Matthew Fitzpatrick

Alas, the 10-foot birdie putt slid by the hole. On to Hilton Head, where he’ll play in the RBC Heritage next week on a sponsor exemption. His caddie, Loren Duncan, is already there, having been replaced this week for having improper footwear.

“Disappointed, obviously to miss by one is very disappointing,” Fitzpatrick said. “But it's just one of them things. It's not the end of the world. Life goes on.”

Fitzpatrick shot 76-73, putting him in a cluster at 5 over that included the likes of Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson and Ernie Els.

The 2013 U.S. Amateur champion said he had “not a clue” of where he stood on the board. Fitzpatrick, who was low amateur at last year’s Open Championship, enjoyed immense crowds throughout his week at Augusta, playing alongside Adam Scott and Jason Dufner. He enjoyed the roars after making a long putt and walking up the 18th fairway with two major champions.

“There's been a lot of good things happen,” he said.

Fitzpatrick left Northwestern in January after one semester and said that after Hilton Head, he doesn’t have much on his schedule. He’ll likely play the Lytham Trophy in early May and then the U.S. Open at Pinehurst in June.

Of the six amateurs in the field, only Tennessee sophomore Oliver Goss made the cut on the strength of a second-round 71. Goss lost to Fitzpatrick in the final round of the U.S. Am.