The Masters is always a bit special, but 2017 felt different. It felt heavy. Augusta National usually provides a backdrop for drama, but that year, it served as a stage for a redemption arc that most golf fans had honestly given up on. If you’re asking who won the 2017 Masters tournament, the short answer is Sergio Garcia. However, just saying his name doesn't really do justice to the sheer chaos of that Sunday afternoon in Georgia.
It was a battle.
Sergio didn’t just beat the field; he beat a decade of his own "nearly-man" reputation. For years, the Spaniard was the guy who blamed the luck of the draw or the "golf gods" when things went south. By the time he arrived at the 79th hole of the tournament—a sudden-death playoff—he wasn't just fighting Justin Rose. He was fighting every ghost of Major Championships past.
The Day the Drought Ended
Sunday at Augusta in 2017 fell on what would have been Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday. You can’t make that up. Seve is the godfather of Spanish golf, a two-time Masters winner, and Sergio’s idol. The pressure was suffocating.
Garcia started the final round tied with Justin Rose at six-under-par. It looked like Sergio might pull away early with a couple of birdies, but then the "Old Sergio" started to peek through. He hooked his drive into the gorse on the 10th. He scrambled for a bogey. Then he bogeyed the 11th. By the time he reached the 13th hole, "Azalea," he was two shots behind Rose and stuck in a bush after a wild drive.
Most people watching at home thought, Here we go again. But something changed. Instead of imploding, he took an unplayable, punched out, and managed a miraculous par save. That was the turning point. If he hadn't saved par there, Rose probably walks away with the jacket. Instead, Sergio found a gear nobody knew he had. He went eagle-birdie on 15 and 16. Suddenly, the gallery was shaking.
The 2017 Masters became a two-man sprint.
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Rose and Garcia were miles ahead of the rest of the pack. Charl Schwartzel finished third, but he was three shots back from the playoff duo. Matt Kuchar and Thomas Pieters rounded out the top five, but honestly, by the time the leaders hit the back nine, everyone else was just background noise.
Breaking Down the Playoff
They finished 72 holes tied at nine-under-par. Rose had a chance to win it on the 18th in regulation but missed a sliding birdie putt. Sergio also had a look from about five feet—a putt to win his first Major and end the "best player to never win one" tag—and he shoved it. It was a nervous, shaky stroke.
They went back to the 18th tee for the playoff.
Rose blinked first. He drove it into the trees on the right, stayed in the pine straws, and couldn't get a clean look at the green. Sergio, meanwhile, striped his drive right down the middle. It was perhaps the most confident swing of his entire career.
Rose scrambled but could only manage a bogey. Sergio had two putts for the win. He only needed one. When that birdie putt disappeared into the cup, Garcia crouched down and screamed, pounding the green with his fist. It was 19 years in the making.
Why This Win Changed the Narrative
Before 2017, Sergio was often viewed as a "tragic" figure in golf. Think about the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah where he chased that ball up the fairway, or the 2007 Open Championship where he lost to Padraig Harrington in a playoff. He was the guy who complained about the cups being too small or the rain being unfair.
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In 2017, he stopped complaining.
He embraced the struggle. Winning the Masters at 37 years old, in his 74th Major start, set a record at the time for the most appearances before a first Major victory. It proved that he wasn't just a ball-striking savant; he actually had the mental toughness to close out the most prestigious tournament in the world.
The Equipment and the Stats
If you're a gear nerd, Sergio was playing with TaylorMade equipment back then. He was using the P750 irons and the M2 driver. His driving was the statistical key to his week; he led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee.
But it was his putting—usually his Achilles' heel—that held up. On that Sunday, he made the putts he absolutely had to make.
Here is how the top of the leaderboard looked when the dust settled:
- Sergio Garcia: -9 (Won on first playoff hole)
- Justin Rose: -9
- Charl Schwartzel: -6
- Thomas Pieters: -5
- Matt Kuchar: -5
It’s worth noting that Jordan Spieth was in the mix early but couldn't overcome a disastrous 75 on Sunday. Defending champion Danny Willett missed the cut entirely, which is a rare and unfortunate bit of Masters history.
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What Most People Forget About the 2017 Tournament
While everyone remembers the playoff, people often forget the weather. Thursday was brutal. Winds were gusting over 30 mph, and the scoring average was nearly 75.
Charley Hoffman opened with a 65 that looked like it was from another planet. He was leading by four shots after the first day. But Augusta has a way of grinding players down. By the weekend, the cream rose to the top, and we were left with the Rose vs. Garcia heavyweight bout.
Another forgotten detail? Dusting Johnson, the world number one at the time, withdrew just minutes before his tee time on Thursday. He had fallen down some stairs in his rental house and hurt his back. That changed the entire gravity of the tournament. With the favorite out, the door was wide open.
Actionable Takeaways for Golf Fans
If you're looking to revisit this iconic moment or learn from Sergio's victory, here is how to apply those "Masters lessons" to your own game or your next trip to a course:
- Watch the 2017 "Official Film": The Masters YouTube channel has a 15-minute highlights package of that year. Pay attention to Sergio’s body language on the 13th hole. It’s a masterclass in staying calm when your world is falling apart.
- Study the 13th Hole Strategy: Most amateurs try to "hero" their way out of the pine straw at Augusta. Sergio took his medicine, took a penalty, and still made par. On your local course, if you're in the woods, just take the sideways out. A bogey is better than a triple.
- The "Seve" Factor: Sergio credited his win to the spirit of Seve Ballesteros. In sports, having a "why" that is bigger than yourself—like playing for a mentor or a cause—often provides the extra 1% of focus needed to win.
- Embrace the "Nearly" Moments: If you're a competitive player, don't let past failures dictate your future. Sergio lost for two decades before he won the big one. Persistence is the only real "secret" in golf.
Sergio Garcia’s 2017 win wasn't just a golf tournament; it was a career-defining exorcism of his personal demons. He finally got his Green Jacket, and he did it on the day his hero would have turned 60. You really couldn't write a better script than that.