Weir claims Canada's first major

Mike Weir last night claimed his first major title with a dramatic play-off victory over Len Mattiace in the 67th US Masters.

Weir triumphed at the first extra hole to become the first Canadian ever to win a major championship and the first left-hander to win a major since Bob Charles’ Open victory in 1963.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said the 32-year-old from Ontario as he was presented with his green jacket by defending champion Tiger Woods.

“It’s something I’ve dreamt about for a long time and worked very hard for it. It’s a thrill and tough for me to put into words because I wouldn’t do it justice.”

Weir carded a closing 68 for a seven-under-par total of 281, matching the score of Mattiace who had a superb final round of 65, one outside the lowest ever final round in the Masters.

Phil Mickelson finished third at Augusta for the third year in a row – and fourth in total – after matching Weir’s closing 68, Jim Furyk also shooting a 68 to finish fourth.

But Woods’ bid for an unprecedented third straight Masters title fizzled out as the world number one struggled to a closing 75 to finish nine shots back.

Mattiace had a two-shot lead on the 18th tee at Augusta but drove into the trees to make his only bogey of the day, and moments later Weir birdied the 15th to get on level terms.

Weir now needed a par on the 18th to force the first play-off since Nick Faldo’s second victory in 1990, and held his nerve to hole from five feet after leaving his first putt short.

Both players found the fairway on the 10th, the first play-off hole, but Mattiace pulled his approach shot well left of the green while Weir found the green in two, 40 feet short of the pin.

Mattiace chipped well past the hole but was given hope when Weir ran his first putt eight feet past.

However, Mattiace then rushed his first putt 15ft past the hole and missed the return, leaving Weir two putts to win the title and the first prize of £640,000.

“It was an incredible day, I could not ask for more to go bogey free on the final day at Augusta National,” Weir added. “It was gut-wrenching. There were a lot of putts I had to make down the stretch and that’s what I was really proud of.

“I wouldn’t wish that last putt on 18 on anybody.

“I don’t own a green jacket, I was hoping this would be my first one and I’m glad to be wearing it right now.”

Mattiace had only made one previous appearance at Augusta, missing the cut in 1988 while still an amateur. His rounds of 79 and 77 contained just two birdies, but in the final round he carded six and an eagle on the 13th to be within touching distance of a remarkable victory.

He had begun the day five shots off the lead but picked up birdies at the second and third, and pitched in from 40 yards for another on the par five-eighth to be out in 33.

He then holed a 70ft birdie putt almost the length of the 10th green, and took the lead for the first time with a superb eagle from 12ft on the par-five 13th.

His approach to the 15th ran just through the back of the green, but two putts were good enough for another birdie, and the sixth of the day soon followed on the 16th from close range.

That gave him a two-shot lead over Weir, who had started two behind leader Maggert but birdied the second and sixth to be out in 34 and into the lead.

Three pars on the back nine were followed by a birdie on the 13th, and another on the 15th reduced his deficit to one.

Mattiace was on target to equal the lowest final round in the Masters, and also the lowest closing round by a champion – Gary Player shot 64 to win in 1978 - but pushed his drive into the trees on the 18th and made a bogey five.

Weir now needed a par to tie, but left his approach to the 18th on the bottom level of the green and did well to hole his second putt from five feet.

Fellow left-hander Mickelson carded his best final round at Augusta by two shots, and the world number four must be wondering what he has to do to win his first major with his nemesis Woods for once out of the equation.

“I thought all week I had a very good chance,” said Mickelson, who holed an 80ft putt for birdie on the second after taking a penalty drop from a creek to the left of the fairway, and hitting a driver from the pine straw for his third shot.

“I was pleased with today’s round, I thought 68 would give me a great chance. I felt it was a very successful weekend. You can’t look at it in terms of wins or losses because you can’t control what the other guys do.”

The hardest luck story, however, probably belonged to overnight leader Maggert, who opened with two pars before suffering a terrible stroke of bad luck on the third.

Attempting to play out of a fairway bunker, Maggert’s shot hit the face of the bunker and bounced back and hit him on the chest, costing him an automatic two-shot penalty which he instantly called on himself.

Now playing his fifth shot from the sand, he did well to hole a 12ft putt for a triple bogey seven and battled back with birdies at the fifth and 10th, only to hit two balls into the water on the 12th to run up a five-over-par eight.

Maggert refused to give in however and made birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th to claim fifth place on his own at two under par.

Ernie Els and Vijay Singh were tied for sixth a shot further back, Els doing well to come back from his opening 79 but never quite getting into contention.

The same could also surprisingly be said of Woods, who began the day four behind Maggert and seemingly primed for a third straight Masters title after a superb 66 on Saturday.

Woods birdied the second to close the gap to three shots, but then double-bogeyed the third and struggled to a closing 75 to finish two over par, his worst finish in seven appearances as a professional.

“I got off to an ideal start, one under through two, but I made a mental blunder on three and that cost me a lot of momentum,” Woods admitted. “It was a bad decision. I wanted to hit an iron but Steve (Williams, his caddie) said it was a better play from down below (nearer the green).

“I went with it but ultimately it’s the player’s call so I made the wrong decision.”

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie led the British challenge, finishing in a tie for 15th after a final round 73.

The former Open champion had missed the cut in his previous three appearances at the Masters, but performed well all week and was in second place midway through the third round before finding Rae’s Creek on the 12th.

Darren Clarke shot a last round 74 to finish a disappointing 28th on six over, the Ulsterman having had a three-shot lead after a first round 66.

Nick Faldo was a shot further back on seven over, two ahead of debutant Justin Rose, who closed with a 77 to be nine over.