Masters Results 2012: Tiger Woods and Most Disappointing Finishes at Augusta

The Masters has long had a way of messing with favorites, and this year's tournament has been no different. To be sure, there are still plenty of top-notch golfers left in the hunt on Sunday, from Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson, to Lee Westwood and Fred Couples.

Scroll down the leaderboard a bit, though, and you'll find these three stars sitting rather uncomfortably out of contention.

Tiger Woods

So much for Tiger being "back." Woods seemed to have a horse in the race at Augusta after winning at Bay Hill two weeks ago and registering a steady performance through most of Thursday.

That is, before a pair of bogeys on 17 and 18 brought him back down to even par.

A three-over 75 on Friday put him eight strokes behind the top spot, and a stagnant 72 on Moving Day put Tiger even further behind the eight ball heading into the final round.

Woods' struggles off the tee and blindness in finding the fairways didn't improve much on Sunday, leaving the four-time green jacket-winner well behind the field that so many thought he'd spank before The Masters began. 

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's Masters collapse came a round earlier this year. "The Next Big Thing" came into the weekend at four strokes under par, but he promptly played his way back into positive territory with a five-over 77 (including four bogeys and two double bogeys) on Moving Day.

Things haven't improved any for McIlroy on Sunday, with the 22-year-old picking up three bogeys through his first seven holes and four in his first 10. He'll have to hope he can recover his mojo at the U.S. Open in San Francisco this June.

Luke Donald

If Luke Donald was magically transformed into a team in another sport, he'd be one on par with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons or the NHL's San Jose Sharks.

That is, one who does exceedingly well during the regular season, but always comes up short under pressure.

Donald's No. 1 ranking has hardly helped him at Augusta, where he struggled with his putts on the course's treacherous greens to put him at seven over after three rounds. Donald found a measure of redemption on Sunday, though, with a four-under 68 that included four birdies and an eagle.

But it was too little and far too late, though it might prove to be enough to keep Donald atop the World Golf Rankings.

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