Cabrera claims Masters triumph

The pair had tied with Perry's Ryder Cup team-mate Chad Campbell on 12 under par after a day earlier dominated by magnificent charges and bad finishes from Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.

Campbell went out when he missed a par putt of under four feet on the first hole of the sudden-death play-off. Cabrera made a seven-footer to stay alive there and triumphed when Perry, who had bogeyed the final two holes when two ahead, missed the green at the second extra hole and failed to get up and down.

At 69th in the world Cabrera became the lowest-rated Masters champion since the rankings began in 1986 - and his triumph came 41 years after his compatriot Roberto de Vicenzo became one of the unluckiest losers ever in major golf.

De Vicenzo was all set to go into a play-off with American Bob Goalby at the same Augusta National course, but signed for a par four on the 17th when he had actually taken three.

The rules stated that he had to accept the higher score and so he is forever listed as a Masters runner-up.

That looked likely to be Cabrera's final position as well, but Perry brought back horrible memories of his finish to the 1996 US PGA championship.

On that occasion he was two ahead with one to play, but carded a closing bogey six, sat in a television studio and watched Mark Brooks birdie, then lost the play-off.