We have finally made it to Masters Sunday from Augusta National. It has been a struggle, with fallen trees, wind and rain, but there should be enough time to crown a champion on Sunday evening (should).
The early news from day four is that Tiger Woods withdrew with the prospect of 29 holes too much for his beaten-up body while Brooks Koepka retains the lead going into the final 18 holes.
That lead is over Jon Rahm while Viktor Hovland has played his way back into it with five straight birdies on the back nine.
All will be answered soon, keep up to date with everything with our live updates below.
MASTERS SUNDAY TEE TIMES AND TIMINGS
- Round four set to begin at 12.30pm EDT / 5.30pm BST
- Round four to be played in twoballs from two tees (1st/10th)
- Leaders likely to start final round at approx 2pm EDT / 7pm
MASTERS 2023 LEADERBOARD
- -11 Koepka
- -9 Rahm
- -8 Hovland
- -5 Henley, Cantlay, Young, Woodland
- -4 Bennett (a), Matsuyama, Lowry, Scheffler, Morikawa, Theegala. Niemann, Day, Young, Rose
USEFUL LINKS
- The Masters 2023 Tee Times
- Masters Weather Forecast
- How to Watch The Masters
- Watch: Trees Fall at Augusta National
THE LONGEST WEEK
I woke up this morning and first thoughts were to Tiger Woods, is he going to be seen at Augusta National this morning? No official news yet.
WEATHER UPDATE
Lingering drizzle in the morning and breezy. Cloudy skies becoming partly cloudy by late the afternoon. Low: 44F High: 62F Winds: NE 14–18 G 25 mph.
The wind could be a huge factor today - meaning scoring could be tough at times.
WHO WILL WIN?
According to oddschecker.com Brooks Koepka is the odds on favourtie, but Jon Rahm is shorter than 2/1 - so the bookies are clear that they do not think that this is over yet.
REMINDER ON TIMINGS FOR THE DAY
- Third round set to resume at 8am EDT/ 1pm BST
- Round four set to begin at 12.30pm EDT / 5.30pm BST
- Round four to be played in twoballs from two tees (1st/10th)
- Leaders likely to start final round at approx 2pm EDT / 7pm
It is going to be busy! TV coverage will again be a little funky, so keep up to date with all the action here.
CURRENT STANDINGS
- -13 Koepka
- -9 Rahm
- -6 Bennett (a)
- -5 Morikawa, Fitzpatrick, Hovland, Cantlay
- -4 Rose, Henley, Mickelson, Niemann, Young, Day
- -3 Scheffler, Fox, Woodland
Koepka does have a 4-shot lead, but within minutes that lead could be down to two. Depending on how him and Rahm finish up on the tricky 7th hole.
WILL THERE BE A HOLE IN ONE?
Sunday is the day for a hole in one at Augusta... I have a hefty bet on that happening as well... so fingers crossed on a perfect shot later.
HELLO AND WELCOME TO DAY 4 AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of day four at The Masters!
I'm Ed Carruthers and I'll be here to take you through all of the build up to the resumption of play which is set to take place at 08:30 (EDT)/ 13:30 (BST)!
It was a frustrating day at Augusta National yesterday, with the weather wreaking havoc on the golf course.
After play was postponed on Friday thanks to inclement weather, our players battled to complete their second round on Saturday morning with Jon Rahm, Tiger Woods and Viktor Hovland all battling it out in the rain to advance the third round.
That got underway later that afternoon, but we were treated to just a few hours of play, with some groups only just managing nine holes, before the elements became too much.
Brooks Koepka still sits at the top of the leaderboard at -13, while Jon Rahm is hot on his heels at -9. Amateur Sam Bennett is still T3 after a stunning opening 36 holes. While Tiger Woods battled the torrential weather but slumped to nine over as play was halted.
We're going to take a look at the weather forecast for Sunday, but first, here's a recap from Saturday at The Masters...
Saturday was testing. It required grit and determination. But, the real test is tomorrow, when the final round begins and the final chapter of the 2023 Masters is written. #themasters pic.twitter.com/6jX5NzZ7luApril 9, 2023
TODAY'S WEATHER FORECAST
So after a torrid two days of rain, it looks like the weather might pick up a bit later today. Some rain is set to come in early this morning but it looks like we could have a bit of sun later on towards the evening.
Fingers crossed the rain stays off and we get a full day's play in...
AND THE DOORS ARE OPEN AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL!
We're hearing reports that the patrons are starting to make their way into the tournament grounds - which is great news in terms of weather!
With patrons on the course, it is looking promising that we will get play underway at 8:30 (EDT)/ 13:30 (BST).
Here's a couple of shots though of how bad the weather was yesterday afternoon at Augusta National.
BREAKING NEWS: TIGER WOODS HAS WITHDRAWN
Some sad breaking news now and Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Masters.
The five-time Masters champion was seen yesterday battling the elements on the course, but struggled during his round and looked to be in pain falling to nine under par after squeezing his way through to make the cut.
Due to injury, @TigerWoods has officially withdrawn from the Masters Tournament after completing seven holes of his third round. #themastersApril 9, 2023
SAD NEWS FOR TIGER WOODS
Right now we're waiting to hear the exact reasons for Tiger Woods' withdrawal, but it was a very tough day out on the golf course yesterday for the 15-time major winner.
