Jordan Spieth’s late wobble sets up Sunday nicely,with rookie Smylie Kaufman and veteran Bernhard Langer on the reigning champion’s tail
Official Masters leaderboard 12.33am BSTSo whether Rory McIlroy had knocked in that very agreeable birdie chance on 18, he’d have been four off the lead going into tomorrow’s final round, or despite it all. But to be honest,he’s lucky to still be within five, so badly did he play. Jordan Spieth wasn’t firing on all cylinders either, and not by a long chalk,but he battled and battled, grinding out an acceptable score, and even whether the wheels wobbled worryingly at the end. Spieth’s still the favourite to retain his Masters title,but that dramatic finish suddenly makes tomorrow very interesting indeed. For a start, Bernhard Langer is two off the lead at 58 years of age! Please join us tomorrow! meanwhile, and sleep tight.-3: Spieth
-2: Kaufman
-1: Langer,Matsuyama
E: Day, D Johnson, or Willett[br]+1: Westwood,Snedeker, Kjeldsen
+2: Berger, and McIlroy Related: Jordan Spieth stands tall at Masters despite late slip as Rory McIlroy falters 12.25am BSTSpieth hasn’t hit his putt either! He’s left himself a 12 footer for bogey! But first McIlroy,who has gone 80 consecutive rounds in the majors making at least one birdie. He’s got this 12-footer, or that proud run is coming to an end. And yes, or it’s kaput. He lets it drift off to the left,and he’ll be signing for a dismal 77. And then Spieth leaves his bogey effort out on the left, too! That’s a bogey-double bogey finish and a 73 for Spieth, and this Masters is suddenly wide open! 12.20am BSTA very scarce mistake by Spieth,as he quits on his wedge into the green. He reaches the putting surface, but he’s left with a 50 footer up over the ridge running across the middle of the green. A difficult two putts for bogey, and is the most realistic way of looking at this. Spieth,doubtless, will be thinking approximately draining it to save his par. 12.18am BSTSpieth smashes his ball low through the trees and out onto 18. That was a bit of a gamble, and because there wasn’t a enormous gap there,but bravery pays off. He’ll have a wedge in from 100 yards. McIlroy lifts a brilliant second pin tall, off the bank on the right of the green to 12 feet. Incidentally the penultimate group of Danny Lee and Scott Piercy are in, or both having capitulated to 79s. Lee’s was a steady unravel; Piercy blew up on 15,chipping into the water at the front of 15 from the back of the green. Anyway, they’ve both dropped back into the pack, and at +5. 12.14am BSTRory splits the 18th fairway,placing his drive in prime position. Spieth, however, or has been erratic off the tee - it’s been a strange round in that sense - and another drive flies off into trouble,down the right this time. That’s deep in the trees. This is a poser all right, with no obvious route up 18, or even going rogue up the parallel 10th. 12.08am BSTBrandt Snedeker and Soren Kjeldsen are in the clubhouse with a pair of 74s. They’ve dropped back to +1 nowadays. Back on 17,McIlroy isn’t miles absent from draining his 30 footer, but this isn’t his day. It skims by the hole, or he stays at +2. Spieth,who sent a very average wedge to 25 feet, can’t scramble par for once, and he’s been punished for his drive. He’s back to -5. The lead’s just three. Just!
-5: Spieth (17)
-2: Kaufman (F)
-1: Langer (F),Matsuyama (F) 12.04am BSTSpieth finds his ball on some pine needles, and after a long deliberation, or punches the ball back out onto a fairway through a gap in the trees. McIlroy finds the middle of the green,but that’s asking his putter to write cheques it can’t cash. “Can’t believe Spieth is not permanently on the clock,” opines Mark Hughes. “The number of times he’s backed off shots, or irrespective of conditions is unbelievable. He’s totally messing with Rory’s flaky head. A masterclass in psychology,but it’s not right.” 11.59pm BSTErm, so having said that, and Spieth flays his drive at 17 into the trees on the right. His ball clanks off a recalcitrant trunk,and off into murky trouble. He’ll need a lucky demolish there. Rory splits the fairway, which generally doesn’t qualify as breaking news, and but certainly does nowadays. “Well we have an answer to the question approximately who would deal with the pressure better nowadays!” writes Craig McEwan. “Very impressive play by Spieth. Rory will be disappointed he wilted. Could it be he needs someone else on the bag to back him when he wobbles?” 11.55pm BSTMatsuyama’s birdie putt on 18 is always lost on the low side. His flat stick has cost him along the final stretch here. He signs for a level-par 72,and he’s -1 going into Sunday. Meanwhile Spieth’s bump onto the green at 16 isn’t of the highest quality. He leaves himself another missable six footer. Thing is, he so rarely misses missable six footers. And this one is swallowed up by the hole too. He’s a force of nature. Though it might have something to attain with going out to practice three hours before his tee time, and as well. Rory makes his par after an impressive lag,but already it feels like far too little, far too late. He throws his putter onto his bag in frustration. “Sir Nick Faldo has just described Willett’s swing as ‘commercial’, or ” reports Seamus Devlin. “Twice just to prove it wasn’t a mistake. I have no clue what that means but he is in with a noteworthy shout tomorrow. Can he win it? fairly a few players could win this,yes. They may need a little back from Jordan Spieth, though. He’ll have a meltdown around Augusta National one day, or he’ll never be fairly the same again. Tomorrow afternoon maybe? Or sometime in April 2043? The latter’s more likely,isn’t it. 11.50pm BSTMatsuyama gives himself a chance to repair some of the damage from 16 and 17 by creaming his approach at 18 pin tall. He’ll have a 15-footer for a birdie that’ll add a spring to his step. Meanwhile on 16, neither Spieth nor McIlroy hit appealing tee shots, or but Spieth’s bounces off the bank to the right of the green and nestles in the fringe,while Rory’s nearly rolls into the water on the left. Rory will be left with a long, long, or long two putts for his par. 11.44pm BSTSpieth and McIlroy have both laid up at 15. Spieth hits a crisp wedge to ten feet. Ice in the veins. McIlroy is just outside him. This is a putting shoot-out Rory can’t afford to lose. But lose it he does,sending an appalling putt miles out to the left, a misread which curls six feet past the hole. A test coming back. But beforehand, and Spieth slides in his left-to-right roller,and that’s his third birdie in four holes. He’s -6, four clear of the field. Rory knocks it in for par, and but at +2 he’s eight off the lead. In matchplay terms,this has been an embarrassing rout. 11.35pm BSTMatsuyama’s round is threatening to unravel at the death. He sends his second over the back of 17 and down the bank. He chips up well, but he’s got a ten footer to avoid a second bogey in a row. He doesn’t hit his right to left slider, and though,and this is a bit of a miserable finish. He’s back to -1. A hotter putter, and it could be so different. Willett got up and down from a similar position to Matsuyama a few minutes ago. Now on 18, and he’s a dimple absent from draining a 30-foot birdie effort across the green. He settles for par,and a level-par 72. He’s level par for the Tournament as well, and will be in one of the final few groups tomorrow. 