Brandt Snedeker shakes hands with winner Trevor Immelman on the 18th fairway. (Getty Images)

He bit his lip. He choked back the tears. He tugged his visor down low on his forehead.

He shook his head and tried to make sense of the waves of emotion. He saw the plugged lie in the bunker at the third. He shuddered just thinking about the 4-iron into the water at 13 -- for the second day in a row.

He tried to stop the tears.

But he couldn't.

Brandt Snedeker just lost it. He cried so hard he shook. He buried his head in a towel and sobbed. He composed himself three times.

Snedeker rolled in a mile-long putt on the second hole for eagle on Sunday. (Getty Images)

2008 Masters

Full coverage Final Scores Photos: Final round Photos: Immelman's career Final-round recap Immelman's scorecard Running final-round notebook More notes, stats Immelman's major record Woods second again Woods' Masters record Flesch's watery mistake Arron set for time off Post-round interview: Stewart Cink Post-round interview: Trevor Immelman Video: Immelman receives the Green Jacket

And even that wasn't enough.

"I'm getting there,'' he said. "You'd think I'd never lost a golf tournament.''

He forced a smile.

"Try to take some questions, I can't guarantee anything right now,'' he said, wiping his eyes. "I'm still obviously a little emotional.

"Just a rough day out there. You know, it's hard to put that much effort into something and get so little out. But it's just part of life, part of growing up. Obviously I need a lot more of that. It's just tough right now. So ask away and I'll do my best.''

He got through a dozen questions -- choking back tears most of the way -- before he broke down again.

Snedeker shook his head again. He thought about the positives, but he couldn't get past one thing -- he had tossed away his first chance to slip on a Green Jacket.

He had started the day two shots behind eventual champ Trevor Immelman and played his way backward and into a tie for third.

One minute he was laughing, the next he was a mess. And the more he tried to make sense of the emotions, the worse it got.

We understood.

The fresh-faced kid from Nashville chirped his way around Augusta National for the first three days, eager as a chipmunk. Every shot was exciting, every face in the crowd was a joy. The mistakes? He could take those because this ... this was the Masters. The cathedral of golf. The stage he played four years ago as an amateur; the tournament he was giving himself a chance to win the second time around.

He grabbed the gallery with the fast pace, faster talk and quick smile. They might butcher his name -- Brent? Sneed-e-ker? Snickerdoodle? -- but the knew who he was. He was the one with freckles and floppy blond hair. The kid who earned himself a spot in the final pairing the final two rounds.

But Sunday afternoon, his dreams fell apart.

He started bogey-eagle-bogey, and the wild ride was on.

Six pars for the day. A share of the lead after the eagle. A bogey that brought on three more and a front-nine 39. A watery grave at 13.

Yet the kid never gave up.

"I think I'd put myself in psychiatric ward; put it that way,'' he said. "I went from extreme highs to extreme lows and that's what you don't want to do around here.

"You try to level yourself out. I felt like I did a good job. I never really got too down on myself. But, man, just a lot of emotion, you know. ''

He came in expecting a good week. Not this.

Snedeker found the water twice on the 13th hole on the weekend. (Getty Images)

He knew he was playing solid golf -- three top 10s for the year -- but nothing approaching a final pairing.

"But all in all, if you told me at the beginning of the week would I have to take a tie for third, I'd say heck, yes, and watch it on TV,'' he said.

Two years ago, Snedeker was playing in a Nationwide event two hours away in Athens. A year ago, he won his first PGA TOUR event -- the Wyndham Championship. Sunday, he was playing in the final group of the first major of the year.

"Pretty phenomenal, to be there two years ago, struggling to be a professional golfer and to be here, crying in front of a bunch of media in front of a million people . . . '' he said with a chuckle. "I'm sure I'll be getting ribbed for the next two months about this."

Trust us. He'll be able to take it. And dish it right back out.

The last 14 or 15 holes were agonizing. Snedeker didn't hit it particularly well, nor did he make clutch putts. But who -- other than Immelman -- did.

"I was very impressed,'' he said of Immelman. "I've played with very few golfers who can manage their emotions, manage their swing and manage the golf course that well.

"He missed some short putts to do that, he'll tell you, didn't putt that great today. If he had putted great it still wasn't really close but it wouldn't have been anywhere in the ballpark of close. That's pretty phenomenal.''

So, honestly, was Snedeker. He doesn't hit it a mile, but he's got game. And guts. A start on a great year and an invitation back to Augusta.

He couldn't put what he learned into words. He won't be able to for a couple of days.

"Obviously being in the final pairing two days is something I'm very proud of; to be coming back here next year . . . " he said. "Hopefully we won't end up here in tears all over again.''

He grinned and shook his head again.

"But you know, I found out a lot about myself today, and obviously a lot about myself right now.''

So did we.

We thought about the kid bounding down the first fairway Thursday, the one whose effervescent smile spilled over into the gallery. The one who couldn't explain those emotions or hold back the tears.

"You know, I have no clue why I am so emotional,'' he said. "I was laughing outside. I'm crying in here. I couldn't tell you.

"You know, it's just . . . "

He buried his head one more time.

It's just him... And the Masters.