Jack Nicklaus took off his cap and waved to the applauding patrons as he walked up to the No. 9 green.

Then he wept.

He marked his ball, then walked to the side.

Then he wiped away tears.

Nicklaus sized up a 4-foot birdie putt as Jay Haas tried to tidy up a par.

Then he cried a little more.

All signs point to the 2005 Masters Tournament as the Golden Bear's farewell. Before he departed the final hole Saturday after missing the cut, Nicklaus gave his son and caddie, Jackie, a hug, along with some memorabilia.

"I said, 'Keep the ball, keep the glove. I don't want to see it on eBay,'" Nicklaus said.

As the sun finally broke through the overcast skies, an emotional Nicklaus exited Augusta National Golf Club for the last time as a competitor. After 45 appearances, his reign is over.

"I don't think I'll venture on the golf course again for a tournament round," the six-time Masters champion said. "I may come up and play a round of golf on Tuesday or Monday or something like that, but I don't think I'll play in the tournament again."

Nicklaus said this before. Remember last year? After missing the cut in the 2004 Masters, he said he was done.

But everything changed when his 17-month-old grandson, Jake, died in an accident last month. He wasn't going to play in Augusta, but he and son Steve began playing a few rounds of golf.

Then, Augusta National and Masters Chairman Hootie Johnson urged him to play one more time.

"I felt well, you know, if I'm going to ever come back, I suppose I've got as good a chance of not embarrassing myself this year as any other year," Nicklaus said, "because every year I wait the harder it's going to be to break 80."

After carding a first-round 77, he knew he needed to get under par to make the cut. He played one hole Friday before rain suspended play. Nicklaus struggled when he resumed his round Saturday morning before recording birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. When he made the turn, Nicklaus believed a front-nine 33 would extend his stay for two more rounds.

Bogeys at Nos. 1 and 3, though, ended his dream of playing on Sunday. Still, he tried to give his large gallery of fans one more special moment.

On the par-4 ninth hole, Nicklaus rifled a 6-iron second shot to 4 feet. He knew then it was his final round.

"I know that before he hit his second shot on No. 9, he looked at me and said that it's been sweet," Jackie Nicklaus said. "I looked at him - I had nothing profound - I said, 'Still knock it up there on the green and make a birdie.'"

Nicklaus made his farewell march up the hill toward the green. He took off his cap and waved to the fans as his emotions overwhelmed him.

"As he came up (on No. 9), I think he realized that maybe this was his last, just the way he reacted," Haas said. "His eyes were pretty wet as he got up on top of that hill there, on the green, and he got me choked up. But up until that point he was just acknowledging the crowd."

Nicklaus wanted the storybook ending: a birdie on his final shot at Augusta. Instead, he pushed the putt wide right.

But think of all the memories he leaves behind:

- In 1965, he set a then-tournament record 271 for his second green jacket, playing "a game with which I'm not familiar," Bobby Jones said.

- In 1975, he dropped a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 16, outdueling Tom Weiskopf and Johnny Miller for a fifth Masters title.

- In 1986, the 46-year-old Golden Bear charged on the back nine with an eagle on No. 15 and birdies the next two holes for a sixth green jacket.

- In 1998, at age 58, Nicklaus carded a final-round 68 to tie for sixth, four shots behind winner Mark O'Meara.

Nicklaus will leave behind countless records for today's players to chase and a legacy untarnished by his unwillingness to continue hitting fairway wood approaches to almost every par-4 hole.

"Whether this is Jack's last Masters, or if he decides to play again, he has made immeasurable contributions to the Masters Tournament," Johnson said.

Nicklaus said this was his final Masters, and there's no reason not to believe him. Still, he left the door cracked.

"I have the ability to come back," he said. "I mean, Billy Casper came back after - how many years did he miss? He just wanted to come back, and he wanted to play one more round.

"I don't think I will do that."

Staff Writer Mike Wynn contributed to this article.

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.

Nicklaus' Record at the Masters Tournament:

SCORING

- Most under par, first nine: 12 (32-34-31-35) in 1965 (tied with three others)

PAR OR BETTER, INDIVIDUAL

- Most 72 holes below par: 22 (10 in succession starting 1970)

- Most 72 holes par or better: 24

- Most subpar rounds: 71 (of 161 rounds, 44.1 percent)

- Most par or better rounds: 93 (of 161 rounds, 57.8 percent)

MOST EAGLES

- Career: 24 (3 on par 4s, 21 on par 5s)

Best finishes

- Top 5: 15

- Top 10: 22

- Top 25: 29

- Most finishes, 50 years or older: 9

- Finishes, 72 holes: 37

- Youngest, top 10 finish: 21 years, 2 months, 20 days (T7 in 1961)

- Most cuts made: 37

Most victories

- Six; 1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 1975, 1986