The Real Winner? Augusta

Every Monday during the PGA Tour season, Monday Pin Placement will run as a wrap-up of the weekend's action. Basically, we'll focus on what you missed while you were out grinding on the putting green.

In 1996, Greg Norman had one of the most epic collapses in the history of golf. Carrying a six-shot lead into the final round of that year's Masters, Norman was set to finally grab that green jacket that had eluded him for so long.

You all know the story. Norman wound up losing the tournament to Nick Faldo and in accordance with the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words," has this lasting image that summed up his experience at Augusta. After a final round 78, Norman had two choices: he could duck out of Augusta or he could face the music. Norman responded courageously by heading into the press room and answering all questions asked of him for 45 minutes. He earned the respect of darn near any golfer that has played the game.

This Sunday, Kenny Perry did his best Norman impression. A near perfect tee shot on the par-3 16 on Sunday led to a birdie and a two-shot lead for the 48-year-old Perry. But then bogeys on his final two holes and a bogey on the second playoff hole doomed Perry.

Yet afterwards, did Perry sulk about his play or complain about Angel Cabrera's good fortune on the first playoff hole when Angel's second shot caromed off a tree and back into the fairway? Nope. After his day was done, Kenny answered the questions that were asked of him and admitted that he was proud of himself for sticking it out.

Basically, Kenny Perry was introduced to Augusta National.

In the end, this '09 Masters might go down as one of the most thrilling we've ever seen, especially the final round. From the initial Sunday tee shots of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who both snap-hooked their balls to opposite ends of the golf course only to save pars and combine to shoot 9-under on the front nine on Sunday, to Cabrera's gutsy second shot on the second playoff hole (No. 10), Augusta was alive and juiced.

Everyone got in on the action.

Dustin Johnson made back-to-back eagles on 13 and 14. John Merrick, in his first Masters, closed with a 66 to finish t-6. Shingo Katayama was one of the few to birdie the 18th on Sunday.

A buddy of mine called me on Saturday to ask what made the Masters so special. I tried to explain the answer, but all I should have done was tell him to watch the telecast on Sunday. From Pat Summerall's voice introducing us to the CBS coverage, to the pin placement on 12, to the fact that No. 13 is a 510-yard par-5 that can produce a double-bogey just as quick as an eagle, Augusta National and the Masters are what makes golf so wonderful.

Cabrera showed us on Sunday that there are two ways to win a Masters. You can do it the Tiger way of '97 and just blitz the field, giving nobody a chance as you zoom past them with birdie after dominating birdie. And then the other way is the Faldo way of winning. You just hang around long enough to see everyone else falter, which is exactly what Cabrera did.

Angel made three bogeys and just one birdie through his first 10 holes on Sunday. He shanked his second shot on the first hole of his back nine. It looked bleak for the Argentinian. That was, until he poured in a couple of birdie putts and didn't add anymore blemishes to his score and eventually slipped on the green jacket when Perry and Chad Campbell couldn't step up.

This Sunday was exactly what makes Augusta the best venue in sports. Sometimes even the most beautiful setting in the world can make even the greatest golfers shake their heads in disappointment.

Final Round Handshakes ...

-- TaylorMade and Golfsmith can breath a sigh of relief and now claim all those drivers they sold in the Sergio Garcia sweepstakes. After Sergio's second round 67, the Spaniard put together weekend rounds of 75-74 to finish t-38.

-- Anthony Kim tied for 20th in his first Masters this week, but left Augusta with some records of his own. In the second round, Kim broke the record for most birdies in a round at the Masters with 11, and then tied Tiger's record of most birdies in two rounds with 16. All in all, Kim's week was a fun roller-coaster ride. The 23-year-old finished the week with 31 pars, 22 birdies, 16 bogeys and two double-bogeys.

-- There have been three back-to-back champions of the Masters, so asking Trevor Immelman to be the fourth was a tough task. Looking past the fact that Immelman is 29 and still has highlights in his hair, the '08 champion had a respectable week defending his title with a t-20 finish.