He started his day early on Saturday, looking to complete his second round and make a late break to make the cut.
Woods sat at around +2 for most of the morning, battling the driving rain and showed his class throughout hitting some stunning approach shots, but slipped to three over towards the end of his second round, carding bogeys on both the 17th and 18th holes.
It was a tense moment for Woods, who was in jeopardy of not making the cut, but in extraordinary circumstances, the 2019 Masters champion would make history and make his 23rd consecutive cut at the tournament to join an exclusive duo of Gary Player and Fred Couples, who are the only two golfers to do the same.
Woods would have a break before going out for his third round yesterday afternoon, after a morning battling the driving rain.
It was clear throughout his second stint on Saturday that he was struggling with some pain, with Woods appearing to limp around the course.
He would get his third round off to a bad start with a bogey on the tenth, before steadying with three pars on 11, 12 and 13.
He'd then make another bogey on the 14th before carding back-to-back double bogeys on 15 and 16 to take his score to nine over.
With his body struggling in the elements, it is comes as no surprise that Woods has withdrawn this morning, but it is a sad day with the former World No 1 battling gallantly throughout yesterday's torrid conditions.
🚨🐅 A rough scene for 5x Masters Champion Tiger Woods. This after making his 23rd consecutive cut. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/XmNyIyajnyApril 8, 2023
WOODS WAS SEEN LIMPING AROUND YESTERDAY ON THE COURSE
While his reasons for withdrawing have not been confirmed, Woods has struggled with his injuries of late and was seen limping on the golf course yesterday as he battled in the torrential rain.
🚨🐅 A rough scene for 5x Masters Champion Tiger Woods. This after making his 23rd consecutive cut. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/XmNyIyajnyApril 8, 2023
WOODS WITHDRAWAL IS DUE TO INJURY
Augusta National Golf Club has just confirmed that Tiger Woods' withdrawal is due to an injury.
The 2019 Masters champion finished nine over par after carding after play was suspended yesterday. He had carded consecutive double bogeys on the 15th and 16th before rain stopped play.
I'll have all the latest for you here as I get it.
LET'S CHECK IN ON THE LEADERBOARD
Okay so after the news that Tiger Woods has withdrawn, let's just quickly recap on the current standings after play was suspended yesterday due to inclement weather.
Brooks Koepka extended his lead at the top of the rankings, but Jon Rahm is still hot on his tail, followed by the only amateur left in the field, Sam Bennett.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled with his putter yesterday but recovered to go three under.
While English golfers, Justin Rose and Matt Fitzpatrick climbed up the leaderboard to go inside the top eight in the rankings.
Here's the top order as it stands...
Brooks Koepka -13
Jon Rahm -9
Sam Bennett -6
Patrick Cantlay -5
Matt Fitzpatrick -5
Collin Morikawa -5
Viktor Hovland -5
Justin Rose -4
Russell Henley -4
Phil Mickelson -4
Joaquin Niemann -4
Cameron Young -4
Jason Day -4
Scottie Scheffler -3
Other notable scores...
Tiger Woods withdraws from The Masters finishing at +9
Dustin Johnson sits at +5
Fred Couples, the oldest player to make the cut at the Masters sits at +4.
'SO SAD TO SEE' - FANS REACT TO WOODS LIMPING
It was a tough sight watching Tiger Woods limping on the golf course yesterday and many golf fans took to Twitter to express their upset at seeing one of the greatest players of all time limp as he battled the rain.
Read all the reaction here: FANS REACT TO WOODS LIMPING
Finding it quite sad watching Tiger Woods hobbling around at #TheMastersApril 8, 2023
Man. Tiger severely limping in 17 fairway, by far the worst we've seen in any events he's played since the accident. If he makes the turn I'd be stunned and I would not be surprised if he doesn't make it up the hill on 18.April 8, 2023
'I AM DISAPPOINTED TO HAVE TO WD THIS MORNING', SAYS WOODS
Tiger Woods has released a statement on Twitter saying he is 'disappointed' to have to withdraw from The Masters after having again 'aggravating his plantar fasciitis'.
"I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis," he wrote.
"Thank you to the fans and to who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!"
I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis. Thank you to the fans and to @TheMasters who have shown me so much love and support. Good luck to the players today!April 9, 2023
CAN BROOKS KOEPKA CLAIM HIS FIRST GREEN JACKET?
Okay so, back to the leaderboard and Brooks Koepka has blazed his way to a stunning solo lead at the top of the rankings. He started yesterday at 12 under and managed to drop another shot in the rain with a well taken birdie on the second to edge one ahead of chaser, Jon Rahm.
Interestingly, Koepka did find it hard to score in the wet weather, and comparing his first round to his third, the four-time major winner didn't drop as many shots, in his opening seven holes as he did on Thursday.
The two-time US Open champion made two birdies on the second and third holes and one on the seventh during his opening round to get off to a flying start at The 87th Masters.
But it was clear yesterday's conditions did hamper a lot of the scoring at the top order, with his playing partner, Rahm scoring a birdie, before shooting back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth to go nine under through seven.
