scott, banishing the demons from his heart wrenching collapse at the Open, buried his putt to become a major champion for the first time.
"I don't know how that happened, it seems a long way away from a couple of years ago," said Scott.
"It fell my way today, and there was some luck there. I just don't know how to digest it. It was incredible. Bubba's an inspiration, and so in Tianlang."
It was also a proud day for Australia, which ended its 79-year wait for a Green Jacket.
"I tried not to think about that today, and I was quite good at staying in the moment. Australia is a proud sporting nation and it's amazing that it's come down to me today.
"There is one guy who inspired a nation of golfers and that was Greg Norman. Part of this belongs to him."
1) Adam Scott (AUS) 69 72 69 69 = 279 - $1,440,000 2) Angel Cabrera (ARG) 71 69 69 70 = $864,000 3) Jason Day (AUS) 70 68 73 70 = 281 $544,000 T4) Tiger Woods (USA) 70 73 70 70 = 283 - $352,000 T4) Marc Leishman (AUS) 66 73 72 72 = 283 - $352,000 T6) Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN) 78 70 68 68 = 284 - $278,000 T6) Brandt Snedeker (USA) 70 70 69 75 = 284 - $278,000 T8) Sergio Garcia (ESP) 66 76 73 70 = 285 - $232,000 T8) Matt Kuchar (USA) 68 75 69 73 = 285 - $232,000 T8) Lee Westwood (ENG) 70 71 73 71 = 285 - $232,000
Bold signifies Titleist Golf Ball usage
