It took 73 holes in his 74th Major for Sergio Garcia to get his first Major, and it came in dramatic fashion. Garcia fought back late on the back nine to catch Justin Rose and then get past him in a playoff, holing a birdie putt to clinch the Green Jacket. The victory for Garcia came in his 19th Masters appearance. That’s the most Masters events any golfer has ever played before finally winning the prestigious tournament. There was also some Spanish symmetry with Garcia winning on what would have been Seve Ballesteros’ 60th birthday. Ballesteros won the Masters title in 1980 and 1983. He passed away in 2011. Earlier in the week, Garcia received a note from the only other Spaniard to win the Masters, Jose-Maria Olazabal, who told him to believe in himself and trust his abilities.

With Garcia and Justin Rose battling it out in a playoff to decide things, TaylorMade was a big winner as both players use a full assortment of the company’s clubs. M2 driver to get there. Sunday, on the 15th hole, it was Garcia’s M2 driver that powered him well down the fairway where he was able to launch a TaylorMade Proto 750 8-iron onto the green to 15 feet – yes, driver, 8-iron on a par 5! That shot set up his tournament-changing eagle putt. Garcia has utilized a Spider Red putter throughout this season, and that’s what he used to drop that putt. It was the same club that he used in the playoff to sink the 12-foot birdie that gave him his first Major. It’s worth noting that Garcia becomes the first player to win a Major using the new TaylorMade TP5 golf ball.

There’s always a question as to whether golfers who are near the lead heading to Sunday plan their clothing choice so it will match the Green Jacket. And the answer is yes, although the clothing companies are sometimes a little coy about admitting it. As with the clubs, one company dominated the spotlight at the end, with Garcia and Rose both wearing adidas clothing and shoes. Just like so many top players, the two had their outfits for all four rounds scripted by company officials who said that they always ensure the Sunday choice won’t clash with the iconic Augusta green.

One notable difference for the two golfers comes in footwear. Garcia prefers a more traditional golf shoe and wears the Powerband BOA Boost, while Rose prefers the Adicross Gripmore.

The top Canadian at the Masters was Adam Hadwin, who finished tied for 36th. The Abbotsford, B.C., product struggled with his swing through the first three rounds before finally posting a good round on Sunday. Hadwin came in to the Masters after a strong start to the season that included his famous round of 59 and a win at the Valspar Championship. However, he did take some time away from golf but with good reason – he got married. The Callaway staffer has praised his equipment for helping his success this year, relying on his Epic driver and fairways, as well as the X Hot Pro irons. The real key to his success has come on the greens, where he wields an Odyssey Tank Cruiser V-Line. Hadwin is among the top 10 on the PGA Tour in putting statistics, and for much of the last 18 months has been one of the best putters in the game. Despite not playing as well as he would have liked at the Masters, Hadwin still has a lot to play for in the coming weeks. He’d dearly love to reach the Tour Championship in the FedEx Cup and his big goal is to make the International Team for the Presidents Cup. Considering where he was at the start of the year, it’s been a remarkable few months for Canada’s top-ranked golfer.

Three observations from the Masters:

1. The round played by Charley Hoffman on Thursday was one of the best we’ve witnessed at the Masters. With winds gusting up to 50 km/h and swirling around, the Titleist staff player posted a score of 65, just two off the course record shared by Greg Norman and Nick Price. It’s hard to emphasize how difficult the conditions were and how precise Hoffman’s shotmaking was.
2. For some time, Garcia was a target of American golf fans who didn’t like his behavior on the course (such as spitting in the cup), or the fact that he always seemed to play so well at the Ryder Cup, beating the U.S. side. But he was clearly the fan favourite in the playoff with the patrons chanting “Sergio, Sergio,” as he walked off the green after his triumph. It’s satisfying to see the Spaniard getting proper recognition for how hard he’s worked and how long he’s waited to get his first Major.
3. If there was a surprise of the week, it was probably Jordan Spieth’s Sunday round, who never seemed to get on track. His double-bogey on the 12th hole added another chapter to the troubles he’s had there. In his four Masters appearances, his Sunday scores on that hole are bogey-bogey-quad-double. Give him full credit for rallying down the stretch with three birdies on the final four holes.