AUGUSTA, Ga. (CP) _ One of Mike Weir's golf balls is lying at the bottom of Rae's Creek after an exhausting week at the Masters.

The Canadian lefty didn't hit it there. Instead, he tossed the Titleist in the water behind the 11th green Sunday after holing a bunker shot for par on one of the toughest holes at Augusta National.

``That was just a lucky shot I guess,'' Weir said afterwards. ``I'd had enough of (the ball). That hole had seen enough.''

Stephen Ames knew the feeling.

He walked off the course with a smile on his face because there were finally no holes left to play.

``I'm glad it's over,'' said Ames. ``I'm definitely glad. It's a big relief.''

Indeed, it was a long week for everyone here, but the Canadians managed to close it out in style. Weir carded a 1-under 71 to end up in a tie for 20th while Ames finished with a flurry to get in with an even-par 72, good for a share of 24th.

Ames's tee shot at the short par-3 12th landed further upstream from Weir's ball in Rae's creek. He made double bogey there and looked headed for an ugly ending to a tough week.

The Calgary golfer then finished 5-under on his final six holes _ a stretch that any of the leaders would have paid $1 million for later in the afternoon.

Tough conditions were a story at Augusta all week but Ames did his best not to let it get to him.

``I wasn't going to make that mistake,'' he said. ``I bowed down and said, `OK you won.' The golf course has won. I just forgot about it and played golf.''

Weir had one of the few rounds in the red Sunday. His score of 1-under could probably have been even better _ he missed makeable birdie putts at Nos. 8 and 9 and had a chip at No. 3 hit the pin and spin back off the green.

He started nine shots back of the leaders but still believed he had a shot of making an unlikely comeback.

``It's not getting any easier out there,'' said Weir. ``I was thinking to myself, if I could have gotten to maybe 6-(under), there may have been an outside shot the way it's going out there.''

It was not to be.

Weir was still frustrated Sunday about being put on the clock for slow play during the third round. In the windy, tough conditions, he wondered if officials were holding him to the same standards as they were the leaders.

``To me it's not a track meet, you're trying to win a golf tournament,'' said Weir, who fell out of contention with an 80 on Saturday. ``We're under enough pressure out there and when they slap you with the clock under these type conditions, I just think it's wrong.''

Ames thought that more could have been done to make the course playable.

Still, he was viewing the week as a learning experience and was already looking forward to making his fourth appearance at this event next year.

``I was a lot more comfortable on the greens than I have been the last two times I've been here,'' Ames said. ``That's something that I've taken positive out of this week.''

Weir was also looking forward to 2008.

The scores were higher this year than they've ever been at the Masters and he was unsure if the tournament had changed for good.

``It'll be interesting to see,'' said Weir. ``I think they like it firm and fast like this.''

Notes: It was an early morning for Ames and his family. His sons Ryan and Justin were up at the crack of dawn gathering Easter eggs ... Weir will play again in three weeks at the Byron Nelson Championship ... Ames is entered into next week's tournament in South Carolina.