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It was the tee-time that promised so much but delivered very little. Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth will both look back on the 81st Masters as a chance missed.
The young American duo’s scores were, in fact, the highest of all players in the top-25 in the final round and they could do nothing but watch as Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose fought it out between them for the green jacket.
A three-over 76 for Fowler, which saw him cover the back nine in 40, left him in a tie for 11th.
He now has seven top-tens in 28 major appearances, but no wins.
And, bluntly, he said he just didn’t have it when he needed it most.
“It would have been nice if we could have given (the galleries) a reason to get a little louder. But unfortunately didn’t do a whole lot of that,” he said.
“It would have been nice to swing a little better, like I have been. I didn’t just hit the ball up and down or make the putts I needed to.”
Congrats @TheSergioGarcia!! Well deserved and great playing...soak it in my man!!
— Rickie Fowler (@RickieFowler) April 9, 2017
Spieth was bullish on the Saturday night, saying he was going to ‘swing freely’ in the final round, but that didn’t amount to anything of any note.
Incredibly, he found the water for the second year in a row on a Sunday at Augusta’s 12th hole, and walked off with a double bogey. By then, however, his challenge had long gone.
The 23-year-old – whose worst finish in three appearances at Augusta was second before today – went round the course seemingly made for him in 75 blows to finish just outside the top-ten alongside Fowler.
It was an uncharacteristic round that included six bogeys.
“It was the most free that I’ve ever felt at Augusta National and so be it that I end up shooting one of my worst rounds,” said Spieth. “It was so bizarre that I didn’t feel one nerve. I felt as calm as I’ve ever felt. But I’m taking a lot of positives out of this week, I really am.”
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