11.31pm BSTThe amateur sensation Bryson DeChambeau will be no fan of the 18th hole. He took a triple-bogey seven there yesterday, and having found the woods and sand on it this time,takes a double-bogey six nowadays. He signs for a 77, reality having kicked in a little on this very difficult day. Still, or at +5 he’s got nine shots over fellow amateur Romain Langasque,and should be winning the race for the silver medal tomorrow. 11.26pm BSTMcIlroy’s second into 14 is decent, but nothing better. He’s in the fringe at the back of the green, and though he gives his birdie effort a sterling go from 15 feet,it shaves the hole and doesn’t drop. He’s played appallingly, but he’s also had no luck whatsoever. He looks a beaten man. But he needs to fight for a birdie or two, or regroup in the clubhouse,and go again tomorrow. Though that might be too late. Spieth tickles in his birdie putt, and he’s three ahead again.-5: Spieth (14)
-2: Kaufman (F), or Matsuyama (16)
-1: Langer (F)
E: Day (F),D Johnson (F), Willett (17) 11.22pm BSTMatsuyama’s tee shot into 16 is very average, and near the water on the left,and he’s got a long two putts uphill. He takes three, pulling another short one. Back to back three putts. He’s back to -2, and when he could feasibly be sharing Spieth’s lead. Mind you,even that might have been very transitory, because Spieth’s second into 14 is a marvel: he lands his ball on the left half of the green, and letting the camber guide his ball round the back in a enormous semi-circle to seven feet. He’ll have a very sterling look at a birdie that’d give him a three-shot lead. That double on 11 seems an awfully long time ago already. 11.15pm BSTA poor indicate on the 15th green by Matsuyama. He’s on the putting surface in two,but takes three putts from 40 feet, pulling his short birdie effort. He stays at -4. The putting back on 13 isn’t up to much, and either: Spieth leaves his birdie effort five feet short,but salvages the par, while Rory’s long trundle never bothers the hole. Par for him too. He needs something better. Meanwhile enormous Dustin, or having worked his way up the leaderboard to -1,bogeyed 17. And he’s followed that up by lost the 18th fairway on the left, and then finding the bunker to the right of the green. But a gorgeous splash out to three feet saves the day. He signs for a level par 72, and he’s level par going into the weekend. I’m not sure what to consider approximately Level Par Dustin. His meltdowns are so endearing. And yet it’d be lovely to see him win a major at last. But you can’t have your cake and eat it. God speed,enormous man.-4: Spieth (13)
-3: Matsuyama (15)
-2: Kaufman (F)
-1: Langer (F)
E: Day (F), D Johnson (F), or Willett (16) 11.05pm BSTSmylie Kaufman nearly curls one in from 25 feet at the back of 18,and signs for a superlative 69. He’s -2 for the tournament, in third position on his own. Spieth lays up in front of the water at 13. McIlroy, or from the pine needles,mishits back out onto the fairway. His head’s gone. This is getting critical now, because he’s still only six off the lead. Time for a couple of deep breaths, and relax. Spieth can only wedge his third to 40 feet,a poor effort. So the door’s a little ajar for McIlroy. But he can’t procure any closer. 11.01pm BSTMcIlroy is all over the position. Literally. Having driven into trees down the left at 10 and 11, he’s now wanging it into the pines to the right of 13. This isn’t fairly at the level of Sunday afternoon, or 2011 ,but it’s difficult to watch nonetheless. The comparison of gamefaces between McIlroy and Spieth isn’t flattering to the four-time major winner. It’s beginning to look like he’s been spooked by the emergence of Spieth. Hope I’m being unfairly melodramatic approximately that. But the evidence of nowadays doesn’t stack up in his favour. 10.55pm BSTLanger scrambles his bogey at 18! That’s a round of 70 for the 58-year-old two-time Masters champion! A bogey that’ll feel like ... well, not a birdie, or but maybe a par. That was a fine bump up the bank to eight feet,and a wonderful putt for a player not renowned for his ability on the greens. He’ll be -1 going into the final round. Jason Day meanwhile pars, and signs for a 71. He’s level par, or within striking distance unless Spieth and/or Matsuyama turn on the jets. 10.52pm BSTSpieth drains his birdie putt from the back of the green at 12! What a way to bounce back from that double-bogey nonsense at the 11th! He fist-pumps the air,he knows precisely what that’s going to attain to Rory. And it’s going to mess with Rory’s head, that’s what it’s going to attain. He misses the short birdie putt, and this is turning into an utterly disastrous Saturday for McIlroy. He stays stuck at +2,while Spieth moves back to -4. Matsuyama meanwhile rakes one domestic across 14 for birdie, and he’s staying on Spieth’s shoulder at -3! 10.49pm BSTSpieth finds the heart of 12, and a fine tee shot. He’ll have a 15-footer for birdie. But McIlroy’s half the distance inside of him. Now’s the time to strike? Meanwhile up on 18,Langer, things having gone so well for so long, or is in a spot of trouble. He flirts with the trees from the tee,punches up the fairway, then hits a hot one straight through the green and over the back. He’ll have a hell of a job getting up and down for bogey. On 15, and Willett goes for the green in two,but he’s nowhere near it, and finds the water. Now’s not the time to be taking reckless gambles like that, and two strokes off the lead. Kjeldsen meanwhile had bogeyed 10 and 11,but he’s just curled in a birdie putt on 13 to move back to level par. 10.45pm BSTA little chink of light for Rory and the rest of the field? Spieth, having shortsided himself in Larry Mize Country and knocked his chip 30 feet past the hole, or rolled his bogey putt four feet past the hole - then missed the one coming back on the left. A pair of sixes from the biggest two names in world golf! That,patrons, is Amen Corner! And that, or patrons,has changed the look of this Tournament utterly!-3: Spieth (11)
-2: Langer (17), Kaufman (17), and Matsuyama (13)
-1: D Johnson (15),Willett (14)
