After putting three balls in the water at Augusta, Tiger Woods showed why he is one of the all-time greats

With no hope of winning, Woods registered five birdies in his final six holes, writes Jack de Menezes, and almost overshadowed Masters winner Dustin Johnson

Career worst: Tiger Woods made a 10 at the par 3 12th hole (Getty)

We’ve all been there. Standing on the tee, 155 yards between you and the flag. Could be a pitching wedge, or maybe a nine iron? You make your selection, and a couple of practise swings later, you send a lovely, slight fade to the green, leaving a short putt for birdie.

Only that’s what you imagined, of course, and in the real world you’ve put your ball in the water and are teeing up another after a penalty drop. At this point, as Tiger Woods found out on Sunday afternoon to his horror, damage limitation becomes particularly hard to accomplish.  

Woods found the water on three different occasions on the 12th hole during his final round as he relinquished his grip on the green jacket in the most brutal fashion. The 15-time major champion recorded a seven-over-par 10. It was his worst single-hole score at Augusta National since he first played the course in 1995.