Masters Results 2012: Peter Hanson Defies Critics with Successful Weekend

Little-known golfer Peter Hanson would etch his name into Masters glory with a dominating performance Sunday, but the leader through three rounds already has made his mark on professional golf whether or not he wins the 2012 Masters.

After missing the cut at last year's Masters, Hanson has roared out to a lead in what would be his first major win. 

Hanson strolled out to an impressive 68 on Thursday, but he wasn't immediately noticed, as many other unknown golfers accompanied him near the top of the scoreboard. 

If Hanson wasn't an afterthought after his round Thursday, then Friday's subpar performance undoubtedly took him out of the mind of the golf world when he posted a plus-two round of 74. His chances of winning the green jacket were all but over.

Then came Saturday, and on the affectionately named "Moving Day," Hanson did himself some miraculous moving. 

He actually began Moving Day with a bogey, but he brilliantly rebounded. He used brilliant iron work on the fairway to set himself up for some tap-in birdies, including a spectacular shot on 18 which had him muttering "all the way, all the way," as his ball rolled within a few feet of the hole.

His Saturday score of 65 was the low score of the tournament until Bo Van Pelt shot a 64 early Sunday. 

A Ryder Cup player for Europe in 2010, Hanson's solid performance at the Masters shouldn't come as a surprise.

But for a golf nation that's submerged by hype over Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, anyone outside of the top 10 golf rankings is a surprise.

Hanson is the 25th ranked golfer in the world, and the Swedish golfer actually finished seventh in the 2011 US Open with a final round score of 67. Although, he surely didn't have the same pressure going into that final round as he will on Sunday with millions of golf fans cheering for his partner, Mickelson, to gain his fourth green jacket.

We live in a golf world where the best expose themselves on the biggest stage. You don't gain notoriety in golf by winning a couple of unimportant tour victories. 

Hanson has a chance to make himself known in golf's biggest stage on Sunday afternoon. But whether he puts on the green jacket or not, this weekend was a success for him.