Masters report

Snedeker struggles again late

AUGUSTA, Ga. - For the second time in his career, Brandt Snedeker was in the hunt going into the final round of the Masters.

And for the second time, he really struggled Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.

In 2008, Snedeker was two shots out of the lead entering the final round but shot a 77 as Trevor Immelman won the tournament. On Sunday, he was tied for the lead with Angel Cabrera, but Snedeker stumbled to a 75 after rounds of 70-70-69 the first three days.

Snedeker finished tied for sixth at 4 under, five shots out of a playoff, which was won by Adam Scott over Cabrera.

“It’s different (than 2008),” Snedeker said. “I’m not as crushed as I was in 2008 because I know I’m going to be there again. I know this golf course so well, and I putted about as poorly as I could (Sunday), and I still had a chance on the back nine. So I’m not … I’m very disappointed that I didn’t win, but I realize that I’m not that far off from winning this thing. I’m going to do it soon.”

Snedeker started his day with a birdie to move to 8 under, but he bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes before a birdie on the eighth got him back to 7 under.

But he really struggled on the back nine with a 39, which included four bogeys and only one birdie.

“It’s just a tough day,” he said. “I really actually played pretty well. The greens really messed me up. I was so used to how fast they were (Saturday), and I left every putt short out there (Sunday). I could not get a putt to the hole.

I did not do a good job of making adjustments, and I’m disappointed. I was there for one reason, to win, and I didn’t do it, and I watched Angel play great. It was very, very disappointing.”

Bubba fine

Defending champion Bubba Watson never really was in the hunt throughout the week as he had rounds of 75-73-70-77 to finish at 7 over.

But he certainly enjoyed the experience of trying to defend his title.

“I enjoyed it,” he said.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy it?

I was playing Sunday, so no matter what place I finished, I was going to get a paycheck. So I’ll be able to eat this week, and then you’ve got to look back at no matter what, unless I make them mad, I’m coming back for the rest of my life.

“I’ll be here, and I’ll have a green jacket sitting in the locker room. You can’t get mad at the situation. You’ve got to just play. You’re going to play bad some days, you’re going to play good some days, and so far I haven’t missed the cut here, so you’ve just got to take it as a positive.”

One hole stood out Sunday, and not as a positive. Watson had a 10 on the par-3 12th, but he wasn’t the only player to do that. Kevin Na also had a 10 on the hole.

“So we tied; so we were even after that hole,” Watson said. “It’s funny, if you’re not going to win, you’ve got to get in the record books somehow, so I’m a guy that got a double-digit score on a par-3.

“When you look back at this week, I had nine three putts, three balls in the water on 11, a 10. So when you add all that up, a tie for 50th is a pretty good week.”

Seniors struggle

Bernhard Langer zoomed up the leaderboard with three straight birdies to open his final round, pulling the two-time Masters champion within two shots of the lead.

Langer made long par putts, as well, on Nos. 4 and 5, but the 55-year-old’s magic ran out. Langer, who won the Masters in 1985 and 1993, made four bogeys and two double-bogeys to go with one birdie in his final 13 holes. Langer finished with a 4-over 76 and tied for 25th.

Fred Couples was also in the mix during the weekend, playing in the final group Saturday. The 53-year-old fell off the pace with a 77 on Saturday but rebounded for a final-round 71 to finish tied for 13th.

Thunder Bear

Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen had the best start Sunday.

He started the day at even, but Olesen birdied the final three holes of the front nine to get to 3 under.

He added birdies on four straight holes beginning with No. 12 to get to 5 under, but he dropped back a shot with a bogey on No. 18. Still, the 24-year-old shot 70-68-68 in the final three rounds to rebound from his first round 78. He finished the tournament tied for sixth, which guarantees him an invite back to Augusta next year.

“I definitely learned a lot about the greens,” said Olesen, who’s name Thorbjorn translates to thunder bear. “I missed a lot of putts the first round, and it got better and better every day.”