Koepka, who won his second title on the LIV Golf circuit last weekend, explained earlier that he was actually glad that play was suspended despite holding a four-shot lead on Jon Rahm.
“I’m not too concerned about playing 29 holes or however many holes we’ve got left,’’ Koepka said in the clubhouse. “It’s part of the deal. I’m pretty sure I’ll be up for it considering it is the Masters. So, I don’t think anybody should have a problem with that.’’
“I didn’t think about it at all,’’ Koepka said of the lead. “I’m glad we stopped. I think it was spot on. I’m OK with it.’’
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEVE!
Today we are saying happy birthday to one of the greatest golfers of all time, Seve Ballesteros.
The two-time Masters and three-time Open champion is one of the most decorated players in the history of the sport, having also helped the European Ryder cup team to five wins both as a player and as a captain.
His style of play was always a delight to watch with the Spaniard being one of the most influential figures in the game breaking a ton of barriers for the sport in so many different ways.
He would have been 66 today. Gone but certainly never forgotten.
Happy Birthday to five-time Major winner, 50-time European Tour winner and Ryder Cup legend Seve Ballesteros. The great Spaniard would have been 66 today. Gone but most certainly not forgotten 🙏 pic.twitter.com/FTEAHfnINdApril 9, 2023
CAN JON RAHM COPY SERGIO GARCIA AND WIN ON SEVE'S BIRTHDAY?
Interesting fact for you, Sergio Garcia won The Masters in 2017 on Seve Ballesteros' birthday. Is it written in the stars that fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm wins today on Seve's birthday?
What a fantastic story line that would be! Rahm currently sits nine under, chasing Brooks Koepka at the top of the leaderboard, after dropping two shots yesterday with two bogeys in his final three holes before rain stopped play.
Scoring is set to be low today, thanks in part to the saturated greens out there, and that will favour Koepka and Rahm at the top of the leaderboard. That will also mean we could be in for a massive duel between two of golf's biggest hitters.
After coming off the course yesterday, Rahm gave his view of the suspension, and said he was 'feeling strong heading into Sunday.
“I understand they’re trying to push us to play as many holes as possible, but it was very apparent when they tried to get the water out that it just wasn’t going to happen in our case,’’ Rahm said in response to officials sweeping water off the greens.
“You can’t really say it was late because I don’t blame them for wanting us to play as much as possible. Now the elements are what they are. Early this morning it was very cold.
“We enjoyed a couple holes without any rain, but those two holes at the end, 17 and 18, were two absolute monsters. Very happy to finish those even par. Kind of kept it going the rest of the day.
“It looks like it’s good weather tomorrow, so we’re going to have good weather conditions and most likely a soft golf course. Yes, a lot of holes, but feeling good, feeling strong, and keep it going.’’
MOST WINS ON THE EUROPEAN TOUR
On his birthday, we're looking back on some of the achievements made by the late, great Seve Ballesteros.
He sits at the top of the rankings for all-time most wins on the European Tour.
Seve, who won five majors in his golfing career, also amassed nine wins on the PGA Tour and five Ryder Cup trophies as a player and as a coach.
Will fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm follow in his footsteps today? Let's find out as we're back underway at Augusta National!
Most European Tour wins 🏆🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/8UAd3mpmaeApril 9, 2023
WHAT IS PLANTAR FASCITIIS?
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Masters after re-aggravating his plantar fasciitis after he was seen limping around the golf course yesterday.
But what is plantar fasciitis?
It is a foot injury that is very common in golfers that affects a thick band of tissue called the fascia located at the bottom of the foot. It is commonly caused by repeated strain on the foot from walking long distances.
If it becomes too stretched, it can lead to small tears, which cause pain and inflammation in the heel and can, as we saw with woods yesterday, become very very painful.
Woods announced late last year on Twitter that he had sustained the injury and had notably been trialling new golf shoes in a bid to mitigate the condition. If you suffer from the condition, you should definitely check out our guide to the best shoes for plantar fasciitis, for some excellent and supportive golf shoes that will help to limit foot pain on the golf course.
Read more on Tiger Woods' condition, plantar fasciitis here: What Is Plantar Fasciitis? - Tiger Woods' Foot Injury
pic.twitter.com/C2HPgSSCAKNovember 28, 2022
KOEPKA DROPS A SHOT! AND RAHM BIRDIES!
Bad start for Brooks here, he's got off to a rusty start and has dropped a shot on his first hole back on the course.
It goes from bad to worse for the four-time major champion as his chaser Jon Rahm has pulled one back to go ten under.
There are just two shots separating the two today and boy are we in for a big duel later.
SAM BENNETT STRIPES TEE SHOT LEFT
Sam Bennett is the third player to get us underway in the leading group, finding what appears to be the left side of the fairway with his tee shot.
He's the only amateur left in the field and has been in fantastic form this week, going -8 through his opening 36 holes.
He's dropped a couple of shots since then, with a tough start to his third round on Saturday, shooting back-to-back bogeys on the opening two holes.
He's got a big hard hook to get himself to the green here on eight but is still in with a chance of par on the par five.
Right now he's tied for third and remains ambitious over his chances of finishing well this week at Augusta National.
And some of the other players in the field have been lauding him for his brilliance this week, including Max Homa...
