Tiger Woods made a valiant Sunday run to win his fifth green jacket, but came up short in the 75th Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
Starting the final round tied for ninth, seven strokes behind pacesetter Rory McIlroy, the 35-year-old Woods electrified the patrons by posting a 5-under-par 31 on the front nine to earn a share of the lead.
Ultimately, two short missed putts ruined his comeback. Woods returned in even-par 36 and settled for a 5-under 67 to finish at 10-under 278 and tied for fourth for the second straight year. Woods was four strokes behind winner Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, who birdied the last four holes and shot 66. It marked the sixth consecutive year Woods has finished sixth or better at Augusta.
"I got off to a good start," Woods said. "I should have shot 3- or 4-under on the back nine and I only posted even."
Playing in warm, mostly windless conditions with Martin Laird of Scotland, Woods wore his customary final-round red shirt, black pants and black hat. He parred the first hole, then birdied the par-5 second.
At the short, par-4 third, he smashed a huge drive just below the elevated green, then hit a marvelous sand wedge four feet short of the hole and made the birdie putt.
The rally temporarily stalled at the 233-yard, par-3 fourth, where Woods was distracted by something during his backswing and pulled his tee shot about 60 feet left of the back-right pin placement. Tiger's birdie putt wound up eight feet left of the hole, and he missed the par attempt for a three-putt bogey.
Following a two-putt par at No. 5, Woods birdied the downhill, par-3 sixth hole for the third time in the tournament. He landed his tee shot well right of the front-left pin position and used the slope to feed the ball nine feet below the hole, then buried the putt.
At the uphill, par-4 seventh, Woods split the fairway and knocked his approach shot eight feet right of the hole. The birdie putt found the center of the cup, with Tiger pumping his right fist after sinking it.
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