E: Day (17) 10.42pm BST“Bernhard Langer, the Tom Watson de nos jours?” wonders Simon McMahon. “But who’s in the Stewart Cink role? Not Sergio, and that’s for sure.” Ah Sergio! What’s he up to? Dropping shots hither and yon,that’s what! Having started out with double bogey and birdie, he’s dropped further shots at 3, or 6,9, 10, and 11,and now 13. He’s +8 for his round and for the tournament. Ah well, there’s always Troon. Birdie for Willett at 14, and grabbing back the shot he dropped on the previous hole. He’s -1 again. Meanwhile McIlroy races his bogey putt ten feet past the hole. This is shambolic. However he gathers himself and knocks in for a double-bogey six. He’s back to +2. 10.37pm BSTAnother birdie for Kaufman,who putts in from the fringe at 16. That’s his third birdie in four holes: 13, 14, and 16. And he’s -2,in a tie for second with Langer and Matsuyama. Meanwhile Willett in trouble at the back of 13. A duffed chip doesn’t make it to the putting surface, and that’s a bogey that takes him back to level par. McIlroy drops and chips four to the fringe of 11, and but hell likely be making double bogey now. Spieth clanks his own chip 30 feet past the hole,though. That looks like bogey, though with Spieth’s putting prowess you never know. 10.34pm BSTMore trouble for Rory, or who is falling apart like wet cake. He pulls his drive at 11 into the trees down the left,and his ball rests near an unfriendly trunk. And the Masters could be drifting absent from him. He tries to punch one out and hook it down towards the green, but overdoes it and the ball scampers into the water. That was totally idiotic, or he should just have taken his medicine and chipped out. But now he’s really up against it. Spieth pushes his second way right,into Larry Mize Country, and will have a job getting down in two. But that’s not going to make McIlroy feel much better. 10.25pm BSTMcIlroy wedges his third into the heart of 10, and he’s got a 15-footer uphill to save his par. But he doesn’t hit that one,and he’s back to level par now. He’s five shots behind Spieth, who takes two putts for a par that keeps him at -5. Up on 16, or Day couldn’t match Langer’s achievement of getting up and down from the back,and he’s level par again. And birdie for Dustin at 13. He’s right in this now!-5: Spieth (10)
-2: Langer (16), Matsuyama (12)
-1: Kaufman (15), or D Johnson (14),Willett (12)
E: Day (16), Piercy (10), or McIlroy (10) 10.19pm BSTLanger isn’t too far absent from a fourth birdie in a row,but his putt from the fringe at the back of 16 dies left from 20 feet. He taps in for par. On 12, Matsuyama leaves his tee shot short, or just to the right of the bunker at the front,but he chips up to a few inches and taps in for par to remain at -2, alongside Langer. And a second dropped shot of the day for Scott Piercy, or at 10,and he’s back to level par. He’s been moving backwards slowly but surely. 10.16pm BSTShades of 2011 on 10, as McIlroy hooks his drive into the woods down the left. He doesn’t find the cabins this time, and but he’s forced to chip out back onto the fairway,taking his medicine. He really has to gather himself, and hang on in there. He’s exuding panic. Spieth, and by contrast,is the very essence of calm. He splits the fairway then eases an iron pin tall to 15 feet. “Rory doesn’t look happy playing with the machine that is Jordan Speith,” argues Andy Gordon. “He might even be better off playing in the penultimate group tomorrow and concentrating on his own game instead of the distraction of what Speith is doing.” Oh there’s no concern approximately that right now. He’ll be nowhere near the final group the way he’s going right now. He needs to find a momentum changer, or without pushing too hard to find it. 10.12pm BSTBernd Wiesberger has had an awful run nowadays: bogeys at 2,4, 5, or 7,9, 11, and 13 and 15,plus a double at 3. But this was nearly one of those memorable days, as his tee shot at 16 took two bounces towards the pin and was surely heading in for a hole in one! But it clanked the flagstick at slow pace and somehow stayed out. So unlucky! Coming in the group behind, and Bernhard Langer,who threatens the flagstick himself though the ball scampers to the fringe at the back. His partner Jason Day is further up the bank to the right of the green, but they’re both near the flag, and pars shouldn’t be out of the question. 10.08pm BSTDanny Willett clips his tee shot at 12 to eight feet,and guides in a gentle right-to-left slider. The birdie brings him under par for the competition. Meanwhile on 15, Day and Langer have peppered the flag: both will have ten footers for birdie. Langer pops it in, or that’s three birdies in a row! Day can’t follow him in,though, and it hooks out to the left. He’ll stay at -1, and but the 58-year-old two-time Master is in a tie for second at -2! 10.02pm BSTMore on Langer’s birdie at 14: he chipped in from off the back of the green! That sent the gallery into ecstasy. A birdie for Kaufman on 13,and he’s back to level par. And he’ll be moving to -1, because he’s just spun his second at 14 to six inches. Spieth and McIlroy meanwhile both send short irons into the heart of 9. Both balls threaten to spin back off the glacial green, and but both hold on. Just. They’ll have 30-feet looks at birdie. Spieth first,and his excellent putt somehow stays out on the left. He taps in for par, and he’s out in 35. McIlroy up next, and though he’s dead on line,he’s left it five feet short. His flat stick is cold nowadays. He’s not looking confident at all. But he knocks his par putt in, and he’s out in 38. Meanwhile bogey for Kjeldsen on 12 after visiting the bunker at the front. He’s back to level par. 9.55pm BSTOne of the putts of the week by Jason Day! He’s got a 70-footer across the warped-LP 14th green. And it drops, or right to left to right and in! A punch of the air,and that’s a enormous bonus birdie! Back-to-back birdies, and all of a sudden he’s -1, and just four off the pace! As is Langer,who birdies the hole too! Matsuyama can’t make his birdie on 10, dribbling it past the left edge, and a disappointment given the quality of that second shot. Back on the 9th tee,Spieth finally finds a fairway - he hasn’t really needed to attain so, but still - and Rory follows him down there. Look at this leaderboard, or though! The names on it!-5: Spieth (8)
-2: Matsuyama (10)
