Tiger toothless at Masters, ties for 40th place

Tiger toothless at Masters, ties for 40th place

AFP/Getty Images

Tiger Woods never finds his Masters groove, finishing 5-over and tied for 40th.

AUGUSTA, Ga. Tiger Woods gave himself a mock cheer as he rolled in a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday but it couldnt prevent him from recording his worst Masters as a professional.

Woods 5-over 293 score for the week was his worst since he was 5-over and 6-over in his first two appearances as an amateur. His tie for 40th was 18 spots lower than the T-22 he posted in 2004, the year before he won his fourth green jacket.

It was an off week at the wrong time, he said. I didnt hit the ball very good this week and whats frustrating is I know what to do, and I just dont do it, he explained. I get out there and I just dont trust it at all. I fall back into the same old patterns again, and I just need to do more reps. Thank God my short game was good this week and my putting was really good. Unfortunately they were all for pars, not for birdies.

Woods, who usually dominates the par- 5s at Augusta National, was just 1-under on them for the tournament. He had a birdie and an eagle on them Sunday.

The favorite after his win at Bay Hill, he said he never thought he was past his recent troubles after that victory.

Youre never past it, he said. With all the different changes Ive made in my game over the years, youre never past it. Youre still always working on little things. I know the big things that were working on are done, but its the little things, too, now. The details sometimes can be magnified.

Woods is expected to return to action at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow next month.

NO ROAR FOR RORY
The other favorite, Rory McIlroy, followed up his Saturday 77 with a Sunday 76 and ended up tied with Woods in 40th, unable to redeem himself for last years flop.

One better than yesterday, he said when asked how he hit it. No, I got off to a bad start and just couldnt really recover from that. I felt like coming into the weekend I had a chance and sort of blew up the first nine holes on Saturday, and it wasnt great, so I was just trying to recover some today, but I didnt really have my best game today.

PAIR OF ACES
There were two holes-in-one on the 16th hole Sunday, from Bo Van Pelt and Adam S cott. Each one wished he could have traded them for aces last year when, in contention, each barely missed them on the same hole.

Thats exactly what I said to (Scott) Verplank. I was just one year late, said Van Pelt, who hit 6-iron and went on to shoot 64, the lowest fourth round in Masters history, in finishing 1-under.

It was loud. It was massive down there, said Scott, who got his with a little 7-iron en route to a 66 and a 4-under total, tied for eighth. It was like last year. I hit a shot that was feeding down last year and just missed. I would have liked to switch them.

LUKE HAS NO FORCE
Luke Donald, the worlds No. 1-ranked player, closed the week with a 68, his best Masters round ever, but still finished tied for 36th.

Regardless of how I played, Ill leave disappointed this week. It wasnt what I wanted, said Donald. Its not a nice feeling waking up knowing whatever you shoot is probably not going to be good enough. But Ill also leave with some positive feelings after todays round. Its good memories rather than some of the golf that ... wasnt tidy enough the first three days.

KEEGAN LEARNS HIS LESSON
PGA champ Keegan Bradley finished his first Masters with a 69 to finish 2-over. Hes already thinking of better days here.

It taught me a lesson, he said of the week. Augusta beat me up pretty bad. I definitely think this is a course I can play well at. I learned a bunch out there this week ... shots that I thought were perfect that were a little off.

I wanted to hit a good drive on 18. I kind of told myself just imagine you have got a one-shot lead here, just for maybe in the future, and I striped it. I needed that for maybe years to come.

UP AND DOWN
A day after he shot his highest Masters score ever, 81, Stewart Cink matched his best, 69.

Yesterday was shameful and embarrassin g, it really was, he admitted. To come out and shoot that kind of a score in front of a lot of people that I know at a course I love so much. I love playing this thing so much. To shoot that score was a real tough one to take.

I think just after missing the last three cuts here, to make the cut and play four days is somewhat of a step in the right direction, he added.

CAN-DO CANTLAY
Patrick Cantlay, last years low amateur at the U.S. Open, repeated at the Masters with a furious rally over the last four holes. The 20-year-old UCLA sophomore had a nine on the par-5 13th and a double on No. 16 but he eagled the 15th and birdied 16 and 17.

A closing par gave him a 72 and a two-shot advantage on Asian Am champ Hidecki Matsuyama.

I was really upset, so I wasnt going to lay up, especially after hitting those wedges in the water (on 13), Cantlay said, explaining his eagle. So I hit 3-wood and lucked out and got up to like five feet. I didnt really care at that point if I missed it or I made it.

Matsuyama had an 80 to close.