Rickie Fowler started Masters Sunday just a shot behind co-leaders Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose.
Jordan Spieth was just two back. The two young Americans were in the next-to-last group Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club, a perfect pairing on a perfect day.
Surely one would come through and challenge for the Green Jacket.
Spieth had the track record and momentum. Fowler had momentum as well.
Things went horribly wrong for both.
There would be no challenge.
Fowler managed to stay in it through nine, shooting even par on the front. But he’d find nothing but trouble coming home, shooting 40 on the back nine, good for a whopping 76.
Spieth failed to launch early. He bogeyed two of his first three holes and took himself out of it early. And by the 12th hole, he would suffer the indignity of hitting his tee shot in the water on the short par three on Sunday for the second straight year. This time he salvaged double-bogey, rather than a seven.
Still, Spieth finished with 75 to equal his first-round misery.
Both American stars finished one-under and tied for 11th on a day of pure disappointment for the next-to-last pairing.
For Spieth, it was his worst-ever finish in the tournament, ending his second-first-second run over the past three years.
“I was out of the tournament with plenty of holes to go,” he said. “Sometimes that’s the way it goes. The one on 12, I felt a little sad. But I’m taking a lot of positives coming out of this week.”
