Masters 2012 Playoff: Sudden-Death Finish Is Perfect Finale to Epic Tournament

The 2012 Masters entered with an unprecedented amount of hype and it leaves with a thrilling amount of excitement. 

Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson finished 72 holes of Augusta golf tied in first place at 10-under par. They now embark for a sudden-death finish to determine the winner of the green jacket. 

This tournament deserved nothing less as it had hit the top of the charts in anticipation. Tiger Woods entered the tournament off his first PGA win in 30 months. He was a slight favorite to win over Rory McIlroy. 

All signs pointed to Woods and McIlroy going head-to-head at this point, but that wasn't all that played into the hype. 

McIlroy and Woods ended up being nothing more than a side story for this tournament as they fell out of contention, but there were plenty of other stories to make this Masters endlessly compelling. 

Former No. 1 Lee Westwood looked ready to win his first major after holding the lead due to a fantastic first round. 

Then the ageless Fred Couples (52) held a share of the lead after the second round and looked to be the oldest major champion in the history of golf. 

The third round arrived and added even more excitement. Little known Peter Hanson fired a scintillating 65 to rocket into the lead in just the fourth major he had ever played in, and he wasn't even the biggest story of the day. 

That honor belonged to Phil Mickelson. Lefty shot an amazing 30 on the back to card a 66 on the day and sit in second place. 

And those moments had nothing on the action of the final day. Oosthuizen drilled a double eagle on the par-five second to turn a two-shot deficit into a one-stroke lead. 

Only he couldn't hold onto the lead because the streaky Bubba Watson fired four straight birdies on holes 13-16 to grab a share of the lead.

They would continue to share that lead right through the scheduled 72nd hole of this tournament, and they now begin what is likely to be an amazing playoff, which will provide us all with a fitting end to a wonderful four days of golf.