AUGUSTA, Ga. — Phil Mickelson was one of the few players who didn’t backtrack during Sunday’s final round at the 72nd Masters, but shooting even par wasn’t enough to get the two-time champion in contention.

Mickelson started the day at 2 under and never veered more than a stroke from that score in finishing tied for fifth with an aggregate 286.

“I was hoping obviously to make more of a run than I did,” he said immediately after his round. “It was a tough day today, and I felt like I had to fight pretty hard to keep it around par. I certainly had some chances that would have brought it lower, but it doesn’t look like it would have been enough anyway.

“It would have been a good round on Thursday or Friday, but when you’re far back, you’ve got to shoot something in the 60s, so this wasn’t enough.”

Though he failed to win a green jacket for a third consecutive even-numbered year, Mickelson did attain a ninth top-10 Masters finish in the past 10 years. Not even Tiger Woods can match that, as Woods has seven top-10s since 1999.

Mickelson will now turn much of his focus to the U.S. Open, which will be held at Torrey Pines from June 12-15.

“Growing up there, that tournament means a lot to me, living in San Diego and playing high-school matches there at Torrey,” he said. “I’ve been out there a bunch, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

Pride of Milton

The Masters witnessed history this week when three players from the same high school not only made the field but made the cut.

Heath Slocum, Bubba Watson and Boo Weekley, each a graduate of Milton (Fla.) High School, competed in their first Masters. Weekley entered Sunday’s round at 2-under par but struggled to a 77 to finish the tournament with a 3-over 291.

Watson also finished 3-over for the tournament, while Slocum wound up 5-over but closed strong with a 69.

“I think it says a lot for Milton,” Slocum said of the trio. “I think a lot of us we’re not only playing for ourselves, but were playing for Milton as well — the community — and I think what we were trying to do is have Milton be proud of us.”

Slocum and Weekley were in Milton High’s class of 1992, while Watson graduated in ’97.

The comeback kid

Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez was first off the tee Saturday morning and was paired with a noncompeting marker because of an odd number of players (45) who made the cut. Jimenez shot even par that day and finished Sunday with a scorching 4-under 68 that was highlighted by an eagle at No. 7.

Jimenez finished 1-under for the tournament, which resulted in a tie for eighth.

“It was very satisfying,” Jimenez said of his weekend. “That was the goal, no? For the weekend, you know, just to make the cut on Friday and then hope to jump up as much as possible. It was a tough day today, and with under par, I believe it’s going to be tough to do.”

His best finish in nine previous Masters appearances had been a tie for ninth in 2002.

Odds and ends

Trevor Immelman became the first Masters champion with an above-par final round since Craig Stadler in 1982. ... Woods earned $810,000 for finishing runner-up. In 1980, Chattanoogan Gibby Gilbert earned $30,500 for finishing tied for second behind winner Seve Ballesteros.

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