Cameron Smith settled for a fifth top-10 finish at the Masters after the green jacket once again eluded the Australian golf superstar.
Smith threatened a final-round charge when he produced a spectacular eagle on the par-5 second at Augusta National on Sunday.
But for the second day in a row he failed to buy a putt as world number one Scottie Scheffler claimed a second Masters victory in three years.
Smith did not make a single birdie. A run of 13 pars after recording his only bogey at the fifth was never enough to challenge the leaders.
He tied for sixth place at two under par with fellow LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau after posting a Sunday 71.
The latest top-10 finish follows his tie for fifth place in 2018, second place in 2020 when he became the first player to record four rounds in the 60s, a joint 10th in 2021 and an equal third place finish. two years ago. .
Smith had gotten two shots off third-round leader Scheffler during an exciting front nine to be just four shots off the lead.
But he couldn’t keep the momentum going down the stretch, as Scheffler won by four shots against exciting young Swede Ludvig Aberg.
Compatriot Cam Davis shared 12th place after a 75 in the final round.
After starting the day at two under and just five behind Scheffler, Davis dropped shots on the first and fifth holes to drop out of the leaderboard.
He returned to the card level for the tournament with a birdie on the par-5 eighth, but, like Smith, was unable to create a birdie on the back nine to catch the leaders.
Davis would have joined Smith in the top 10 if not for a woeful four-putt on the 17th.
Fellow Australians Min Woo Lee and Jason Day produced brilliant results to leave Augusta in good spirits ahead of next month’s PGA Championship, the second major of the year.
After beginning his Masters campaign with a broken finger and battling the flu, Lee closed with a three-under 69 to move up four and share 22nd place with six others, including Adam Scott (72).
“At first I didn’t have enough confidence in my finger, but after making a lot of bogeys starting out, I decided to give it a try,” Lee said.
“I was already on the defensive, but since then I shot even. Pretty decent. It feels good.
“There are a couple of things I need to clean up, but overall it’s a solid sign.”
Day also posted a final round 69 to finish with five overs and a tie for 30th.
“The short game is good. The putting is good,” Day said.
“I just made too many cheap mistakes, didn’t take enough advantage of the opportunities I had, especially on the par fives.
“And then just soft bogeys. Just clean that up, tighten up the swing a little bit and I’ll be ready to go.”
“The game is shaping up to be a good summer. It will be interesting.”
Sports content to make you think… or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered every Friday.
AAP