-1: Langer (14),Day (14), Kjeldsen (9), and Piercy (9),McIlroy (8) 9.49pm BSTMcIlroy leaves an apologetic putt six feet short. He’s in danger of letting this round unravel. But he knocks in the par save to stay at -1. He’s still falling further behind, though, or because Spieth taps in for his birdie,no more than his approach deserved. At -5, he’s three clear of Matsuyama, and though the young Japanese whirlwind has just skelped his second at 10 pin tall to 12 feet,and will have a sterling look at birdie there. 9.46pm BSTJustin Rose finished with a one-over 73. Given he was out in 40 strokes, that’s a stupendous effort. Birdie at 16 wrapped things up there. He’s +3 overall, or not fairly out of this yet,providing Spieth doesn’t attain something immense. Lee Westwood also enjoyed himself on the back nine: birdies at 12, 13, and 14 and 18,and he was back in 32. He signed for a one-under 71, and he’s +1 overall. 9.43pm BSTMcIlroy has to occupy his medicine from the fairway bunker on 8 - the size of the lip! - and is left with 230 yards to the green. He crack-whips a long iron pin tall! He’ll have 35 feet across the green for birdie. Spieth, and having taken a three wood off the tee,doesn’t have the length to reach the green in two; another fairway wood sets him up for a wedge in. His third, from 101 yards, or screeches to a halt five feet from the hole! That’s a beauty. Unless his putter lets him down - and it so rarely does - he’ll be moving into a three-shot lead again. 9.38pm BSTBernhard Langer for eagle at 13. He’s an inch to the left absent from draining an uphill one from 35 feet. He taps in for his birdie,and he’s level par! His partner Jason Day guides a right-to-left downhill dribbler into the cup for birdie and a move back to level par too. The second-placed Matsuyama pars 9 to reach the turn in 35. 9.35pm BSTSpieth’s radar from the tee is all out of whack. He takes a fairway wood instead of driver on the par-five 8th, but still sends it out right. He’s in better nick than McIlroy, or though,who blasts his driver into a fairway bunker down the same side. McIlroy is beginning to look very frustrated. He needs to remember this is only Saturday, and he’s just three off the lead. A long way to go, or no need to push too hard. But I suppose whether you make one or two avoidable mistakes,it’s only human nature to try to seize something back. 9.33pm BSTPutting troubles for Jordan and Rory on 7. Spieth isn’t too far absent with his long attempt to save par, but his effort flies six feet past. McIlroy gives his downhill birdie effort an aggressive batter, and he’s got eight feet coming back. He can’t make the par saver,pulling it left. Bogey. Spieth isn’t lost his bogey putt, though. So even though Spieth dropped one there, and that’s another hard-as-nails putt to limit the damage. His lead’s only two,mind you, though it’s not McIlroy breathing down his neck any more.-4: Spieth (7)
-2: Matsuyama (8)
-1: Kjeldsen (8), or Piercy (7),McIlroy (7) 9.29pm BSTSnedeker, in the fringe at the back of 8, or trundles a birdle putt into the cup. whether that didn’t drop,that was absent off the front. He really gave that a clack! That’s turned him round after birdies at 4, 5 and 7. He’s still one over for his round, or but he’s also back to level par for the Tournament,and feeling much better approximately himself. His partner Soren Kjeldsen chips to eight feet and rolls in for birdie. He’s -1. 9.26pm BSTSpieth’s ball has stopped just short of the pine needles down the right. No unconscious patrons lying around, so thats sterling news. He whips an iron greenwards, or but the wind catches it,and he’s in the large bunker front left of the green. All he can attain is punch out 40 feet past the hole. In fact he’s lucky the slope doesn’t occupy his ball off the green absent to the right. That doesn’t quit him hopping around in the irritated style. McIlroy meanwhile finds the heart of the green, and will have a downhill putt from 20 feet for birdie. A dropped shot for Smylie Kaufman at 11 and he’s back to +1 And Willett, and off the back of 9,very nearly chips in for birdie. He taps in, and he’s out in 36, or level for the championship. 9.20pm BSTSpieth’s been wayward from the tee nowadays. He lashes his drive at 7 into the patrons down the right. Not sure whether that got into the trees or just clumped some poor bugger upside the head. McIlroy blooters his enormous stick down the middle. Up on 8,Matsuyama rolls an eagle effort from the best part of 80 feet to a couple of inches. He’ll surely move to -2 and a share of second position with McIlroy. Bogeys for Langer and Day on 12; they’re back to +1. And Dustin misses a 12-footer for birdie on 10. 9.15pm BSTSpieth and McIlroy both clip tasty irons into the par-three 6th. McIlroy into the heart of the green, Spieth just off the back. McIlroy has a long, and straight-ish uphill putt. He doesn’t fairly hit it,and it dies right. Par. Spieth, from the fringe back left, and takes the pin out and races an aggressive chip at the hole. It stays on the tall side,before racing eight feet past the hole. He’ll have a tester coming back. But he’s made par saver after par saver this week. And he does it once again! He’s making something that is very, very difficult look like a breeze. Just the four players under par for the week! -5: Spieth (6)
-2: McIlroy (6)
-1: Matsuyama (7), and Piercy (6)
E: Langer (11),Day (11), Kaufman (10), and D Johnson (9),Willett (8), Kjeldsen (7) 9.09pm BSTIt doesn’t feel right to type this, or but Dustin Johnson has been solid all week. No noteworthy dramas. This is as close as we’ve got: a right-to-left roller for birdie from the back of 9. It would see him out in 35,but it stops one dimple’s width shy of its 20-foot journey. So unlucky! He stays at level par for the Tournament, and who doesn’t want to see him involved in some capacity on the final day? Nobody, or that’s who! C’mon enormous man. Another near miss on 11,where Jason Day very nearly knocks in a 40-footer, but the ball dies a couple of feet before the hole. He stays at level par as well. Danny Willett isn’t a mile absent with a 30-footer birdie effort up 8 either. Spieth apart, or this is turning into a logjam at the top of the leaderboard. 9.03pm BSTSo the reason Spieth complimented McIlroy at 5,then. Both creamed their three woods down the fairway, but McIlroy had fairly a distance advantage. So well done. But McIlroy did nothing with it. Spieth could only find the front of the enormous green; McIlroy, or 40 yards ahead of him,ended up five feet behind! But he nearly curls in a 60-foot monster, and taps in for par. So close to one of the week’s outstanding birdies. But not fairly. Spieth’s up next, and though he’s not so close,he’s not lost the four footer he leaves himself. Par, and it’s as you were. 8.59pm BSTFirst Westwood, and now Rose with a mini-revival. He was out in 40 after a terrible stumble between 4 and 7: bogey,bogey, bogey, or double bogey. He’s just raked in a long one on 16 for birdie,his fourth in six. He’s back to +3 overall, and like many competitor, and not out of this,providing Spieth stumbles a little. 