CANTLAY LOOKING SHARP HERE
Patrick Cantlay is a player that we've not spoken about much here this week, but he has climbed his way back from a difficult two opening rounds to go five under through 13 in round three.
He'll have a chance to drop another shot here on the 16 to push above Bennett, Hovland and Morikawa all level with him in third place.
FITZPATRICK DROPS A SHOT
Matt Fitzpatrick has dropped a shot to go back to four under par after bogeying the par three 12th hole.
He put on a masterful opening nine holes yesterday climbing the leaderboard to shoot birdies on the second, seventh and eighth to climb to T3 in the ladder
BENNETT RESCUES TO GO SIX-UNDER
Bogey'd the seventh, birdies the eighth! Bennett taps in a long putt to go six under at the top of the leaderboard after giving himself a lot to do from his opening tee shot.
Viktor Hovland has meanwhile just made a bogey on the ninth, dropping back to four under!
ANYTHING YOU CAN DO... I CAN DO BETTER
Jon Rahm cuts the deficit between him and Brooks Koepka with a stunning birdie putt from distance taking him to -11.
But the American also has a birdie putt after putting his approach slap bang on the dance floor and makes no mistake in slotting home to maintain his two-shot cushion at the top of the leaderboard. He's now 13 under through eight.
WE'VE GOT A REAL DUEL ON OUR HANDS HERE
Rahm gets a massive break with his tee shot on the ninth. He swipes a huge fade round the corner to find the trees. But his ball bounces out miraculously and he does not look to be in too bad of a spot here, sitting on the fringes of the second cut.
Koepka dazzles with his drive right down the middle. But looking at the shot tracer I think Sam Bennett might have just hit the pick of the bunch.
MORIKAWA THINS HIS SHOT INTO THE TREES, WHILE FITZPATRICK GETS ONE BACK
Collin Morikawa finds the trees on the 10th! He'll have a tricky shot out from there.
Elsewhere Matt Fitzpatrick shows his class with his wedge and stops the ball right at the pin on 13. He's just putted out to undo his earlier bogey to go back to -5.
HERE'S SAM BENNETT'S BIRDIE ON 8
A Sunday roar for Sam Bennett. #themasters pic.twitter.com/ZEbMblGaH2April 9, 2023
WOW! CANTLAY IS COMING GOOD HERE
WOW! Patrick Cantlay has just played an incredible approach over the water on 15 to go within only a few feet of the hole.
He's really making moves for the top of the leaderboard today!
RAHM IN THE BUNKER WHILE KOEPKA ROLLS OFF
Jon Rahm finds the sand from his difficult lie on the right, which I suppose is not a bad spot to be in considering he was playing from the fringes of the pine straw.
But he gets a reprieve at the top of the hill - with Brooks Koepka's ball rolling off the green after what seemed to be a pretty decent approach.
Not much can separate the two at the moment.
WHAT'S GOING ON WITH DUSTIN JOHNSON?
The 2020 Masters champion is really battling here, but it's been a really difficult week for him. Dustin Johnson has just bogeyed the par four seventh, despite finding the green with his second shot on the hole.
It means he'll go bogey-par-bogey in his last three holes, dropping to T51 at six over par for his third round.
He had a really tough day on the golf course yesterday too with his front nine being a real mixed bag, scoring five bogeys, one doble bogey and two birdies.
Interestingly DJ finished -1 after 36 holes but it seems the weather may have really had an impact on his game yesterday.
Here's his score card so far...
RAHM SCRAMBLES AND MAKES PAR
John Rahm's brilliant chip out of the bunker helps him make par on the 9th.
Meanwhile Koepka also saves for par after his shot rolled off the green.
It's neck-and-neck.
ADAM SCOTT SPLASHES DOWN!
His hard work is coming undone here! The Australian has just carded a triple bogeyed the 15th hole after a pretty solid first shot.
His approach finds the bank just off the green, but rolls into the pond!
He chips back on from the recovery position but will go down by three shots from level par to +3.
Tough times for Scott.
Meanwhile Cantlay, his playing partner, takes full advantage of that excellent approach over the water to go -6, level with Bennett who has just saved par on the ninth.
Cantlay was putting for eagle but had to settle for a birdie
RECAP: TIGER WOODS WITHDRAWS FROM THE MASTERS WITH PLANTAR FASCIITIS
Tiger Woods has withdrawn from The Masters after re-aggravating his plantar fasciitis after he was seen limping around the golf course yesterday.
But what is plantar fasciitis?
It is a foot injury that is very common in golfers that affects a thick band of tissue called the fascia located at the bottom of the foot. It is commonly caused by repeated strain on the foot from walking long distances.
If it becomes too stretched, it can lead to small tears, which cause pain and inflammation in the heel and can, as we saw with woods yesterday, become very very painful.
Woods announced late last year on Twitter that he had sustained the injury and had notably been trialling new golf shoes in a bid to mitigate the condition. If you suffer from the condition, you should definitely check out our guide to the best shoes for plantar fasciitis, for some excellent and supportive golf shoes that will help to limit foot pain on the golf course.
Read more on Tiger Woods' condition, plantar fasciitis here: What Is Plantar Fasciitis? - Tiger Woods' Foot Injury
Here are a couple of my top picks of shoes to wear to alleviate plantar fasciitis!
