Rory McIlroy's wait for a Masters title goes on after he was unable to mount a serious challenge on the final day at Augusta National.
McIlroy was six shots off the lead overnight after a frustrating third-round 71, and he admitted he needed "the round of my life" to have any chance of becoming the sixth player to complete a career grand slam of majors.
The world No 2 did cut out the errors that blighted his first three rounds as he dropped only one shot, but a three-under 69 was good enough only to record a fourth consecutive top-10 finish in the event.
McIlroy did well to save par at the first after driving into the pines and stabbing his second up close to the green, and he then made a good birdie at the second before giving the shot back with a three-putt at the fifth from close to 100 feet.
The four-time major winner scrambled an excellent par at seven before picking up another shot at the long eighth, but a run of four pars effectively ended any realistic hopes of pressuring the leaders.
The 27-year-old birdied the 13th, although he missed out at the 15th before atoning with a two at the 16th shortly after watching playing-partner Matt Kuchar make a hole-in-one.
Two closing pars kept him at three under for the tournament, and he said: "It wasn't quite as adventurous as previous Masters have been for me. I didn't get too high with some really low nine hole scores, but I didn't shoot any nine hole scores that were in the 40s. It was quite a consistent, steady Masters for me.
"It wasn't quite good enough. I felt like I had an opportunity yesterday to shoot something in the mid-to-high 60s, which would have got me closer to the lead, and I didn't quite do that. But I gave a decent account for myself and will come back next year and try again.
"I really am getting more comfortable here, I feel like every time I tee it up here I have a real good chance to win. My record over the past four years sort of reflects that in terms of being in the top 10. That right now isn't good enough, but it's going in the right direction and every time I come back here I feel like I have more and more of a chance to win."
McIlroy also denied that a lack of competitive golf was to blame for him not being closer to the lead, having been sidelined for almost seven weeks earlier this year with a rib injury.
"I still feel the time off was more of a blessing," he added. "I got to work on some stuff in my short game and I felt as comfortable on the greens here as I ever had, even though I had a couple of three‑putts.
"But I holed some good ones, I had a couple of pars when I needed to, I just didn't convert the chances I should have yesterday but every time I come back here I'm more and more comfortable.
"I don't think it was lack of competitive rounds. I played a light schedule up until this tournament for a few years in a row, I wasn't planning to this year, it just happened to be that way. It's another major and another missed opportunity. But I'll move on and focus my attention on the US Open."