Augusta, Ga. ? Finally, there was a roar – a Tiger roar, awakening the echoes of prior dramatic Sunday Masters’ finishes.

A 70-foot birdie putt miraculously found its way home on the 11th hole, and Tiger Woods was on the prowl, stalking his quarry at the top of the leader board. He victoriously raised his putter in the air before the ball tracked into the cup, pumping his fist and punching his cap into the afternoon Augusta breeze.

Those are the images associated with prior Sunday major-championship brilliance.

But the exhilaration soon died – and along with it all hope for a memorable summerlong journey toward possible competitive immortality.

But Tiger Woods confirmed what the legend makers don’t easily acknowledge.

He is mortal – particularly when he isn’t protecting a final-day lead.

He shot even par for the day, yet finished all alone in second place – three shots behind champion Trevor Immelman, who led after each round each day. He agonizingly missed a number of short putts, costing him the opportunity to take full advantage of the cumulative 21-over-par that the four players ahead of him at Sunday’s start shot.

Tiger will remember it as a blown chance.

He’s not wrong.

He crumbled under the pressure he placed upon himself, confidently predicting that his chances for a Grand Slam were “easily within reason.”

“I learned my lesson with the press,” he said afterward. “I’m not going to say anything.”

It’s disappointing only from the standpoint that it already sucked all air out of this golf season – and it’s only the middle of April. It’s an extreme consequence, but it’s the risk assumed when a sport so thoroughly depends on a single individual providing its light.

Brilliance has spoiled everybody.

Chasing Jack Nicklaus isn’t the mind-blowing high it was just a couple of years ago. Only physical catastrophe denies Woods from eventually eclipsing Nicklaus’ 18 major championships. There’s no longer any mystery there.

Tiger is like the 10-year-old intellectual prodigy bored after mastering molecular biology and decides that maybe it’s time for tackling quantum physics.

Openly courting the Grand Slam offered him the competitive stimulation.

But that challenge might finally have done what those competing against him couldn’t. It removed the robotic veneer, displaying an all-too-human Woods that’s susceptible to frustration and profane outbursts when shots spray awry.

Augusta National got the better of Tiger for the second straight year after adding another 500 yards to the course.

“I just didn’t quite have it this week,” Woods said. “I figured that if I played three-under par on the last seven, I could have put some pressure on Trevor. There was no doubt I was confident I could have come back, but I just couldn’t make any putts all week. It’s just the way it is. This wasn’t one of my best weeks.”

Everybody waited for Tiger, but it wasn’t happening.

Tiger was arguably done Friday when he didn’t take full advantage of supreme low scoring conditions. He was done because his course management and execution are less sure when he must come from behind.

There’s no questioning his greatness or his championship destiny, but until he wins a major when behind there will remain one area where Nicklaus will still hold an edge.