The headline of local newspaper, the Gold Coast Bulletin, screamed ‘That’s our Boy’ in giant spreads replicated in every major publication across the country. Mayor Tom Tate immediately announced that the Gold Coast will welcome home their Masters champion with the 'Keys to the city’, in a ceremony that is likely to attract tens of thousands to the streets.
It is a fitting reward for perseverance and the dignity in which Scott dealt with the loss to Ernie Els in last year’s Open Championship. And there can be no doubting that just as others reached out to him in support last year, one of Scott’s first actions will be to call both Day and Leishman with some kinds words and to offer his commiserations, particularly for Day who has now had two Green Jackets slip from his grasp in the past three years.
In winning his first major, the circumstances for Scott were not unlike those for Phil Mickelson who had knocked on the door for an eternity before breaking through for his first major in equally exciting fashion at the Masters in 2004. Both he and Scott had made the identical number of Masters’ appearances before winning their first green jackets and with a significant monkey off his back, there is no denying Scott has the game to win multiple majors.
Norman, for one, thinks he now has all the tools at his disposal to go on to become Australia’s most successful player in history.
Tiger Woods’ tilt at Jack Nicklaus’s major haul of 18 might have just gotten a little harder too, with a player like Scott now having the ‘belief’ card firmly in his back pocket. Tiger had his own issues at Augusta – one felt that if he had gone on to win that there were many more majors to come; but even Woods – the width of a flag stick notwithstanding – can't beat an entire nation.
It was, of course, inevitable that an Australian would win the Masters one day but who it might have been and when it might happen was the greatest mystery. Adam Scott – and a fabulous support cast that included the highly underrated John Senden – provided Australians golf fans with perhaps their best Monday of all time when they were bemoaning the lack of numbers in the field before the tournament.
For the first time, Australians and this tournament will not be referred to only in terms of Greek tragedies; they now have a chapter written showcasing a tale of supreme triumph.
There is always a first time for everything and Adam Scott - Masters Champion - will, now and forever, be regarded as the ultimate.
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