PGA

• Masters Final Round News & Notes

  
  By Jim Brighters, Golf Editor

  Augusta, GA (Sports Network) - Tiger Woods said earlier this year that winning the single-season Grand Slam was "easily within reason."

  Didn't happen.

  Woods posted a 72 on Sunday to finish alone in second place at the Masters, three shots behind winner Trevor Immelman.

  Woods completed the "Tiger Slam" when he won the last three majors in 2000 and the Masters in 2001. He believes it to be the Grand Slam, but doing it all in one calendar year will have to wait until at least 2009.

  It was on his Web site that Woods brought the possibility of the single-season Slam to the world's attention. Might that have added some pressure to the already nearly impossible task?

  "I learned my lesson there with the press. I'm not going to say anything," said Woods, essentially dismissing the notion that he felt extra pressure. "It's just one of those things when you're out there playing, you couldn't care less. You're trying to win a golf tournament. You're trying to put yourself in position, which I did."

  Woods was clearly in the hunt on Sunday and struck the ball beautifully. A short missed birdie putt at 13 took away some steam, then a bogey at 14 all but knocked him out of contention.

  He caught a glimmer of hope when he ran home a 10-foot birdie putt at the closing hole. Immelman double-bogeyed 16, but parred out for the win.

  "I didn't putt well all week," admitted Woods. "I've tried to release it, tried to get it going, and tried to hook my putts, tried to do anything to get the thing rolling properly. I just didn't quite have it this week."

  Most thought with the windy conditions coming on Sunday Woods would be in perfect shape to sneak up the leaderboard and apply the pressure.

  "We're all playing under difficult conditions, and we figured if we shot something in the 60s we're going to be right there with a chance to win and try to put a lot of pressure on Trevor up there," Woods said. "It turns out that would have been the case. But I didn't do my part."

  NOT ENOUGH FOR LEFTY

  Phil Mickelson had very little chance of mounting a serious Sunday charge starting the round nine shots behind Immelman. He shot an even-par 72, which was very solid in the windy conditions, but was never a real factor Sunday.

  "I was hoping obviously to make more of a run than I did, but it was a tough day today, and I felt like I had to fight pretty hard to keep it around par," said Mickelson. "But I certainly had some chances that could have brought it lower."

  The 2004 and 2006 Masters champion bogeyed the par-three fourth, but got the stroke back before the turn with a birdie at eight. Mickelson dropped a shot at the 12th for the second day in a row, but back-to-back birdies at 13 and 14 gave him some reason for hope.

  A bogey at 16 derailed his chances. That hole plagued him all weekend. Mickelson double-bogeyed the par three on Saturday and the bogey Sunday left him well out of contention.

  "I hit two good shots today and made bogeys on four and 16, putting them in a tough spot and three-putting, where another three feet and it could have rolled down and I could have had a good opportunity both times," said Mickelson. "Some of it might have been play but some of it might have just been unfortunate."

  Mickelson may be in decent shape to win the season's second major, the U.S. Open. He has never won there, coming close in 2006 when Geoff Ogilvy won, but Mickelson might have an extra advantage.

  He grew up in the San Diego area and played countless times at Torrey Pines. Mickelson has won three times at the Buick Invitational,

  "I've been out there a bunch and I've been thinking about it a lot," Mickelson said on Sunday. "I've been playing practice rounds sporadically for some time now, so it's already in the back of my mind."

  Unfortunately for Mickelson, Woods has six Buick Invitationals, including four in a row after a win there this year.

  * Trevor Immelman became the second South African to win the Masters. His idol, Gary Player, was the only other South African to don the green jacket.

  * Immelman earned the first invitation to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

  * Immelman became the fourth player in the last six years to make the Masters his first major victory. Mike Weir (2003), Phil Mickelson (2004) and Zach Johnson (2007) were the others. Woods (2005) and Mickelson (2006) were the two that did not make this their first major title.

  * Immelman became the 17th player in the last 18 years to win the Masters from the final group on Sunday. Johnson last year was the only exception, as he came from the third-to-last group.

  * Paul Casey was assessed a one-stroke penalty on the sixth green Sunday. His ball moved after he addressed it. That gave Casey a bogey and dropped him down to four-under for the championship, which was six off first place.

  * Defending champion Zach Johnson only managed a five-over 77 on Sunday and tied for 20th at plus-three.

  * The hardest hole on Sunday was the par-four 11th with an average of 4.5778. The most difficult hole of the week was also 11, which played to an average of 4.3502.

  * The easiest hole of the final round was the par-five 15th. It played to an average of 4.7778 and was the easiest hole of the week with an average of 4.7762.

  * The next major is the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Angel Cabrera will defend his title. He tied for 25th place this week at Augusta with a four-day total of four-over 292.

  04/13 20:43:57 ET