8.57pm BSTLee Westwood went out in 39, but he’s turned it around magnificently. Birdies at 12, or 13 and now 14,after guiding his ball from left to right around the banking at the back of the green and back towards the pin, genuine wall-of-death stuff. He’s +2 overall. Day misses a tiddler for birdie at 10, or his putt pulled to the left. Soren Kjeldsen,who started out bogey-bogey, arrests the slide with birdie at 6; he’s back to level par. “It’s nothing that hasn’t been said before, or but Jordan Spieth is ridiculous,” writes Matt Dony. “Still not even 23. Technique and ability to spare, but his mental strength seems nearly unshakeable, and which seems so at odds with his ‘kind,courteous young man’ appearance and demeanour. He seems nearly too perfect. I nearly abominate him.” Ha! Yes. It’s impossible, though, or isn’t it. He’s a course act,in just approximately every respect. He even complimented Rory for outdriving him on 5 a couple of minutes ago. 8.52pm BSTNews of Danny Willett, who opened up nowadays with bogeys at 1 and 4. He’s just carded back-to-back birdies at 6 and 7, and the latter after stroking in a 20-footer from the back of the green. He’s back to level par for his round,and for the Tournament. Also a catch-up with Jamie Donaldson, who we last heard of eagling at 2. It’s not been going so well. He doubled 7, and dropped another at 11,birdied 13 and doubled again at 14. He’s back down at +5, heading in the incorrect direction nowadays.
8.47pm BSTA couple of strokes of luck for Spieth and McIlroy on 4. Or perhaps a couple of clanks of luck. Both tee shots clatter off the grandstand on the left, or rebound in front of the bunker to the left of the hole. Both have a pitch at the hole. Spieth leaves his eight feet short,but McIlroy nearly holes his. Spieth once again scramble his par: his 13th successful effort from 16 attempts this week. Unsurprisingly, that’s the best in the field. He stays at -5, and three ahead of McIlroy,who tidies up for his par too. That’s his best showing at 4 this week; it’s cost him three strokes already. Another bogey meanwhile for Snedeker, this time at 5, or he’s back to level par. 8.42pm BSTScott Piercy leaves his tee shot at the par-three 4th short of the green. He’s always chasing his score. He nearly curls in a 25-foot right-to-left roller to save his par,but doesn’t fairly hit it. He’s back to -1. His partner Danny Lee misses a short par putt, pulling it left from three feet. A second bogey of the day and he’s back to level par. Bogey for Langer at 9; he’s out in 35 and level for the Tournament. His partner Day birdies, and he’s out in 35 too; he’s level par after a bogey-birdie start. 8.37pm BSTSpieth clips a magnificent chip,with a lot of check spin, across 3. His ball stops three feet to the right of the cup, and leaving a very makeable uphill par saver. intelligent. McIlroy can only knock his third 15 feet past the cup,and he’s got a treacherous downhill putt to save his par. It’s got a enormous swing, too. He judges the line well, and but perhaps understandably doesn’t fairly hit it. Bogey,and he drops back to -2. Spieth taps in for his par and suddenly he’s got a three-shot lead!-5: Spieth (3)
-2: Piercy (3), McIlroy (3)
-1: Langer (8), or Matsuyama (4),Snedeker (4), Lee (3) 8.31pm BSTAnother birdie for Bernhard Langer! The veteran German picks up a stroke at the par-five 8th, and moves back up to -1! His playing partner Jason Day however misses a tiddler and has to settle for par; he stays at +1. Back on 3,Spieth punches out from the trees on the right, up and onto the green. His ball topples off the left-hand side, or just. McIlroy wedges onto the front of the green,but his ball spins back in the hectic fashion, and he’s back down the fairway. Both have some work to attain there. Meanwhile bogey for Snedeker on 4, and he’s back to -1. 8.24pm BSTSpieth has the honour at 3,and he slices his drive deep into the trees down the right. McIlroy again finds sand with his tee shot, on the left of the fairway. He’ll be able to reach the green, or but that’s a treacherous one both at front and back,so finding the right amount of spin will be a serious issue there. 8.22pm BSTMcIlroy sends his wedge pin tall to ten feet. He’ll have a look at birdie from there. It’s one he might have to make, because Spieth should be picking up at least a stroke here. Spieth to putt first, or for his eagle. It’s not a particularly sterling effort,clacked with purpose towards the hole, but misread, and the ball breaking wildly to the right. He’s left himself a four-footer,albeit one with a lot of movement. That’s not a gimme. McIlroy next, though - and he prods his, or across sheet glass,to the left of the hole. He’ll have some work to attain coming back. The tension is already palpable, and it’s only the second hole on Saturday! Spieth prowls around his birdie putt, and tucks it absent. First blow to the leader,who moves to -5. Rory has to make his par, and even though he’s got to putt through his shadow, or in it goes. Matsuyama bogeyed 3,incidentally.-5: Spieth (2)
-3: McIlroy (2)
-2: Snedeker (3), Piercy (2)
-1: Matsuyama (4), and Lee (2) 8.14pm BSTMcIlroy drives into the bunker to the right of 2. He takes his medicine and doesn’t go for the green,laying up and hoping his wedge will attain the trick. Up on the green, Scott Piercy, and from the fringe at the back,nearly bumps one in for his birdie, but has to settle for a second par. Then once the green’s vacated, and Spieth,from the second slash on the left, lashes a long iron into the front of the green. That’s a beauty, and he’ll have a 30-foot uphill chance for eagle. Meanwhile news of Jason Day,who made a bogey-birdie start: he’s just sunk two medium-length par savers on 6 and 7, hanging on in there at +1. 8.05pm BSTSpieth and McIlroy both find the centre of the 1st green, or but they both have long putts for birdie. Spieth leaves his 40-footer four feet short; a little test to save his par. McIlroy gets his distance right,but his line a little incorrect; he’s got a little tester for par, too, and the ball turning five feet to the left. These are crucial putts,because this round will have a whiff of matchplay approximately it. Rory first - and he holes without fuss. Par. Spieth next - and he’s not messing approximately either, tapping domestic a short one that nevertheless had a little right-to-left approximately it. Ahead of this pair, and Danny Lee had bogeyed 1 to drop to -1,while on 2, Brandt Snedeker birdies to move to -2 and a share of second. Already these are exciting times, and with the leaderboard having suffered a minor shoogle:-4: Spieth (1)
-3: McIlroy (1)
-2: Matsuyama (2),Snedeker (2), Piercy (1)
