Masters 2012: Bubba Watson Wins Coveted Green Jacket in Thrilling Playoff

After a thrilling sudden-death finish, Bubba Watson is the 2012 Masters champion. Watson took down Louis Oosthuizen on the second hole of playoff action.

Watson can thank a miraculous second shot on that second playoff for his victory. After a tee shot went wildly to the left, Watson hit an amazing second shot from the woods to end up just 10 feet from the hole. 

Watson watched Oosthuizen narrowly miss a par putt and then tap in for bogey. He knew he only needed a two-putt to claim the green jacket, and he did that with ease. 

He barely missed the birdie putt and tapped in for a par and the victory. It is Watson's first major win in his second major playoff—he lost the 2010 PGA Championship in a playoff. 

This capped a spectacular day of golf. 

Oosthuizen and Watson entered the playoff after finishing 72 holes of Augusta golf locked at 10-under par. The two players were partnered together all day as they began the final round trailing Peter Hanson by two (Oosthuizen) and three shots (Watson).

Oosthuizen made up his strokes on the leader in a hurry. He rocketed out to the lead on the strength of one of the most memorable shots in Masters history.

On the par-five second hole, Oosthuizen drilled his second shot. It landed on the front of the green, perfectly splitting the two green-side bunkers. His ball then ran the length of the green, curved to the right and found the bottom of the cup for an albatross. 

It was just the fourth double eagle in the history of the Masters, and the first ever on the second hole. It also allowed Oosthuizen to turn a two-shot deficit into a one-stroke lead with just one swing of the club. 

Third-round leader Hanson proved quickly he would not be a factor. He bogeyed two of the first three holes.

At that point, it was clear that the man who was playing in just his fourth major was not going to have what it takes to put together a winning Sunday round. 

After beginning the day in second, Phil Mickelson made a decent late run, but his hopes were doomed when he fired a triple-bogey six on the par-three fourth hole. 

That helped open the door for fellow lefty Bubba Watson. He made this the fifth time a lefty has won at Augusta in the last 10 years.