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As Garcia and Justin Rose slugged it out in an all-European
duel for the Green Jacket, Spieth shot an error-strewn 75 and
Fowler an ugly 76, extending his wait for a first major title.
Both Americans finished tied for 11th on one under par, eight
shots behind Garcia, who beat Rose in a playoff.
Spieth, who finished second, first and second in his first three
Masters, was not unhappy with the way he played despite dropping
seven shots over the opening 14 holes.
"I struck the ball well," he told reporters. "Distance control
is so key here and I was two yards into the rough so many times
today and it makes a huge difference on controlling the distance
out of the rough."
The 12th hole proved problematic once again for the 23-year-old,
who came to grief in spectacular fashion at the same hole while
leading the tournament in the final round last year with a
quadruple-bogey. He suffered a double bogey at the tricky par
three on Sunday.
Spieth, who had birdies on three of his last four holes, was
just happy to finish under par.
"I'm really happy with the way that we finished off this round
to get back to red," he said.
"I didn't feel like I had been doing much wrong and I just look
up and it just wasn't landing where I thought it would."
Spieth did regret the negative impact his performance had on
world number eight Fowler, who had started the day just one shot
off the lead.
"I feel bad I went so downhill while Rickie was still in it,
because it is tough when you don't see a ball go in the hole,"
he said.
"I was his biggest cheerleader, just being really good friends
with Rickie. It was tough."
Fowler, 28, was still in contention at five under at the turn
but five bogeys on the back nine scuppered his chances.
"I played nicely on the front. And hit a good shot into 10,
which I rarely do. But every time I chipped it close I missed
the putt or I didn't chip it close enough and I'd still miss the
putt," said Fowler.
"It would have been nice to swing a little better, like I have
been but that was a little off. I didn't just hit the ball up
and down or make the putts I needed to."
Matt Kuchar was the highest finishing American, tied for fourth,
followed by Kevin Chappell in joint seventh and Ryan Moore in a
share of ninth place.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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