Dramatic finish as McIlroy collapses

Golf:The 75th Masters was heading for a gripping finish at Augusta National where Adam Scott held a slender one-shot lead with three holes to play. Five players were tied for second place, among them four-times champion Tiger Woods who signed off with a sparkling five-under-par 67 to post a 10-under total of 278.

Woods had charged into contention for his first tournament victory in nearly 17 months with a scintillating five-under 31 but he failed to make up further ground after the turn.

"We will see," Woods said greenside about his chances of clinching a 15th major title. "Right now I am one back and we will see what Adam does. I'm going to eat now. I am starving."

Level with the American former world number one were Australians Geoff Ogilvy and Jason Day, South African Charl Schwartzel and Britain's Luke Donald. Ogilvy also closed with a 67 while Day had completed 15 holes, Schwartzel 14 and Donald 16.

On a sweltering afternoon of breathtaking shot-making, the leaderboard fluctuated repeatedly and eight different players held at least a share of the lead.

Scott, bidding to become the first Australian to win the season's opening major, took control on the back nine with birdies at the 11th and 14th, where he coolly knocked in a seven-footer to get to 11 under.

The fans at Augusta National were treated to a barrage of birdies and eagles on a relatively calm afternoon with the greens more receptive than is traditional in the final round.

American Bo Van Pelt eagled the 13th and 15th to get to 10 under before fading with bogeys at the 16th and 17th.

Overnight leader Rory McIlroy, however, was not among those players making most of the scoring conditions as he tumbled out of contention in tragic fashion.

The 21-year-old, four strokes clear of the chasing pack after the third round, clung to a one-stroke lead after the first nine holes before spiraling downwards.

He triple-bogeyed the 10th after pulling his tee shot in between two Augusta National members' houses and twice ending up in trees before reaching the green.

McIlroy also bogeyed the 11th, after three-putting and also the par-three 12th, where he four-putted from 25 feet.