Olazabal, winner of the Buick Invitational at nearby Torrey Pines two weeks earlier, was the only non-American to reach the quarter-finals.

But he got no further - and losing to Brad Faxon at the 20th after being three up after three holes left him a bitterly disappointed man.

So often in the past the twice Masters champion has been let down by his driving. This time it was his putting.

‘‘It just came down to putting in the end,’’ he said. ‘‘I couldn’t make one all day and he made a few important ones at the right time.

‘‘It was simply down to that. Not even when I was three-up did I think it was my day. I was five-up on Retief (Goosen) in the second round and that went to the last.

‘‘If you putt like I did and he putts like he did, he will win.’’

Olazabal did make a nine-foot downhiller to stay alive on the 18th his third successive birdie on the hole - but he missed a 15-foot attempt to win at the 19th and Faxon made a 20-footer on the next.

To make Olazabal feel worse, Faxon’s semi-final with Kevin Sutherland was decided when he missed from three feet on the final green.

The 36-year-old is not in Europe’s Ryder Cup side this September, his form having slumped at exactly the wrong time last year, but the 11 members of the team who were at La Costa did not leave any warnings to the Americans about their match play prowess.

Seven lost in the first round - as did Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval, of course - then Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley fell the next day and Niclas Fasth and Sergio Garcia in the third round.

At least that gave Garcia more time to play tennis with his ‘‘friend’’ Martina Hingis, though.