Perhaps one of the most lightweight golf shoes on the market right now, the Cole Haan ZeroGrand offers a designer look but also delivers comfort in spades. When we say lightweight, we mean these shoes weight quite literally next to nothing and offer a very cool sporty look that will help you stand out as a serious player when you rock up to the course. In fact, we feel there's a lot of versatility on offer here and would feel very comfortable wearing these not just on the golf course, but in our daily lives as well.
HOVLAND IS DROPPING DOWN THE LADDER, SO IS MORIKAWA
Viktor Hovland is going through a bit of a purple patch here. After being at five under at one stage yesterday, he's carded three birdies in his last six holes to drop back to three under through ten holes.
He needs to find a bit of form to keep up with the leaders here.
Collin Morikawa is also struggling here, dropping a shot at the tenth to go back to four under. He's just teed off on 11 and seems to have found the middle of the fairway.
CANTLAY CLOSES THE GAP... AGAIN
It's seven under now for Patrick Cantlay as he taps in on 16 to shoot back to shoot-back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka has played a sensible shot here, but gives Rahm an advantage, chipping out from behind a tree to give himself a better approach to the hole.
Rahm Meanwhile puts his approach within two feet of the green, but there's too much spin! The Spaniard's ball takes a massive divot but rolls off the green and down the slope.
There are some very harsh pin positions out there today!
Here's Cantlay's chance for an eagle at the 15th...
Stop that 🤯🤯Patrick Cantlay sets up an eagle chance 🦅 pic.twitter.com/YcgmwJodgNApril 9, 2023
BIG PAR SAVE FROM BROOKS
After falling off the green, Koepka saves for par on the 10th with a stunning putt that curls from left-to-right.
Rahm, meanwhile, has a similar putt but is up to the challenge, rolling in his putt for par.
While this is turning into a nice duel, it seems the pair are having a great time on the golf course, laughing and smiling with each other, as Sam Bennett knocks in his par putt.
HOVLAND GETS ONE BACK
Viktor Hovland has undone his bogey on the 10th to shoot a birdie on 11th.
Could he make a late charge back up the leaderboard in his remaining seven holes?
He certainly has enough time to do it, but let's address the important question first, what do you think of his mittens?
FINAL ROUND TEE OFF TIMES
So we will, weather permitting, hopefully tee off the final round at around about 12:30 (EDT)/ 17:30 (BST).
Players are set to tee off in pairs, as opposed to the three balls they're currently playing in.
HOVLAND CHIPS IN TO GO -5!
Birdie putts are flying in here at Augusta National!
Viktor Hovland has gone back-to-back birdies to bring his score back to five under, chipping out from the back of the second cut on the par 3 12 to hole out for a stunning birdie!
Meanwhile, Hideki Matsuyama joins him on five under par, after a remarkable climb up the leaderboard with a very cool birdie at the 15th. Let's not rule the former Masters champion out of this just yet.
LOTS OF MOVEMENT - SO HERE'S THE CURRENT LEADERBOARD
- -13 Koepka
- -11 Rahm
- -7 Cantlay
- -6 Bennett (a)
- -5 Hovland, Matsuyama
- -4 Fitzpatrick, Rose, Henley, Woodland, Niemann, Day, Morikawa
- -3 Schauffele, Fox
BACK-TO-BACK BIRDIES
Back-to-back birdies to start Amen Corner for Viktor Hovland. #themasters pic.twitter.com/v2ji5Kcn9YApril 9, 2023
It really was a stunning chip in from Morikawa on the 12th hole!
SO WHO DO YOU ALL THINK IS WINNING THIS ONE?
Rahm or Koepka? Well it is neck-and-neck at the top with little to separate the pairing. Both have scrambled well over the last few holes showing a lot of resilience in what has been a thrilling battle so far.
But who do you think is going to win this one?
Well our Twitter poll seems to say that Koepka is currently the favourite among 50.9 percent of our followers, while Rahm gets 34.2 percent of the vote.
Some are even saying that someone else might make a late charge. Could that be Patrick Cantlay, who has shot up the leaderboard in the last few holes?
Let us know who you think on via @GolfMonthly on Twitter!
Who wins #themasters?April 8, 2023
SPEAKING OF CANTLAY, HE'S FALLEN ONE BACK OFF THE PACE
It's the curse of the commentator! Patrick Cantlay has just dropped back to six-under tied with Sam Bennett after bogeying the 17th. The American seemed to give himself a tough approach shot from behind some trees off his opening drive, but a stunning hook saw him find the back of the green.
he had a long putt to the hole to finish for birdie, but as expected he couldn't quite hole it out, leaving the ball less than a foot from the hole.
That's where it went wrong for the former FedEx Cup champion, who misread his subsequent shot to concede a poor three-putt on the 17th.
Despite that it's been a fantastic round from Cantlay, who is now on his 18th and final hole for his second round.
WOW SAM BENNETT TAKE A BOW
Sam Bennett steps up on the 12th and has floated a stunning tee shot over the water landing it within a couple of feet within the pin.
What a week it's been for the young amateur golfer. He'll now have a putt for birdie.
COULD IT BE A THIRD STRAIGHT BIRDIE FOR HOVLAND?
