Back nine lifts Brian Gay's spirits at Masters

The bogey tap-in at No. 18 aside, Brian Gay has something to build on with his effort on the final nine Sunday at the Masters Tournament.

Gay posted one eagle, two birdies, five pars and that bogey in his last nine holes en route to an even-par 72 for the day and 4-over 292 for the tournament.

“I just wanted to go out and shoot a good round,” Gay said. “I didn’t really have a number in my mind. Even on the back nine, it was a goal to play as if I was in contention. I guess I should have had that better mindset on the front, but I definitely had it on the back.”

The front nine was not pretty. He opened with a bogey, then birdied No. 2 before going on a bogey run on Nos. 4, 5 and 6. After starting the day at 4-over, he fell to 7-over.

“I wasn’t focused that good this morning on the front,” he said. “I was kind of all over the lot, and I 3-putted five and six. I had two tough putts up the hills.”

The 41-year-old could have sulked, but he understood he had just nine holes left in his second Masters – the first time he’s played on the weekend.

“I just had to turn it around, pick myself up and get back in the game and still try to shoot a good score,” said Gay, who spent part of his early childhood in Louisville, Ga., about 45 miles from Augusta. His parents and relatives still live there.

Gay gave his family and friends in attendance reason to cheer on the back nine.

He birdied the par-4 10th from about 12 feet. After a calm stretch of four pars, he parlayed a good drive on the par-5 15th to be on the green in two shots. That set up an eagle try on a 40-foot putt, and triggered huge applause when he sank it.

“It was the only long one I made,” he saidt. “I didn’t have any chip-ins. I putted my short putts solid all week. But I didn’t make any mid-range or long putts.”

His laser aim continued on the par-3 16th, where his tee shot landed high of the pin and rolled to within 2 feet of the cup for a short birdie putt.

His approach shot at 17 didn’t stay on the elevated green, but he chipped close to the hole to save par. On the par-4 18th, his approach landed right of the green on the edge of the sloped fringe and stayed there.

“I got really, really unlucky on 18. That ball could never sit where it’s at,” Gay said. “That ball would have rolled down to within 10 feet of the hole. I don’t know how it sat there on that slope.”

He hit the ball to about 5 feet of the cup and missed the par putt, but that sour finish didn’t ruin his Masters experience.

“It’s great to be here. I look forward to coming back,” said Gay, who made his Masters debut in 2010. “I learned a lot playing four rounds. You definitely got to know where to put the ball based on where the pins are.”