From the highs to the lows, Richard Hinds reviews Australia's year in sport Mark Webber retired from Formula One. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) Source: Supplied Australia's Year in International Sport It wasn't easy wearing green. Who did not fear Angel Cabrera would hole a long putt on the 18th or conjure some other feat of Mize-ian magic during the playoff and leave Adam Scott ashen faced and empty-handed? Over those nerve-racking final holes at Augusta National, Scott was not merely battling an Argentine veteran for a significant title. He was confronting the greatest curse in Australian sport. All while wrestling nagging self-doubts. The mental demons accumulated during an accomplished, but still unfulfilled career. The memories of his disastrous collapse on the last four holes of the 2012 British Open. Adam Scott celebrates his Masters win at Augusta. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) Source: Getty Images Traditionally, the caddie handles the luggage. But when he stood over his putt on the second playoff hole, Scott was carrying more baggage than the carousels at LA International Airport. When Scott waved it all away with one sweet swing of that long putter? There was euphoria, elation and, in his Scott's gleeful exclamation - "Come on Aussie!" - patriotic pride. But, for thousands of white-knuckled fans in Australia there was also sheer relief. Relief that Australia's Augusta mission had finally been accomplished. But also that Scott had received a richly deserved reward. It was not merely the manner in which Scott won the Masters that made him such a popular champion, but the mature way he had dealt with calamity at the British Open. Something he emphasised with a memorable month-long lap of honour in Australia during the spring. Mick Fanning claimed his third WSP tour title. A surfing three-peat. The only individual accomplishment by an Australian on the world stage to challenge Scott's also caused some nailbiting. Mick Fanning's third world title came only after a couple of late victories in the final event of the season and with the masterful Kelly Slater breathing down his neck. Scott's triumph was the culmination of a long but relatively ride to the top. Fanning had to overcome injury - a hamstring tendon torn from the bone - and, in the death 15 years ago of his brother Sean, personal trauma. In the 41 year-old Slater, Fanning also had to confront the Bradman of his sport. Winning three titles even in the great American's competitive sunset is a vast achievement. Becoming just the fifth male surfer to hold three titles puts Fanning in elite company. Ruling the waves - for the US. Australia didn't win the Americas Cup. But many Australians had a large hand in America's amazing comeback from 1-8 down to beat New Zealand 9-8. That included the hand on the tiller. Team America captain James Spithill will not be remembered as fondly as John Bertrand because he did not bring the trophy home. But with back-to-back victories for his American paymasters, Spithill has assumed an exalted place in the race's folklore. Australia's Oracle Team USA skipper James Spithill with the America's Cup trophy. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP Source: AFP Fading gracefully Mark Webber did not win a grand prix in his final year of F1. He was almost always the bridesmaid to the sport's new superstar Sebastian Vettel. There remained a lingering frustration about the latter stages of Webber's career. The slow starts, the mechanical failures, then bingles. Sometimes he seemed to be in a supermarket car park on a Saturday morning, not on a grand prix track. But nine victories and 42 podium finishes from 215 starts constitutes an admirable career in a highly competitive sport. One during which Webber often seemed to be competing against his own team. Two years after he won the Tour de France, Cadel Evans hinted the 2013 version would be his last. If so, he leaves a vast legacy for Australian cycling. If the great race was popularised here during the now discredited Lance Armstrong's glory days, Evans was the man who made an impossible dream a reality for the growing band of local riders. Simon Gerrans' stage wins in 2013, and all subsequent success by Australians in Paris, will owe something to him. Cate Campbell proved Australian swimming is far from finished. Picture: Liam Kidston. No Olympic hangover The year after an Olympics can be a down time for some athletes. But, perhaps partly motivated by disappointments in London, Australians did well across various world championships. Rower Kim Crow's victory in the single sculls, on top of silver and bronze medals in London, was exceptional. Cate Campbell's gold medal in the 100 metres freestyle at the Barcelona world championships was also laudable. Sally Pearson finished second in the world titles, but didn't lose any admirers. Yet, oddly, it was hard to know what to make of James Magnussen's 100 metres freestyle world championship. Perhaps unfairly, it only seemed to accentuate the lost opportunities in London where the discipline and preparation of some swim team members came under scrutiny. Holger Osieck was axed despite qualifying Australia for the World Cup. Teams in disarray For the Socceroos, the joy of World Cup qualification over-ridden by the reality of the job they face in Brazil. On tour they were beaten as badly as Serena Williams' first round opponent - 6-0 6-0 to Brazil and France. A 4-0 defeat in India and a 3-0 Ashes defeat in England for the Australian cricketers. Which, as it later events proved, really was the bottom of the barrel. It was not a glorious year for Australian teams on the biggest international stages. Yet, with a late wag of the tail, it was one that provided some decent accomplishments. The Wallabies redeemed themselves, at least on the field, with four consecutive victories at the end of what had been an abject year. Wins that left feeling some sort of discipline and cohesion had been restored to a struggling outfit. The Kangaroos won a World Cup which seemed to take longer than George Rose running a marathon. Actually, they turned the tournament into an exhibition of collective and individual brilliance and underlined that the sport is in its glory days. Lleyton Hewitt enjoyed a renaissance during 2013. Waiting for a rally The Australian Davis Cup team finally returned to the World Group thanks partly to the enduring efforts of the now veteran war horse Lleyton Hewitt. Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty made three grand slam doubles titles. Sam Stosur preserved her top 20 ranking with some improved late-season form. Otherwise, Australian tennis was the biggest disappointment on the world stage. At least for those retaining some hope the game's fortunes would soon be revived. The unedifying case of John Tomic's attack on his son's French hitting partner Thomas Drouet was symptomatic of the sport's malaise. The most talented players are, all too often, the most troublesome. Which is why, for Australian fans, the greatest pleasure during the year might have come from reading Rod Laver's recently released memoirs and revelling in past glories. The final tally. Not a vintage year in Australian sport abroad, but some remarkable achievements. One during which Scott put a tick next to one of the major items on the nation's sporting bucket list. Now it's over to the Soccerooos...