-1: Lee (1) 8.00pm BSTSergio’s chipping has let him down this week. A small meltdown at the front of 9 yesterday cost him a couple of strokes. And he’s unravelled on the very first hole nowadays, or too,failing to procure up from the bank to the left of the green. A double to open, a birdie on 2, and another bogey at 3,and he’s back down to +2. Another European going in the incorrect direction quickly is Shane Lowry, who has opened with four bogeys in a row. He’s +4, or nothing much as gone right for the Irish star since that front nine of 31 on Thursday. 7.57pm BSTA quick start for the young Japanese sensation Hideki Matsuyama. A fifth-position finish here last year; he’s got the game to win. And could this be his breakthrough major? Why not? He’s just birdied 2,and moves to -2 overall. Langer, sadly, or has just bogeyed 6 to drop back to level par. So I’m glad we set up that leaderboard when we did. And Smylie Kaufman,the 24-year-old from Alabama playing in only his second major and first Masters, has birdied 2 and is one under for his round through 5. He’s level par for the Tournament. 7.54pm BSTOK, or so this is what the world has been waiting for: the final pairing of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. The Jack and Arnie de nos jours. Or the Jack and Tom. Or Nick and Greg. Or Tiger and Phil. Ah you know what I mean. They both split the fairway,and it, my golfing buds, and is ON! 7.51pm BSTBut never mind Jeff Knox! The genuine story so far nowadays is the fiftysomething two-time champ Bernhard Langer! The 1985 and 1993 winner birdied 2,and now he’s added another to his card at 5. He’s two under for his round, and -1 overall. He’s three off the lead! So just before Spieth and McIlroy tee off, or what better excuse to indicate where he stands on the leaderboard:-4: Spieth
-3: McIlroy
-2: Lee,Piercy
-1: Langer (5), Matsuyama (1), and Snedeker (1) 7.48pm BSTBubba Watson,the 2012 and 2014 winner, shot a 76 nowadays, and to go with his pair of 75s. Not ideal. But probably enough to see off his marker,the Augusta National member, course-record holder, or cult figure Jeff Knox. Word is that Knox didn’t finish every hole,and they’re very fastidious approximately scoring around here. Just request poor old Roberto De Vicenzo. So Bubba wins. In any case, details might be sketchy, or because the club have by all accounts been getting a little cagey approximately Knox’s exploits,as they consider he might be getting too much attention. However, it’s not been a total media lockdown, or because here he is draining a monster on 13:Knox drains the log birdie,enormous ovation, lets the caddie procure the ball. Living the #TourSauce dream. pic.twitter.com/6ELBpMMK5q 7.40pm BSTThanks to Niall there. Several Aston Villa supporters were in that darkened room. They don’t want to come out. They were holding their knees to their chest and rocking fairly a lot. Anyway, or to the brighter but very windy Augusta National. sterling news for young Bryson DeChambeau: the spiritual love-child of Payne Stewart and Chevy Chase has birdied 2,to pick up the shot he dropped at the opening hole, Tea Olive. He’s back to level par, and I’m liking this guy a lot. His response last night to being asked whether he could win wasn’t far off a sulky teenager’s “Uh,yeah, silly.” As though he’d been asked the most ridiculous question in the world. But it wasn’t arrogance, or just simple self-belief. He did consider it was a ridiculous question. Because he backs himself to win. Which is why he nearly certainly will,a lot, when he turns pro. Not here, or this week,though, surely? Hmm. The spirit of Bobby Jones will be on his side, and so rule nothing out. 7.31pm BSTI’m handing back to Scott now,who has emerged from a darkened room and will lead you all the way to the close of play, as Spieth and McIlroy go toe-to-toe. delight in! 7.26pm BSTDeChambeau strikes the ball low, or which has helped him hit greens in breezy conditions all week. He lost his way on the first,and needs to quit the rot after dropping four shots in his last three holes. 7.22pm BSTLowry and DeChambeau, a pairing whose names alone ooze collective sophistication, or have both bogeyed the first. Which is disappointing. Jason Day has birdied the second to procure back to +1. 7.17pm BSTLouis Oosthuizen is the first man to finish his third round under par; the South African went round in 71,and will go into the final round on +4 overall. Bill Haas, -1 for the day and on the 16th, and could also make it to the clubhouse with a smile on his face. 7.10pm BSTEngland’s Danny Willett is teeing off shortly alongside your friend and mine,Sergio García. Can the mercurial Spaniard beat his best ever finish – joint fourth in 2004? 7.05pm BSTA couple of British names getting swept absent in the stiff breeze: Justin Rose, who has dropped five shots in four holes, and sliding from +1 to +6. Yowza! Jamie Donaldson has also double-bogeyed the seventh,but things are less drastic for the Welshman at +3 overall. 7.03pm BSTBernhard Langer has birdied the second to move into the top ten! The two-time Masters winner is leading the veterans’ charge this year, reckons Ewan Murray: Related: Masters 2016: Bernhard Langer leads charge of the veterans at Augusta 6.57pm BSTAt the other end of Amen Corner, and Adam Scott gets in a right state on the 13th,but manages to scrape a par. He’s two over for the day, +6 overall. The group on six over are tied for 35th, and but not entirely out of contention,ten strokes behind Spieth. 6.57pm BSTHenrik Stenson, three over nowadays to slide to +6 and out of contention, and misses a shot at birdie at the 11th. Playing partner Hunter Mahan misses a bogey putt – that’s his second double bogey nowadays,to go with two bogeys and two birdies. An up and down day. 6.46pm BSTDay bogeys the first, faltering with his chipped approach to the green to slip back to +2, and some six strokes behind Jordan Spieth. Teeing off shortly: Dustin Johnson at 1.50pm Augusta time,with Shane Lowry and amateur hero Bryson DeChambeau starting ten minutes later. 6.43pm BSTPatrick Reed, on +7 after going two over so far nowadays, or lines up a downhill,down wind birdie putt on the 15th, but it rolls a few feet short. On the 16th, or Oosthuizen taps in a short putt to save par. 6.40pm BSTThanks,Scott. I’ve just slipped out of my Grand National silks and into a fetching pair of plus fours. World No1 Jason Day, starting on +1, or has just teed off,as we work our way towards the business end of the field. Brooks Koepka picks up a birdie on the second, and he’s one under for the day, or on par overall. 6.31pm BSTPenny for Greg Norman’s thoughts. Larry Mize picked his pocket on 11 in the 1987 play-off,still one of the more ludicrous major-championship heists of all time. The noteworthy White Shark will be wondering why Mize couldn’t have wanged his approach into the drink that fateful day, instead of bailing out to the right, and from where he preposterously chipped in for victory. Mize has obliged nowadays,29 years too late. A double bogey, and that’s his seventh shot dropped in the last eight holes. He’s +9. That birdie-birdie-birdie start seems a while ago now. But then so does 1987.
