Just when you thought he was out, he pulled you back in.
Tiger Woods very nearly pulled off the impossible Sunday after starting the final round 7 shots back. He stormed up the front nine in electrifying fashion but couldn't follow through on the back nine.
Woods finished with a final-round 67, 5 under for the day and 10 under for the tournament.
Despite a brief stint as the leader in the clubhouse, he continued his string of close-but-not-quite finishes at the Masters. Since his last green jacket in 2005, Woods has finished tied for third, tied for second, second, tied for sixth, tied for fourth and — on Sunday — tied for fourth.
"I got off to a nice start there and posted 31," Woods said, "and then on the back nine, I could have capitalized some more."
But the chances to go even lower kept slipping away. On No. 12, he lipped out a short putt for par and dropped a stroke. On 13, a hole he birdied in the first three rounds and on which he is 41 under in his career, he took par. A makeable eagle putt on 15 slipped past and he settled for birdie.
Eventual champion Charl Schwartzel played the final four holes in 4 under on Sunday. Woods played the same holes at even par. Schwartzel defeated Woods by 4 strokes.
No repeat for Mickelson • Phil Mickelson entered this year's Masters looking to become the fourth player to win the tournament in consecutive years.
Instead, he struggled throughout the week and finished well back in the pack at 1-under-par 287, tied for 27th. Mickelson never really got going throughout the week, shooting rounds of 70-72-71-74.
Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Woods remain the only back-to-back winners in Masters history.
"I love these greens, I usually putt them very well, but I struggled this week," Mickelson said.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie • The Australians were headed for a very g'day at the Masters. The leaderboard was filled with guys from Down Under. When Adam Scott rolled in a short birdie putt at the 16th hole, he had the lead all to himself. Jason Day and Geoff Ogilvy were right in the mix, too.
By sheer numbers, the golfing-mad country seemed poised to celebrate the only major championship its never won.
Sorry, mate. The Aussies will have to wait a little longer.
"It's just disappointing that I didn't win when I held the lead with a few holes to go," Scott, 30, said, looking down and struggling to get the words out. "I'm usually a pretty good closer. I didn't do a bad job today, but Charl was better."
Masters officials apologize to female reporter • Masters officials have apologized to sports columnist Tara Sullivan of The Bergen (N.J.) Record after she was denied entry to a locker room for a post-tournament interview.
Augusta National spokesman Steve Ethun says a security guard acted improperly in stopping Sullivan, since club policy is to provide equal access to reporters. Several female reporters confirmed they had made numerous trips to the locker room for interviews in the past.