Stunning approach! Viktor Hovland has just striped a metal-wood nearly 200 yards right at the flag on 13. He'll have a long putt here to save yet another shot?
THE DEFENDING CHAMPION IS IN THE CLUBHOUSE AT -2
Scottie Scheffler has finished his third round and is in the clubhouse at two under.
He'll have a lot to do to make up ground if he is to win back-to-back green jackets.
Elsewhere, Tommy Fleetwood also finished up at +1, Dustin Johnson completed his round at +5, while Tony Finau is finished at level par.
That's all from me for now, but I'm handing over now to Roderick Easdale who will be taking you through this afternoon's coverage!
That shirt
I didn’t hate it. Mind you, I didn’t buy it either.
People may have absolutely hated Viktor Hovland’s shirt from the first round of the Masters, but all press is good press—talked to a rep from J.Lindeberg who said the polo sold out *globally* at 4 p.m. today😂🤯 pic.twitter.com/EVWYouPxX2April 7, 2023
Koepka makes bogey at 12th
He missed the green back left on the par 3, A chip and two putts later he walks off the green now only one shot ahead of Rahm.
Im four under for his round
He started on the 10th, so is now playing the front nine. He has just birdied the 4th hole having also birdied the 2nd. He is tied in 21st.
Koepka goes two shots clear
Rahm makes bogey on the par-5 13th to give Koepka a bonus. Rahm has now gone 4, 5, 6 on that hole.
Hovland makes four birdies in a row
He is now in third place on -7. This is thanks to birdies at 11 through 14, having made bogey on the 10th.
Bennett stalling
Sam Bennett is the fifth amateur to be in the top 3 through 36 holes at the Masters. None of the previous four broke par in their third round. Does not look like Bennett will either after his fourth bogey in the round, which came on 13. He has managed only one birdie to offset this, which came on the 8th.
Fitzpatrick makes double bogey on 18
He cards 72 for a round that had promised more when he was standing on the 12th tee at 3 under for his round. He drops back to tied 17th.
Hovland's birdie run extends to five
Having made two birdies in his previous 33 holes. he has now made five in a row. He is now only four shots behind the leader.
Weather aids Bennett and Koepka
Both see their approaches to 15 hit the green and spin back and down the slope in front of the green, But whereas in previous years those balls would have been expected to trundle down to a watery grave, the damp grass this year has held both balls.
Rose birdies 18
No mean feat considering how tough this hole is playing in these conditions. The two-time runner up here moves into the top 10.
Birdie action from Hovland
Who needs a putter?
Class from off the green 👏Viktor Hovland chips in for back-to-back birdies at #theMasterspic.twitter.com/gCHgdGrlckApril 9, 2023
Koepka goes three shots clear
Both he and Rahm missed the green in the par-3 16th. Koepka almost chips in from the sand, but Rahm cannot make an up and down from the grass.
The roaring twenties
The past six Majors have been won by golfers in their twenties. This run would come to an end if Brooks Koepka wins. He is 32. But Jon Rahm is 28 and Viktor Hovland 25.
Should Koepka triumph he would be the seventh man to win five Majors before turning 33. The others are Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.
Putting woes on 17 for the final group
Koepka par putt lips out from short range, Rahm's birdie putt looked allergic to the hole in its final stages, Bennett's birdie putt also went a wandering. The upshot is that Koepka drops a shot and his lead is now 2 over Rahm, Up ahead of then, Hovland finds the green with his second shot on 18.
Hovland finishes his third round
He makes par on the final hole and so that is a 70 for the Norwegian. He could still be in the final paring with Koepka if Rahm makes a mess of 18. Hovland is on -8, one shot behind second-placed Rahm.
That's the third round completed
Pars all round for the final group.
How they stand after round three
-11 Koepka
-9 Rahm
-8 Hovland
-6 Cantlay
-5 Matsuyama, Henley
-4 Bennett (a), Morikawa
-3 Schauffele, Reed, Rose, Lowry, Woodland, Day
Sir Nick Faldo picks the winning score
"The wind's still there, putting is awkward – 12 under definitely wins it."
How are the debutants doing?
Sixteen debutants had teed in up on Thursday, and six of them are still involved. This is how they lie going into the final round.
T7 Sam Bennett
T20 Ryan Fox
T20 Taylor Moore
T25 Sahith Theegala
T25 Tom Kim
T48 Mito Pereira
How near the lead are the winners normally after round 3?
Context for the chasers beyond Rahm: 26 straight Masters champions were at/within 4 of the lead entering the final round.6 have come from 5+ shots back, last being Faldo in 1996. Largest comeback is 8 shots by Jackie Burke in 1956.April 9, 2023
How are the LIV players doing?
Of the 17 LIV Golf members who teed it up on Thursday, a dozen are left. This is how they lie going into the fourth round.
1 – Brooks Koepka
T9 – Patrick Reed
T15 – Joaquin Niemann
T20 – Phil Mickelson
T33 – Cameron Smith
T33 – Abraham Ancer
T40 – Harold Varner III
T40 – Talor Gooch
T40 – Thomas Pieters
47 – Charl Schwartzel
T48 – Dustin Johnson
T48 – Mito Pereira
Happy heavenly birthday to Seve
The great man would have been 66. It doesn’t seem 12 years ago than he left us, but it is. He passed in May 2011. That year Phil Mickelson had chosen a Champions Dinner menu themed around Spanish dishes in honour of Seve, who unfortunately was too ill to attend.