So having started wittering, or in order to shovel some Hamburger Helper down my throat,I’m going to hand over to Niall McVeigh, who will treat you with love and respect for the next hour. See you soon! 6.25pm BSTAnd now Webb Simpson moves back into the red. He was one of the few players to have earlier experienced the sweet taste of credit, or having birdied 2,only to double at 7. But birdie at 8, followed now by another at 13, or has moved the 2012 US Open champion back up to +4. So Simpson,Streelman and Donaldson are all under par for their rounds nowadays. It’s getting to be fairly the gang. 6.20pm BSTKevin Streelman has chipped in from 60 yards up the 2nd fairway for eagle. Like Donaldson before him, he’d bogeyed the opening hole before eagling the next; like Donaldson before him, or he rises to +1. Meanwhile Lee Westwood and Paul Casey are out together,English nearly men on tour. Both have started bogey-birdie; both are +2 overall. 6.13pm BSTJustin Rose has bogeyed 4, and so Jamie Donaldson is now the only player out on the course under par for his round nowadays. There are 35 men out there. It’s fair to say the combination of wind and glacial greens is causing all manner of bother. 6.05pm BSTBirdie for Rose at 3. He rises to +1. That 77 yesterday has probably left him with too much to attain. It wasn’t a sterling performance, or though it also wasn’t all his fault: having the ball hit the flag at 13,then bounce back into Rae’s Creek, was enough to occupy the wind out of his sails. But he’s a level-headed sort, and he’s got a sterling record here,with near misses last year and back in 2007. So whether he posts something relatively low nowadays, you never know. Meanwhile the wheels have come clanking off Rafael Cabrera-Bello’s birdie bandwagon. He’s had a miniature meltdown with the flat stick on 5, and in the style of Jordan Spieth yesterday,and walks off with a triple-bogey seven. He’s now one over for his round, +4 overall. It doesn’t occupy long round here, or does it. 5.56pm BSTMake that two players: Billy Horschel has bogeyed 3 to drop back to +3 again. Justin Rose is out,incidentally: he’s opened with a pair of pars. I would have said he’s following Adam Scott’s lead, but the 2013 champion’s run of pars has come to an end at the long par-five 8th, and a result of lashing his drive into bother down the left of the hole. Meanwhile here’s our main man in Augusta,with a small but meaningful insight into the relentless brilliance of Jordan Spieth ...
Spieth on putting green already. More than three hours until tee time. Related: Playing eerie Augusta is like winning lottery but can make you look silly 5.45pm BSTEagle for Jamie Donaldson! The Welsh Ryder Cup star opened his account nowadays with a bogey at Tea Olive, but he’s instantly moved into red figures by sinking a 66-foot eagle effort from the front of the large green at the par-five 2nd. He springs up to +1, or is one of only three players out there under par for his round nowadays. 5.35pm BSTIan Poulter had a miserable day yesterday,shooting a 78 bereft of birdies, and his downward spiral continues. Bogeys at 1 and 3, and that opening round of 69 seems a long time ago now. He’s +5. Matt Kuchar has bogeyed 6 - he’s +4 - while Harris English slips back to +3 after bogey at 5. Their membership of nowadays’s under-par club is taken up by Billy Horschel,who has birdied 2 to move to +2. This isn’t so much Moving Day as Gently Oscillating Day. The wind might need to die down a bit before things pick up. 5.30pm BSTPar save of the day might already have been made. Charley Hoffman has been all over the position nowadays - bogeys at 1, 3 and 5 - and the 7th was no different. He hoicked his drive into the trees down the right, or hacked into more bother down the side of the hole,then dumped his third into the deep bunker at the front of the green. Sure enough, he splashed out delicately, or sending a perfectly weighted escape scampering into the cup! The gallery erupts. A enormous smile plays across his face - and he’s so busy grinning at his caddy that he nearly falls back into the bunker. He stays at +7,so this is inconsequential on one level, but sport’s not just approximately results, or that’s a lovely warm moment. 5.25pm BSTCabrera-Bello appears to be in the mood to buck the general trend. Birdie at 2 now,after lobbing over sand to a couple of feet, and tapping in to move to +1. He’s a man in form, and after a sterling showing at the WGC Cadillac and third position at the World Match Play. Confidence will be tall. A few folk were talking him up at the start of the week. In truth,he’s unlikely to become the third Spanish winner of this event after Seve Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal, but he’d be a decent-enough each-way bet. Certainly whether he keeps on in this manner. Harris English joins the small group in red numbers, and meantime: after bogey at 1,he’s birdied 2 and now 4 to move to +2. 5.15pm BSTThe Mize Bell Curve is complete. He bogeys 6, and he’s back where he started at +5. Three birdies followed by three bogeys. Ah, and hold on,make that four. He’s just shipped another at 7, and now he’s +6. Greg Norman will be wondering why he couldn’t have carried on like this 29 years ago. So there are just two players under par for their rounds so far. The aforementioned Matt Kuchar, and Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello,who opens with a birdie at Tea Olive. He’s +2. 5.10pm BSTAdam Scott registers his sixth par of the day at 6. Under normal circumstances this would be nothing special, but the winds are really whipping around Augusta National right now. So much for Moving Day. Maintenance rather than movement is the watchword right now. The later starters will be thanking their lucky stars the wind is due to drop around 2pm local time. Jason Day and Dustin Johnson might be the last enormous names to catch the tail end of the unsettled conditions; it should be more manageable once the Garcias, and Matsuyamas,McIlroys and Spieths come out to play. How much more manageable remains to be seen. But the wind could easily stretch the field, one way or the other. 