Rory McIlroy finds trouble at 10th
Rory McIlroy took a four-shot cushion into the final round at Augusta after leading ever since Thursday afternoon, but slumped to a closing 80 as Charl Schwartzel shot a closing 66 to win the green jacket.
McIlroy
still led by a shot at the turn, but a triple-bogey seven at 10 and two more double bogeys on the back nine ended his challenge for a first major title.
still led by a shot at the turn, but a triple-bogey seven at 10 and two more double bogeys on the back nine ended his challenge for a first major title."I just lost it and couldn't get it back," McIlroy said. "I'm very disappointed but I will get over it. I have to take away the positives. I led this golf tournament for 63 holes. Maybe it will build some character."
Schwartzel came out on top after a thrilling final day, making birdies at the last four holes to win by two shots from Australians Adam Scott and Jason Day.
Tiger Woods closed with a 67 to share fourth with England's Luke Donald and another Aussie Geoff Ogilvy on 278, one shot ahead of Argentina's Angel Cabrera and two better than South Korean KJ Choi and American Bo Van Pelt, all of whom had their chances to win.
"It was, I imagine, one of the best Masters to watch," Donald said. The Englishman took a double bogey at 12, birdied the 15th and 16th, took a bogey at 17 and then chipped in for a birdie at 18.
"I dug in deep and came up with some birdies down the stretch but came up short," Donald said. "I gave it my best shot."
Woods lipped out a four-foot eagle putt on the 15th that would have given him the lead on his own after playing the outward nine in 31.
"I was an interested spectator of the Tiger show on the front nine," said Ogilvy, who himself had a run of five straight birdies on the back nine. "It was quite nice to listen to the roars." The former US Open champion added: "I thought I had a chance. It was nice to finish with my best nine holes."
Woods has not won a major since the 2008 US Open but is showing signs of the form that won him 14 before his much-publicised personal problems.
"I got off to a nice start," Woods said. "On the back nine, I could have capitalised more. I hit it good all day. I'm happy about that."
