Geoff Ogilvy's strong finish in 2011 has him ready for this year

In five previous Masters Tournament appearances, Geoff Ogilvy didn’t have a top-10 finish, making it the only major in which the 2006 U.S. Open champion hadn’t cracked the top 10.

Early in the final round of the 2011 Masters, it looked like that streak would continue. But the Australian saved his best for the final nine holes and finished tied for fourth place.

“I was aware of that, yeah,” Ogilvy said of his lack of a top-10 at Augusta National Golf Club.

Starting the day seven shots off Rory McIlroy’s lead, Ogilvy was going backward (1-over par after seven holes).

Other contenders, such as Tiger Woods, were blistering the front nine and putting pressure on McIlroy.

“The front nine was kind of frustrating,” said Ogilvy, who shot even-par 36. “I started with an outside chance. I played in the group behind Tiger and he went nuts on the front and fired the crowd up, and Charl (Schwartzel) holed those couple of shots and everyone was loud. So I felt a little left out.”

That changed on the final nine for Ogilvy. After pars on Nos. 10 and 11, he reeled off five birdies in a row, which was two off the Masters record for consecutive birdies shared by Steve Pate (1999) and Woods (2005).

Ogilvy was no longer feeling left out.

“Walking off 14 I thought, ‘I’m actually in this,’” he said. “It took until then to actually think that because there were so many things happening.”

The birdie streak started at an unlikely place – the devilish par-3 12th hole.

“Then I birdied 13 like you’re supposed to,” Ogilvy said. “Then I run it down the slope and hit it close on 14 and I kind of get excited a little bit. Now I’m one or two back and I’m in this tournament.”

Two more birdies followed on Nos. 15 and 16.

The streak ended on the 17th hole after Ogilvy hit his approach shot in the front, greenside bunker and made par.

With another par on No. 18, he finished with 5-under 31 on the back nine and 67 for the day. For the tournament, he was10-under, which tied the clubhouse lead held at the time by Woods, who cooled off on the back nine (36 after 31 on the front) for 67 of his own.

Schwartzel birdied the final four holes for 66 to pull away.

At least Ogilvy had his first top-10 finish in the Masters, finishingtied for fourth.

Ogilvy didn’t take much consolation in that finish. What he did appreciate was being in the mix for the green jacket.

“I’m not really that excited about good finishes in that respect,” Ogilvy said. “I was just happy I got in contention and had a chance. I’m not going to sit down and say, ‘I finished fourth in the Masters, that was cool.’ I will say, ‘I had a chance in the Masters with six holes to go.’ Does that make sense?

“More than anything else, the majors are about being in it with nine holes to go – that one even more than the others, because that’s such a cool place to contend because of the noises, and it’s been at the same course for so long,” Ogilvy said. “You’re facing the same shot from the top of the hill (on No. 15) that Gene Sarazen did in 1935. Getting in there on Sunday is the fun part. Actually, winning it blows it out of the water. It’s not about the finish, it’s about being in it.”

A third-round 73, which followed rounds of 69-69, is what cost Ogilvy.

“I played really well Thursday, Friday and Sunday,” he said. “On Saturday I let it slip a little bit. But I had a great time; I enjoyed it. I’ve been looking forward to coming back since that Sunday night.”