Mark O'Meara announces Masters retirement after missing Augusta cut

Mark O'Meara has announced his retirement from the Masters, 20 years on from winning his maiden major at Augusta National.

The 61-year-old carded a nine-over-par 81 in his 106th and final competitive round at the Georgia course on Friday to follow a first-round, six-over 78, which left him 10 shots outside the cut mark.

"There comes a point in time when you say enough's enough," O'Meara said. "I just don't want to go out and shoot 76s and 80s and 79s.

"Today I had no birdies and shot 81 - that's not exactly very sterling. Even though the course is very demanding and very tough, it's fair. The course has always been fair, but it's an extreme test of golf."

O'Meara, who made his Augusta debut as a 23-year-old amateur in 1980, birdied his final two holes in 1998 to see off countrymen Fred Couples and David Duval to claim the Green Jacket.

The American won the Open Championship later that year at Royal Birkdale and made his final appearance in that event at the same venue last July, with this week's event the last of his illustrious major career.