Rory McIlroy will have to wait another year if he is to complete the Career Grand Slam as he finished tied seventh at the Masters.

A three-under-par 69 on the final day was one of the better rounds on Sunday but McIlroy was left to rue missed opportunities and some bad luck on the opening three days.

The Northern Irishman had a chance to go into the weekend under par but his towering approach hit the flagstick and went off the green, instead of leaving himself a gimme and a bogey followed.

Always an uphill battle from there, McIlroy failed to birdie either par 5 on the back 9 on Saturday en route to a lacklustre 71. As Garcia and Rose battled on Sunday, he was never close to the lead.

“I feel encouraged if nothing else,” McIlroy said. “I feel comfortable on the golf course, like every time I tee up I’ve got a chance to win.

“I’ve had four top tens in a row here. Top tens isn’t what I’m looking for but, at the same time, it seems a little steadier and that can only bode well for the future.”

That’s no luck from nine attempts now for McIlroy. But as Sergio Garcia proved at his 19^th time of asking, persistency can be rewarded at Augusta.

The Spaniard also showed that it is possible to win the Masters without an amazing putting game, missing chances on 16 and 18 for victory, before finally winning on the first playoff hole.

While putting remains an issue at Augusta for McIlroy, he is well capable of putting to at least the level that Garcia did. And when he matches that with a more typically brilliant ball-striking week than he had this week, he surely won’t be too far away.