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Augusta - Lee Westwood was down but not out after another attempt to win a major came up agonisingly short at the Masters on Sunday.
The 38-year-old Englishman covered the back nine at Augusta National in 32 for an eight-under par total of 280, but that turned out to be two shots too many to get into the sudden-death playoff that saw Bubba Watson beat Louis Oosthuizen.
That now makes it six top-three finishes in his last 10 majors for Westwood, who had risen to the world No. 1 ranking, won tournaments around the world and starred in the Ryder Cup, but never, so far in his career, won one of the four major championships.
Once again, it was his putting that let him down.
"The story of the week is you have got to putt well to win the Masters and I haven't putted well," he said.
"Came out and missed a two-footer on the third inexplicably and that is not the kind of thing that will give you confidence for the rest of the round.
"So I didn't really make that many putts. The longest I made was 10 foot on 18. I made a good one at the right time, but that's not really good enough."
Westwood now has 10 top-five finishes in his career in major tournaments and with his 39th birthday falling later this month, he knows that time is not on his side.
But he insists he has not given up yet.
"Keep plugging away and working out. Don't give up. I don't feel like giving up just yet," he said.
