The golf giant who made the fist pump the norm on Sundays at Augusta National Golf Club was a few paces away when a short-hitting South African holed out for birdie on No. 18 to clinch second place at the 70th Masters Tournament.

Tim Clark reacts after birdying from the bunker on 18 to finish at 5 under par in second place during the final round of the 2006 Masters at the Augusta National Golf Club Sunday April 9, 2006. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

Tim Clark, whose 25-foot pitch from the right bunker tumbled into the cup, showed that playing partner Tiger Woods wasn't the only player with a fist pump in his celebration repertoire.

"I thought if I could just get it running down there it at least would have a chance to go in," said Clark, who punched the air from the sand after his ball dropped. "Obviously, you don't expect to make those kinds of shots all the time. But I had to have a go at it."

Clark joined fellow South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen as Masters runners-up. He finished his fourth round with 3-under-par 69, leaving him at 5 under for the tournament, two shots behind two-time champion Phil Mickelson.

Clark shot 70-72-72 in the first three rounds, before making five birdies and two bogeys in the last.

He was pleased with snagging second place with his final shot but assumed that Goosen in 2002 and Els in 2004 and 2000 were not satisfied leaving Augusta without a green jacket.

"If you ask those guys, they're going to say winning is what counts," Clark said. "They certainly don't remember those second places. Hopefully, my game gets to the level where I look back and don't remember those second places, either. I want to think about winning."

While Goosen's last-ditch charge Sunday was thwarted by bogeys at Nos. 6 and 12, Clark had ample opportunities to slip into contention during the completion of the third round Sunday morning.

Clark was 5 under and left a six-foot birdie putt sitting on the sixth green Saturday when the horn blew to signal darkness. He returned early in the morning and sank the putt.

Two holes later, he birdied again to take the lead. He bogeyed No. 9, but recovered until he reached No. 17.

"I really did well to hold onto some of those holes," Clark said. "The (third-round) finish was bad. Seventeen and 18, to go double bogey-bogey; there are no excuses. Had I hit the fairway on those holes, I would've been able to knock it on the greens and make par."

Clark said the wet conditions Sunday morning hindered his ability to reach greens with reasonable clubs, which wasn't an issue before Saturday's rain showers.

"At seven, I hit driver/5-iron and came up short, and it plugged in the bunker," Clark said. "Nine was a driver/5-iron, and that came up short.

"If it is firm and fast, it's fair for all. If it's wet, it's going to be tough."

Before his birdie on No. 18, the closest Clark got to the lead was when he was two shots back heading into Amen Corner. He made par on No. 11, but hit his midiron shot into the front bunker on No. 12.

The hiccup didn't faze him, though, as he made two birdies and four pars to finish his fifth Masters.

Reach John Kaltefleiter at (706) 208-2213.