Aaron Baddeley's hoped-for final round charge never really left the launch pad as he finished equal 10th behind winner Camilo Villegas at the $US7 million ($A8.64 million) PGA Tour event today.
The Australian started the final four strokes from the lead, but could only par the first 11 holes at Bellerive.
Two quick birdies at the 12th and 13th holes lifted him within three strokes of the lead, but he never got any closer, eventually shooting one-under-par 69 to finish six shots off the pace.
"I just didn't have the speed of the greens today," Baddeley said.
"I left four or five (putts) short in the middle.
"I was 10-under after those two birdies, but I thought I'd have to get to 13-or-14-under to have a chance.
"I didn't hit a good tee shot on 15 and that put me in the deep end (leading to a bogey).
"But I'm pleased with the week. I made some good improvements and was really pleased with some of the things I figured out with (my coaches)."
Baddeley failed to qualify for the Tour Championship later this month.
Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby will be the only Australians in the 30-man field, with the likes of Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott also failing to qualify.
Ogilvy came into this tournament on the bubble, 30th on the play-off points standings, but slipped to 32nd after an average performance.
While 26-year-old Villegas won the tournament, Vijay Singh won the war, clinching the play-off title, and a $US10 million ($A12.34 million) bonus, for all intents and purposes.
For Singh to be overtaken, he would have to fail to complete 72 holes at the Tour Championship, and Villegas would have to win.
You will get pretty good odds on that happening.
Villegas took a one-stroke lead into the final round and, after a couple of early bogeys, regained the sole lead with nine holes left, and never surrendered it.
The Colombian shot 68 to finish at 15-under 265, two strokes ahead of American Dudley Hart (65), who birdied the final two holes.
"It's been a crazy week with the weather, long days but you know what, I'll do everything it takes to win a tournament," said Villegas.
"First win on the PGA tour feels great, first of many hopefully."
