Phil Mickelson (L) of the U.S. congratulates compatriot Zach Johnson after presenting him with his green jacket after Johnson won the 2007 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, April 8, 2007. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

    BEIJING, April 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Augusta National is not a normal golf course, the Masters certainly is not a normal golf tournament and Zach Johnson would normally not expect to don the green jacket that symbolizes the championship, but that's exactly what Johnson did Sunday to the delight of a lot of normal golf fans.

    Johnson pulled away from Tiger Woods and the rest of the pack with three birdies in a pivotal four-hole stretch, closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory over Woods, Retief Goosen and Rory Sabbatini. It was only the second victory of his career.

    Johnson finished at 1-over 289, matching a Masters record last set in 1956 for highest winning score. And it ended a streak of the winner coming out of the final group at Augusta National every year since 1991.

    "I'm from Cedar Rapids, Iowa," he said when asked to describe himself. "That's about it. I'm a normal guy."

    Yeah, but normal guys from Cedar Rapids don't beat Woods in the final round of a major, especially after Woods grabs the lead. Normal guys don't score three clutch birdies on the back nine of the Master, unshaken by the tumultous cheers after Woods makes an eagle to mount a charge.

    "He played beautifully," Woods said. "Look at the round he shot out there, the score. He did what he needed to do. He went out there, grinded away, made shots he needed to make."

    Woods was within two shots after his eagle on the 13th hole, but all he could muster were pars the rest of the way. His last chance ended when his approach to the 18th settled 20 feet to the right of the pin.

    "I was sitting in the locker room, waiting for Tiger to hit his shot on 18, and I thought, 'He's done stranger things,¡±¡¯Johnson said. "The guy is a phenom. The next person to come along like him, who knows how long that will be? It makes it that much more gratifying knowing I beat Tiger Woods."

    The 31-year-old Johnson is the least accomplished Masters champion since Larry Mize, who also had only one PGA Tour victory, chipped in to beat Greg Norman in a playoff 20 years ago.

    "As they say, a giant has got to fall at some point," he said.

    Woods seemed on the way to fifth Masters and third straight major when he took the lead after a short birdie on the second hole.

    But Johnson and three other players came after him, and this time Woods was the one who backed off with sloppy mistakes -- a broken club, shots that either found the water or the bunker and too many putts that stayed out of the cup.

    It was the third time Woods lost a lead during the final round of a major, and the first time he ever failed to get it back.

    He closed with a 72, the first time as a professional he has played the Masters without breaking par. Goosen and Sabbatini each shot 69 on a day when the course finally allowed something that resembled those fabled charges on the back nine.

    Johnson chipped away at the myth that the Masters is only for the big boys. He didn't try to reach any of the par 5s in two all week, yet he played them better than anyone with 11 birdies and no bogeys.

    "I knew if I stayed in the present, I'd do well," he said. "I kept rolling that ball, and it was my day, I guess. Pretty lucky."

    (Agencies)

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]