For a Change, Price Is Wrong at Augusta : Masters: He holds the course record, had won two majors in a row and is rated No. 1 in the world, but still misses the cut.

For Nick Price, it was a day of farewells.

He said goodby to his friends after missing the cut for the Masters, said goodby to his hopes of winning a third consecutive major tournament and said goodby to Augusta National.

Price didn’t mind seeing the last of this golf course for another year.

“I wish somebody would help me,” Price said. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but the course and I don’t have a very good relationship. Maybe I tried too hard.”

At least he played better Friday. Price followed Thursday’s opening 76 with a 73 that included a stretch of birdie-birdie-eagle on Nos. 13-14-15.

But that wasn’t enough to keep him at the Masters through the weekend.

Standing just off the 18th green, Price took a few minutes to analyze his game.

“I didn’t drive it well, I didn’t hit my irons well, I didn’t chip well, and I didn’t putt well,” he said. “Otherwise, it was a good round.”

Actually, good rounds at the Masters have been in short supply for Price. In his last eight trips, he has missed the cut three times and shot only two rounds in the 60s.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I feel like I can play the course, but I’m not coming up with the goods.

“The course seems to suit some guys. It suited me one day.”

In 1986, Price shot a Masters-record 63 in the third round and wound up tied for fifth in his second Masters appearance. He hasn’t finished as high since.

Price said he sort of remembers the 63. “It seems like 400 years ago,” he said.

The winner of the British Open and the PGA Championship last year, Price had a chance of keeping alive hopes for a 12-month slam, of winning all four major events within that span starting last July--the U.S. Open is in June. Whatever chance he had, it’s all over now.

Price wasn’t playing well coming in, though. He has won only $53,575 this year with finishes of 13th, 14th, 37th and now a missed cut at the Masters.

“I’m not going to lose any sleep over it,” he said. “There are more major championships. But I’ll be disappointed if I end my career not playing well (again) here.

“I don’t feel any pain. I’m going to have more fun watching it this weekend on TV than playing. If I had to play two more days the way I was playing, that would have been painful.”