Augusta, Georgia, April 12: The echoes returned Sunday to Augusta National Golf Club.

A second nine that may have been the most riveting in 23 years – since the historic winning charge by Jack Nicklaus in 1986 – unfolded with fascinating twists and, finally, a playoff victory by a golfer from Argentina, Angel Cabrera.

There was anticipation and expectation at every turn and behind every towering loblolly pine.

Down at Amen Corner, if you listened carefully, you could hear the whispered prayers.

Phil Mickelson’s pleas went unheeded. The only response he heard was the splash of his ball into Rae’s Creek. The left-hander’s once indescribably brilliant round sunk there.

Tiger Woods and Mickelson, like the two heavyweight champions they are in the game of golf, exchanged knockout blows. To each other.

At the end, neither was left standing, victims of too many body shots, too much recoil and too few holes left in their Arnie-like charges. They did to each other what they were trying to do to the nine golfers who were in front of them when the final round began.

The last man standing was Cabrera, an easy-going and long-hitting Argentine who now has a Green Jacket as Masters Champion to go with the U.S. Open trophy he won in 2007.

"This moment and in ’07 are the happiest moments of my life," said Cabrera, who won the Masters on his 10th attempt.

The focus didn't revert to Cabrera and Kenny Perry, the 54-hole co-leaders, and Chad Campbell, until after Woods and Mickelson had run out of time and holes but there was no question the impact Woods and Mickelson had on the outcome.

"When Tiger and Phil were making birdies, making a move, I felt I had to make a move myself," Cabrera said.

"It’s the Masters. A lot of birdies, a lot of bogeys, a lot of magical things. Simply the Masters."

Cabrera, beneficiary of a fortunate bounce off a tree on the first extra hole which led to a par, won with another par on the second extra hole, the 10th at Augusta National. Campbell was eliminated with a bogey at the first extra hole and Perry went out when he made bogey at the second extra hole. No extra-hole playoff at the Masters has ever gone beyond the second hole.

Cabrera shot a final-round 71 for a 276 total. Perry also shot 71 while Campbell had 69 as they joined Cabrera at 12-under-par through 72 holes. Perry had a two-shot lead with two holes to play but finished bogey-bogey.

As daylight began to turn to dusk, Perry was clearly the man to beat.

"I played beautifully all the way to 17," Perry said. "I'm not going to hang my head. I fought hard. I was nervous. I was proud the way I hung in there. I may never get this opportunity again. I had the tournament to win. I lost the tournament."

Augusta National played once again like so many remembered, like in the days when Nicklaus won his sixth Green Jacket. It was Sunday at the Masters, the second nine at Augusta National, and so much was going on all over the golf course.

There were roars and cheers, groans and tears. And there were plenty of birdies and eagles.

"You feel like you need to make birdies," Campbell said. "A lot of guys in front of us were doing a lot."

Nobody was doing more than Mickelson with Woods in pursuit as another chapter was written in their famous rivalry.

Mickelson went out in 30, matching the best front nine score ever posted at the Masters, but could only manage 67 for a 279 total, nine-under-par. His round and his total were one stroke better than Woods. Mickelson finished fifth and Woods tied for sixth.

Everybody wanted a Woods-Mickelson final round at the Masters. But when they arrived at Augusta National for Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. tee time, a full hour before the last group of Perry and Cabrera, everybody figured the duel in the Augusta sun between the world’s two top-ranked golfers – Woods is No. 1, Mickelson is No. 2 – would be a cameo appearance.

It turned out to be something far more. It was captivating, thanks to Mickelson’s brilliant first nine. Woods had a bit part until then but that all changed when he made a 45-foot bomb for eagle at the par-5 eighth hole.

At the start of the final round, nine golfers were ahead of Mickelson and Woods, and seven others were even. When Mickelson got to the 10th tee, only two golfers – Perry and Cabrera – were ahead of him. One hole later, only Perry was ahead of Mickelson.

The echoes came from the roars and cheers that followed Woods and Mickelson.

"It was a fun front nine," Mickelson said. "I thought there were some pins you could get to and you could get a little bit of momentum.

Three golfers shared the record for the low front nine of 30 before Mickelson joined them. They are Johnny Miller (third round, 1975), Greg Norman (fourth round, 1988) and K.J. Choi, (second round, 2004).

Woods and Mickelson made the turn still in the middle of the fray. Mickelson could go no lower than 10-under-par. Woods reached that point after birdies at the 13th, 15th and 16th holes but was derailed by back-to-back bogeys to finish.

The 12th hole was Mickelson’s undoing.

"Starting the back, I thought if I get it under par, I would have a chance," he said. "If I -could get it to 13- or 14-under-par. I was trying to hit a 9-iron over the bunker. That was really a terrible swing after so many good iron shots I hit. The ball went into the water and I stopped making putts."

Woods and Mickelson played in the final pairing Sunday in 2001, the year Woods completed the Tiger Slam with a victory in the Masters. Woods shot 68 that day, two strokes better than Mickelson, who finished third, another stroke behind runner-up David Duval.

It was the only time Woods and Mickelson had been paired together in the Masters until Sunday.

On one other occasion, the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot, they were paired in the final round of a major. Both shot 75.

Between them, Woods (4) and Mickelson (2) had won five of six Masters beginning in 2001.

"It was fun," Mickelson said of the renewal of their rivalry. "We've had some good matches in the past. I'm usually on the wrong end of it. It’s always fun playing with him. I've always enjoyed it."

The tension was palpable on the first tee where Woods, hitting first, and Mickelson each hit wicked hooks way off the fairway.

"One of worst warm-up sessions I have ever had and one worst tee shots I've ever hit on the first tee," Woods said.

"You just go about your own business. Phil was obviously playing well but still I was just trying to post 11-under-par, shoot 65, and I thought that would have been a good number to post. Obviously, I didn't do it."