Augusta — Georgia Tech alumnus Stewart Cink went head-to-head with a man in red and black on Sunday at the Masters and played him dead even.

This was no Bulldog. This was a Tiger.

And by matching Tiger Woods shot for shot in the final round, Cink secured a tie for third, $435,000 and a sense of accomplishment.

"I am proud of the way I played, and I'm proud of the way I handled myself," the Duluth resident said after his best finish in 11 Masters appearances.

Playing in the same pairing with Woods in any tournament is a challenge. Doing it on the final day at Augusta requires even more focus. The gallery moves between Woods' shots, despite marshals' best efforts to keep people still. And whoever plays alongside Woods can't help feeling like an afterthought.

Cink, 34, approached it as an opportunity.

"Playing with Tiger on Sunday at the Masters is about the pinnacle of professional golf," he said. "If you're not looking forward to it, you're not in the right business."

Cink began birdie-birdie, and leader Trevor Immelman bogeyed. All of the sudden, Cink's seven-shot deficit was down to four. He got no closer, though, and finished with a 72, just like Woods.

It was Cink's fifth consecutive top-20 Masters finish but his first top-five.

"It's a comfort level," he said. "It's a little more maturity. It just took me 11 [Masters] to mature a little bit."