Adam Scott became an instant national hero when he won the US Masters on Sunday, snapping one of the country’s great sporting hoodoos.

The 32-year-old Queenslander ended decades of near-misses and heartbreak for Australians at Augusta National when he defeated 2009 champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina with a birdie at the second hole of a sudden-death play-off.

Scott showed nerves of steel as he holed the winning putt from four metres on Augusta National’s 10th hole after Cabrera left his birdie putt almost on the lip.

He became the 10th Australian to win a men’s major, the first since Geoff Ogilvy in the 2006 US Open.

But he’s the first to win the Masters after Australians famously finished second outright or tied second eight times in the past, including Scott’s tie for second two years ago.

It was sweet redemption for Scott who had surrendered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in last year’s British Open, where he was runner-up to Ernie Els.

“I found my way today,” said Scott.

“It seems a long way away from a couple of years ago here and even last July when I was trying to win another major.

“It’s incredible to be in this position. I’m honoured.”

Scott did his best to shut out the weight of Australian golf history on him.

“The thing I did well out there was just stay right where I was, wherever it was on the golf course. I stayed in that one shot,” he said.

“Australia is a proud sporting nation and this was one notch on the belt that we’ve never got.”

Scott paid a special tribute to his childhood idol and career-long friend Greg Norman, whose name is inextricably linked with Masters heartache after his 1996 meltdown.

“It’s amazing that it’s come down to me today,” said Scott.

“But it was one guy who inspired a nation of golfers and that’s Greg Norman.

“He’s been incredible to me and all the young golfers in Australia.

“Part of this definitely belongs to him.”

Earlier, Scott holed a seven-metre birdie putt on the last hole of regulation play to shoot a closing three-under-par 69 and finish at nine-under 279.

But 43-year-old Cabrera nailed his approach shot at the 18th, putting it within a metre of the hole and matched Scott’s birdie to tie him with a round of 70.

Scott’s countryman Jason Day finished outright third, two shots back after a closing 70. Day had stood on the 16th tee with a two shot lead but leaked home with two bogeys.

Fellow Australian Marc Leishman (72) finished off a great week to end at five-under, tied for fourth with Tiger Woods (70).

Scott and Cabrera returned to the 18th for the first play-off hole.

After piping drives down the middle Scott fired into the green first and was short, sucking the ball back off the green.

But Cabrera couldn’t respond, producing an almost identical shot.

Cabrera then went close to holing the chip shot, but both made par to send the playoff to the 10th.

Scott once again sent his drive down the middle and Cabrera used iron to match him.

Both men hit the putting surface; Cabrera had five metres, while Scott was left to negotiate four metres.

Cabrera’s putt settled on the edge giving Scott the stage and flung his arms in the air as a flood of pent up emotion poured out when his putt rolled in.

Scott, who bogeyed his nemesis first hole but birdied the third with a lovely curling putt then made nine straight pars before nailing a birdie on the 13th thanks to some luck with Rae’s Creek.

Scott’s approach was sucking back towards the water but managed to stay up on the bank.

He then chipped to close, made the birdie and was back in the mix.

He faced a makeable eagle try on the 15th but managed only birdie. Still it was good enough to share the lead as Day bogeyed ahead.

While Day stumbled Cabrera continued the challenge with a birdie on the 16th to join the lead.

The Argentinean barely missed another birdie on 17 before his 18th hole heroics.

John Senden closed with a 74 to finish at three-over in a tie for 35th.