His dreams of winning a green jacket dashed by a tsunami of bogeys Sunday, Paul Casey turned philosopher as he spoke of his final-round disappointment.

Paul Casey confers with rules officials after his ball moved on the sixth green. The Englishman called a one-shot penalty on himself Sunday. (Chris Thelen/Staff)

"As they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," the Englishman said.

If that holds true, Casey should return to Augusta National Golf Club next year as Superman after shooting a disastrous 7-over-par 79. Given the shaky performances of his fellow Brits, they will come back as members of the Justice League.

The 72nd Masters Tournament eventually became the British invasion that wasn't. Casey, who was in Sunday's penultimate pairing only four shots out of the lead, wasn't the first Brit to make some noise at Augusta National before blowing up -- just the last.

Each one wound up like him, having to make the long flight back across the pond without the piece of green apparel that drew him to Augusta.

Nick Faldo was the last man from the British Isles to win the Masters, in 1996. Early on, Justin Rose appeared ready to end the drought and exorcize any demons lingering from his Masters collapses in 2004 and 2007, when he led or was tied for the lead after the opening round. The 27-year-old London resident spit the bit again, though, following up his Thursday 68 that had him tied for the lead with a second round 6-over-par 78.

Fashion maven Ian Poulter had many believing, after two good rounds Thursday and Friday, that he was ready to back up his boasts of being the most talented golfer next to Tiger Woods. His clothes spoke louder than his game in the final two rounds, however, as the man from Hitchin, England, shot a combined 9-over par for the weekend to finish in a tie for 25th.

Though he comes from one of the world's windiest countries, Poulter blamed Sunday's gusty conditions for contributing to his final round 6-over-par 78. The National Weather Service in West Columbia, S.C., reported that the wind reached 35 mph by late afternoon.

"The course is likely playing 25 miles an hour," he said. "On (No.) 6, I hit what I think is a perfect golf shot; the wind's howling off the left-hand side; I start it at the left edge of that green; the ball doesn't move."

Casey wished he could have said that. He called a one-shot penalty on himself when his ball moved on the sixth green after he grounded his putter. After making a double bogey on the fourth hole when he failed to get a sand shot out of a greenside bunker, that stroke of bad luck was too much for him.

"Having the ball move on me on the sixth, that took the wind out of my sails because it was so difficult out there," Casey said. "That kind of threw me for a couple of holes, and that was it."

At day's end, neither he nor Poulter nor Rose had the lowest score among golfers from their neck of the woods. That bragging right went to Padraig Harrington, of Ireland, who finished the tournament at 2-under, tied for fifth.

Asked whether he thought Sunday that he would finish with the lowest score among his mates, Harrington replied:

"Tell you what I knew I'd be," he said. "I knew I would be the low Irishman."

He was the only player from Ireland in the tournament.

Reach Mike Wynn at (706) 823-3218 or mike.wynn@augustachronicle.com.