By Phil Casey, PA Sport, Augusta

Tiger Woods failed in his bid for an unprecedented third straight US Masters title at Augusta.

Woods birdied the second hole of his final round but then double-bogeyed the next and was never able to reproduce the form which saw him shoot a 66 on Saturday to get back into contention.

He kept battling to the end but eventually finished tied for 15th.

Woods was only the third man, after Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo, to have the chance of a hat-trick of victories at Augusta National.

Nicklaus missed the cut by a shot in 1967 after winning the previous two years, while Faldo finished joint 12th in 1991, five shots behind winner Ian Woosnam, after winning back-to-back play-offs in 1989-90.

The 27-year-old carded a third round 66 on Saturday to climb from a share of last place to joint fifth on one under par, four shots behind surprise leader Jeff Maggert.

The world number one had been 11 shots off the lead at halfway, saving par from a greenside bunker on the final hole of his second round simply to make the cut on five over par.

Six birdies and no bogeys later and Woods was ominously placed on the leaderboard and poised to complete possibly the greatest comeback ever.

It all seemed to be going to plan in the early stages of the final round as well, Woods saving par on the first after finding the fairway bunker and coming up just short of the green.

He then smashed a drive 325 yards down the par-five second hole and hit a superb long iron from 250 yards to within 20 feet of the hole, and although his eagle putt was under hit, he tapped in for a birdie four.

The tee on the third hole, normally playing 350 yards, had been brought forward today to tempt players into going for the green, and Woods was up for the challenge.

However he carved his drive deep into the trees to the right of the hole, and was fortunate to find it lying next to a bush. He was unable to take a normal stance however, and had to play the shot left-handed, turning round the face of a pitching wedge and punching the ball out just short of the green.

The third shot was completely mishit however and flew straight across the green, and from there Woods' delicate attempt to get the ball up a slope and then downhill to the flag was left on top of the bank.

Two putts later Woods signed for a double bogey six, and when he three-putted the next as well for a bogey, he was two over for his round and one over for the tournament.

Woods, whose eight previous major wins have all come when he led or shared the lead going into the final round, had to scramble to save par on the fifth and sixth as well, but could not do so on the seventh after finding a greenside bunker.

Another bogey followed on the next after finding more sand and then fluffing another chip, but Woods gave himself a fighting chance with an approach to three feet for birdie on the ninth.

Woods also two-putted the par five 13th for a birdie but bogeyed the 14th, and by then knew his challenge was over.

Woods eventually carded a final round 75 for a two over total of 290, his worst in seven appearances as a professional at Augusta.

All eight of Woods' major victories have come when he led or shared the lead going into the final round, and he has now failed to win any of the four times he has been in contention with 18 holes to go.

He trailed by five shots and came up short behind close friend Mark O'Meara in the 1998 Open at Birkdale. He briefly shared the lead after 70 holes of the 1999 US Open before faltering and losing out to the late Payne Stewart.

He then made consecutive bogeys on the back nine before closing with four straight birdies to lose by a shot to Rich Beem at the 2002 USPGA Championship.

This time it was a four-shot deficit to Jeff Maggert which Woods was unable to overcome, although his problems really started with a first round 76, and he was 11 behind Mike Weir at halfway after a second round 73.

Woods admitted his decision to try and drive the green on the third, which led to a double bogey, was a costly mistake.

"I got off to an ideal start, one under through two, but I made a mental blunder on three and that cost me a lot of momentum.

"It was a bad decision. I wanted to hit an iron but Steve (Williams, his caddie) said it was a better play from down below (nearer the green).

"I went with it but ultimately it's the player's call so I made the wrong decision."