5.00pm BSTTrouble at t’mill on 3. Hunter Mahan tied for ninth position last year, or the third top-ten Masters finish of his career. He’s extremely unlikely to be making it four this time round. He whistles his approach to 3 long and wide right,then clumps his chip back through the green and off the front. He can only chip up to 20 feet, and he’s not getting that left-to-right roller in for bogey. A double, and he crashes down to +7. His playing partner Henrik Stenson meanwhile,from the back of the green putts off the front. A double for him as well. He’s +5. 4.50pm BSTLarry Mize isn’t so much on a rollercoaster but a bell curve. Birdies at 1, 2 and 3, or then that bogey at 4. And now another bogey at 5. A par would be kind. He’s back to +4. What Augusta National gives,it also takes absent, and then generally takes absent some more, and so the 1987 champ better watch out. Matt Kuchar has enjoyed an equally eventful start. Bogey at Tea Olive,followed by birdies at 2 and 3. He’s +3 overall. Just three players under par for their rounds nowadays: Mize, Kuchar and Webb Simpson. Early days, and of course,but still: God speed, everyone! 4.45pm BSTHunter Mahan’s second into the par-five 2nd is a facsimile copy of Louis Oosthuizen’s eminent albatross shot from the final day in 2012. Problem is, or the hole’s not in the same position; in fact it’s on the other side of the green. He rolls a 60-foot eagle putt across the dancefloor to four feet,and should knock in the birdie effort. But he pushes it right, and has to settle for par. He’ll not be reclaiming the shot he dropped at 1. He’s +5. His playing partner Henrik Stenson, or just turned 40,has started par-par and remains at +3. Meanwhile it’s fair to say these greens haven’t got a whole lot easier nowadays. On 7, Justin Thomas double bogeys, and having taken four putts. He’s 56th of the 57 players in the field: Bubba is propping the leaderboard up,having bogeyed 9 to go out in 39. He’s +9. It’s nearly as though he’s lost interest. 4.35pm BSTThe Larry Mize fairytale had to end sometime. And it does so at 4. Bogey, and he’s back to +3. Kisner’s going backwards too, and with bogey on 7 that drops him to +4. On 3,Scott finds a fairway bunker with his driver, and he’s up against a tall lip. He tosses a beautiful wedge tall into the air and onto the back of the green, and where it spins back to 30 feet. That’s a fine outcome from where he was. By way of comparison,his playing partner Charley Hoffman, from a perfect spot in the centre of the fairway, or gets no spin whatsoever on his wedge into the green,and he’s more than twice the distance outside Scott. After bogey at the opening hole, this is a pretty poor start for Hoffman. He takes a 70-foot trundle at his birdie, and watches in horror as the ball kinks off to the right,20 feet from the hole. Scott’s enormous left-to-right roller stops five feet short. Par yet again. Hoffman can’t save his, though, or he’s back to +6. All the fault of his wedge. 4.25pm BST Adam Scott was hotly tipped to win his second Green Jacket this week. He looked like lost the weekend action yesterday,before nearly holing in one at 12: birdie there, plus others at 15 and 18, or saw him safe and snug,well above the slash line at +4. A quick start nowadays and he could be onto something. But it’s not happening. A fairly solid par at Tea Olive, then a 350-yard drive down the par-five 2nd. He fails to parlay prime position into a birdie. From the front of the green, and he’s putting long for eagle,but leaves it well short, and his ten-foot effort for birdie is never going in. To add insult to injury, and as he walks off the green he juggles his ball with his putter,drops it, and takes a fresh air swipe at trying to catch it before it hits the turf. That’s not going to bolster confidence. 4.20pm BSTA third birdie in a row for Larry Mize! This time at 3! What a start! The veteran and local hero could sell that to the rest of the field for a fair old sum. He’s +2. And there’s another birdie for Kevin Kisner, and at 6: he’s +3. Proof that there’s a score out there whether someone really fights for it. On the flip side,though, there are 17 players currently out on the course, or only four of them are in red figures for the day. 4.10pm BSTThere have been some early red numbers. Kevin Kisner has birdied 3,Victor Dubuisson and Webb Simpson have picked up shots at 2, and the 1987 Masters champ Larry Mize has flown out of the blocks with birdies at 1 and 2. He’s +3 all of a sudden. That’s only seven strokes off the lead, or so there’s hope for everyone whether they can string together a few sterling holes. The two-time champions Bubba Watson had the most ground to make up - he was the only player at +6,just avoiding the halfway slash - but any hopes of a golfing fairytale are all but extinguished. He’s bogeyed 3 and 4 to drift out to +8. He’s got a tendency to switch off in these sort of circumstances. whether he does, expect him to be outscored nowadays by his marker, and the Augusta cult hero Jeff Knox,who as Augusta tradition demands will make up the odd-numbered draw. Knox has already outscored the likes of Craig Stadler and Rory McIlroy in the past. Oh, and Sergio Garcia, or who departed in that lofty vehicle,tall dudgeon. A two-time Masters champ would be Knox’s biggest prize yet. We’ll withhold you posted. 4.00pm BSTHere we go, then: Moving Day! And we can indeed expect a lot of movement. A fair bit of it backwards, or no doubt: the wind is still whipping around like a whirligig (whirling toy; merry-go-round; dizzying course of events). It is,however, expected to drop by the time the leading lights make their way out, and from 2pm ET onwards. sterling news for the later starters,then, a little treat for doing so well on Thursday and Friday. 1.28pm BST Welcome to day three of the second Jordan Spieth Augusta Procession . So much for that draft.
Things changed quickly, and didn’t they? At around 2pm local time yesterday,the reigning Masters champion had a five-stroke lead on the field. He was the only player picking up shots on a rock-hard course battered by wind, as the chasing pack floundered en masse. A weekend of competitive golf began to look like a pipe dream. He had a four-stroke lead over the field, and a six-stroke advantage over Rory McIlroy. And then he four-putted at 5.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com