Adam Scott had a four-shot lead entering the final day of the 2012 British Open, and a four-shot lead over Ernie Els with four holes to play. And yet, after a monumental collapse, Els claimed the Claret Jug, leaving Scott to deal with the aftermath of another failed attempt to win his first major.
Scott, known for his gorgeous swing and titanic putter, moved to 10-under with his second birdie of the day and 17th of the Open Championship on the par-3 14th hole. But then his accuracy, so good all tournament, deserted him, and he started spraying shots.
Forced to recover from one poor shot after another, Scott made four straight bogeys to finish his round, finishing with an incredibly painful two-putt on the 18th hole. After hitting into a bunker off the tee, Scott recovered smartly, chipping out of it and hitting an approach to within 10 feet to give himself a par putt to force a playoff.
But that putt trickled just left of the hole, ensuring a bogey and Els' victory. Instantly, Scott dropped to a squat, grimacing at another chance gone by.
Scott has never won a major championship, and has long been seen as one of golf's finest players to never do so. His failure to come through in the clutch at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on this Sunday means he'll hold that dubious distinction for at least a little while longer.
For a complete live leaderboard, visit Golf.com.
For more on the tournament, stick with our 2012 British Open StoryStream. For more from around the world of golf, head over to SB Nation's golf hub page.
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