Seve won the Masters twice, in 1980 and 1983, and was the first European winner. The last time Masters Sunday coincided with Seve’s birthday was in 2017 when his Spanish compatriot Sergio Garcia won – just in case Jon Rahm was looking for some inspiration.
Were we expecting too much from McIlroy?
Rory McIlroy seemed an obvious pick to many as a potential winner of this year’s Masters. He came into it on the back of a good performance in the World Match play, he was ranked second in the world and he knows how to win Majors.
Much focus was placed on whether he might finally complete the grand slam.
But this did overlook one perhaps salient point? The reason he entered this tournament needing to win to complete the grand slam was, by definition, because this is the Major he has not won. Maybe there is a good reason for that? This was year his 15th attempt at winning the Masters. The quickest he can now win it will be at his 16th attempt, but history is against him there. No first-time winner of the Masters, with the exception of Sergio Garcia, who did at the 17th time of trying, has taken that long to win a Masters.
Also those who have completed the grand slam – Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods – have tended to do so at a canter. The fourth piece of the jigsaw has not taken them long to slot in once the third was secured – at most it took three attempts. Back in back in 2014 Rory was one Major off a grand slam. He still is.
Also Rory has not won any Major since 2014.
There were good reasons to think this could have been Rory’s year. There were perhaps better reasons for believing why it would probably not be.
How likely is the World No 1 to win a Major?
Well it's not very likely this Major: Scottie Scheffler is tied in 15th on 2 under. But then it is generally not as likely as you may think. Had Scottie Scheffler won he would have become only the second man to have twice won a Major whilst he was World No 1. The other chap? Well, need you ask – Tiger Woods, who did in 11 times.
Hole locations for the final round
Mickelson’s Augusta mastery
After rounds of 71 and 69 Phil Mickelson fell back a little today with a 75. But he still is under par for the tournament and lies tied in 20th. His play this week is out of kilter with his form this season. In three LIV events he has failed to win even a solitary point towards their order of merit, after finishes of 27th, 32nd and 41st in the 48-player events.
Does one dare say it, but perhaps playing in LIV events does not really float his boat that much, but playing the Masters does?
Or it is just that Augusta National is a course he feels comfortable playing? Yesterday he made his 27th cut here. In the previous 26 occasions he did so, he went on to have a top-10 finish in 15 of them (and a top one three times).
A top-10 finish this year would make him only the fifth man to finish in the top 10 in four different decades. He would join Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Ray Floyd, Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples in doing so.
Koepka to make a score?
If Koepka wins, he will become the 20th man to win five or more Majors. Can you name them? If you think you can, have a go at our Men Who Have Won The Most Golf Majors quiz.
Dressed for success
The winner may be getting $3.24m, but most commentary focuses on the fact they also get a free jacket. And that jacket is one that they can’t even wear out and about in town.
The tradition of awarding the winner of the tournament a Masters Green Jacket began in 1949, although the Masters Green Jacket itself had been introduced in 1937. The idea was that Augusta National members would wear these jackets during the tournament so as to signal to those members of the public in needing of guidance who to approach.
The official colour of the Augusta National Green Jacket is ‘Masters Green‘. The jackets are single breasted with a single vent. The breast pocket and the buttons sport the club logo.
The jacket a first-time winner is given in the immediate aftermath of his victory is borrowed off an Augusta member with roughly the same build as the winner. Later the winner gets measured for a jacket which is made specifically for him.
A reminder of that prize money
A surprising stat that suggests Koepka is not favourite?
Brooks Koepka: 10th player in Masters history to lead by (exactly) 2 shots entering the final round4 of the previous 9 went on to win.April 9, 2023
Password reset
No matter how often I type it – and boy have I typed it a lot these past few days – it hard not to see Koepka as one of those passwords you get assigned which comprise a random collection of letters.
As Brooks could as easily be a surname as a first name, a nagging doubt persists that maybe someone entered it all wrong – that in the box where it said Christian name they typed the surname and in the box for surname they entered the password instead.
ALL IN BLACK
The weather has finally come good for us after a miserable couple of days. Phil Mickelson is working his way through the bag as he gets ready for a rare fourth round (ho ho). He'll be paired with Jordan Spieth which is one of the juiciest pairings away from the big guns at the top of the leaderboard. If you were on the property that would make for a fascinating follow.
THE HEADLINE STATS
These have just been released by the PGA Tour... the top one is fairly ominous (unless you're a big fan of Brooksie)..
Koepka is 3-for-3 with the 54-hole lead/co-lead in major championships (2018 U.S. Open, 2018 PGA Championship, 2019 PGA Championship)
With a win, Rahm would become the only player with multiple major titles since the start of 2021 and the third player from Spain to win multiple men’s majors
With a win, Viktor Hovland would become the first player from Norway to win a men’s major
Sam Bennett ties the second-lowest 54-hole score by an amateur in tournament history (4-under 212) and at T7 is the first amateur in the top 10 after three rounds of the Masters since Deane Beman in 1964
AMATEUR HOUR
It's hard to over-emphasise what Sam Bennett is doing this week. In a tie for 7th going into the last round of the Masters. Utter madness..
