AUGUSTA, Ga. — They lined the 18th hole as if it were the final round on Sunday. Instead, it was the final round, the final hole, of Tom Watson’s brilliant career at the Masters.

Watson, a two-time winner at Augusta National, had said this would be his final tournament as a competitor. Fittingly, he didn’t embarrass himself. He closed with a 6-over-par 78, for a two-day total of 8-over par.

“I was trying my [hardest] for it to not be my last round here,” said Watson, who missed the cut by two strokes. “It’s sad my era is over playing against the kids. I still intend to play against the old guys.”

A winner in 1977 and 1981, the 66-year-old Watson played in 43 Masters and last made the cut in 2010. Past champions get a lifetime invitation to play in the Masters, but the length of the course and its increased difficulty make it a challenge for the older players.

“I think we know when it’s time to say, ‘No Mas,’ ” Watson said. “I think that’s a special thing about this tournament. The kids hit the ball too far. I can’t compete against the kids.

“These kids are hitting 7 and 8 irons into the 18th and I’m hitting 3-wood,” Watson added. “It’s a little out of my league now. Yesterday I putted like the Watson of old. Today I putted like I normally do.”

After shooting a 2-over 74 on Thursday, Watson hurt his chances of making the cut with four bogeys on the front side against one birdie. He was 3-over on the back nine. Despite his score, Watson was serenaded at just about every hole, a tribute to his place in Masters history.

“The gratitude the crowd showed me, I feel very blessed that they feel that way about me,” Watson said. “I hope throughout my career I’ve been able to show the crowd some great golf. I was a shy kid and one of the ways I expressed myself was to hit a golf shot. To hit a good golf shot was a non-verbal way of communicating and I parlayed that into a professional golf career. I hope I’ve entertained a lot of people over the years.”