Masters 2012: Holes the Runners-Up Wish They Had Back

After a long and grueling 72-hole escapade that is the Masters at Augusta, the green jacket came down to a few poor holes by those just a few shots back.

With winner Bubba Watson taking former British Open champ Louis Oosthuizen to a two-hole sudden-death playoff, the score was shockingly tight. Neither of the final pairing of Phil Mickelson and Peter Hanson were in contention after their final putts. 

Here's a look at the off shots and horrible meltdowns on the course down the stretch that allowed for Bubba Watson's unlikely victory. 

Phil Mickelson's 4th Hole - Sunday

Mickelson was just a few shots behind the leader, Oosthuizen, when he pulled off a terrible tee shot on a par-three fourth hole that left him in a rough patch of pine and mulch. He tried a back-handed approach, going righty with his club facing downward that only pushed the ball out about three inches.

He hit his next shot in a similarly odd fashion that reached the bunker. It seemed like he would save a double bogey before his chip rolled just past the hole. 

In such a tight Masters tournament down the stretch, Mickelson's errors in the rough in the fourth hole cost him his fourth green jacket. 

Matt Kuchar's 16th Hole - Sunday

"KOOOOOOCH!" 

The crowd favorite, Kuchar made a strong surge to tie for the lead after his brilliant second shot on the 15th fairway, which led to a tap-in eagle for the former Masters Amateur champ. But his poor 16th hole ended up dooming his once-high shot of Masters glory.

Kuchar hit a off tee shot on the par-three, for which he immediately showed his lack of appreciation. The ball wasn't as off as he displayed, but it didn't catch the green's slope and sat a little less than 50 feet from the hole.

He found the groove of the green well with his second shot, which rolled down to about an eight-foot chance to save par. He just missed the putt and couldn't put enough together to get to the minus-10 status of Watson and Oosthuizen.

Louis Oosthuizen's 2nd and Final Sudden Death Hole - Sunday

Neither of the two finalists in the sudden-death finale could afford to bogey a hole with the level that each was playing, and that's just what determined who won the green jacket.

Oosthuizen actually had the better tee shot of the two, despite neither player hitting the fairway. He lied in the rough with a straight shot at the hole, but put it short of the green and had to chip.

Watson's brilliant hook shot from the rough put Oosthuizen's back against the wall, and he couldn't afford anything less than a one-putt. He just missed dropping in a slanted putt that ultimately would have extended it to another hole since Watson missed his putt. 

In the end, Watson's par was enough to win the Masters.