Not exactly green with envy
It was the dream pairing most golf fans were looking for: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the final round at the Masters.
But try as they might Sunday, golf’s top two players couldn’t make up a seven-shot deficit.
Mickelson shot a 5-under-par 67, and Woods had a 4-under 68 on Sunday. But while they flirted with the leaders midway through the round and gave the fans plenty to cheer about, neither was able to take the lead. Mickelson finished three shots out of the three-way playoff, while Woods was four shots back.
“I didn’t know what (score) it was going to take (to win),” Mickelson said. “I thought 3- or 4-under (in the final round) would be good enough to give myself a reasonable chance.”
Mickelson’s chances increased when he came out with a strong start. The two-time Masters winner matched the best score ever on the front nine with a 30 to get to 10-under. He pulled as close as one shot off the lead, but he had a double bogey on No. 12 and shot 37 on the back nine to finish at 9-under, alone in fifth place.
Mickelson’s 67 was the best final- round score in his Masters career, and he had six birdies and three pars on the front nine.
“The front nine was awesome, it was really fun,” Mickelson said. “It was fun to have a chance on the back nine. That’s what we always want as players. I wanted to play better through the back nine, but the front nine gave me a chance.”
Woods was workmanlike through the round until he finished with consecutive bogeys to take away any chance he had to win his fifth Masters title. Woods has 14 majors, but he has never won one when he was trailing entering the final round.
He finished tied for sixth and has been in the top six the past four years since winning his fourth Masters in 2005.
Woods appeared to be in good shape after he birdied the 13th, 15th and 16th holes. But he bogeyed the 17th after a bad tee shot and bogeyed 18 after he hit his tee shot into the woods.
“When I birdied No. 16, I was right there and just couldn’t finish,” Woods said.
Hole of the day
465-yard, par-4 18th
Angel Cabrera played the 18th twice, saving par both times. He got up and down from just off the green in regulation to get into a three-man playoff, then played out of the trees on the first sudden-death hole before pitching up and making par once again. One hole later, he was the Masters champion.
The Associated Press
Walking tall
Shingo Katayama.
The Japanese golfer who wears a trademark cowboy-style hat finished off an impressive week with a 4-under-par 68.
Downward spiral
Lee Westwood.
The Englishman was even-par for the day through 14 holes, then made three consecutive double bogeys before making a bogey on 18 for a final-round 79.
Denver Post staff & wire reports