- Ties the second-lowest 54-hole score by an amateur at the Masters Tournament (lowest: 210, Ken Venturi, 1956; other 212: Charles Coe, 1961)
- First amateur inside the top 10 after 54 holes at the Masters since Deane Beman in 1964 (T8)
- First amateur inside the top 10 after 54 holes in a major since Paul Dunne (1st) and Jordan Niebrugge (T6) at the 2015 Open Championship
- First amateur inside the top 10 after 54 holes in a TOUR event since Michael Thorbjornsen at the 2022 Travelers Championship (T7)
- Making fourth career PGA TOUR start (best result to date: T49, 2022 U.S. Open)
- No. 6 in PGA TOUR University Ranking (senior at Texas A&M)
THE CALM BEFORE THE..
There's no coverage at the moment as the players warm down, get fed and then warm up again ahead of the final round. We should get it done unless there's a lengthy play-off and it's still very much an open race given the conditions (and what's at stake).
WHISPER IT GENTLY
Jordan Spieth has just birdied the first two holes and moves to -3.
SPECTACULAR SPIETH
The Masters app is one of the great wonders of the modern world. It's just informed us that Spieth's birdie at the 1st was from just a couple of feet and he very nearly eagled the 2nd. Two tap-ins, two birdies.
THE 2ND IS VERY DOABLE
Look out for some heroics as early as the end. The wind must be right as the players are comfortably finding the green with irons and are a long way down the fairway. And the pin is in that right-hand spot where the ball feeds down to it. Would love to see someone make a run at it and the Sunday pins are in their usual spots to encourage such a burst.
THEEGALA ON THE MOVE
Sahith Theegala is playing in his first Masters. He has just birdied three of his first four holes and parred the tough 5th to move into the top 10. Just a reminder, the top 12 and ties qualify for the following year's Masters.
'FIVE'
We're being shown the incident from Thursday where Koepka's caddie, Ricky Elliott, is seen mouthing 'five' to someone... pretty hard to fathom that he wasn't advising Gary Woodland's caddie. Plenty was said but nothing was done about it so let's move on.
IS THIS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?
On a brighter note they've just shown Seve chipping in to win the '83 Masters. If you get a chance to watch that Sunday on YouTube, do so, it's cracking viewing. Forty years ago and it remains truly memorable. Seve would have been 66 today. If Rahm does pull it off then there will be plenty of very welcome chat about the maestro.
Sergio also won on this day in 2017 - and that was the last time we had a play-off.
FANTASTIC FALDO
It's easy to mock Faldo, and most of us have for decades, but he's been a very welcome addition to the Sky Sports team this week. He's plugged the gaps in the coverage brilliantly and added plenty to their output. He does add something different and there's definitely less cringeworthy moments. Been there done it, bought the jacket.
Lowry is out with 'Rosey' and old Shane has just slammed it in stiff to the bowl at the 1st. Coverage is slowly creaking into action...
FROM PILLAR TO POST?
If Brooksie does pull it off then it would be a hell of a week... we all know he's a born leader but still.
Brooks Koepka: 18th time a player has led or co-led after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounds at #themasters11 of the previous 17 went on to win.April 9, 2023
RED AND GREEN...
Should never be seen. Rahm has his traditional Sunday red polo top under his grey knitwear. Equally unsurprising is that Lowry is all in black.
THE BIG GUNS' FORM
These are Rahm's previous finishes around the National - 27-4-9-7-5-27 - so hardly surprising that he's in the mix here.
Koepls has missed his last two cuts here but pushed very hard in 2019 when he was 2nd behind Tiger. That year he doubled the 12th and then eagled the next.
ON THE TEE, SAM BENNETT
This is sensational. Sam Bennett is due to play in an amateur event tomorrow..
Sam Bennett will start the final round of the Masters at 2:05 p.m. today. He's playing alongside two-time major winner Collin Morikawa at Augusta National.Tomorrow? He's scheduled to tee off at 8:30 a.m. in the opening round of the Aggie Invitational. 36 holes. No caddies. pic.twitter.com/Hq2vQ8StraApril 9, 2023
HERE WE GO
Brooksie bids farewell to his team and is whisked away to the 1st tee in a buggy. Should he win he would move on to FIVE majors and alongside the likes of Seve, Peter Thomson and Byron Nelson (and ahead of Rory).
FORE PLEASE, NOW DRIVING
The penultimate group of Hovland and Cantlay are off. The Norwegian goes way left, maybe on the 9th fairway, while Cantlay nuts it down there.
Had a little flutter on the American (16-1) as found a few quid in an old account.
LOWRY DOUBLES UP
Shane birdies the 2nd, as does playing partner Rose, and he's now up to -5. There are a lot of birdies flying around and there are also some blue skies. We deserve a cracking final 18 holes and it's set up very nicely.
Hovland didn't reach the other fairway and has to pitch it under the branches and he'll need to pitch and putt to save his opening par.
FORE LEFT!
I don't suppose it will bother him in the slightest but Koepka has just ballooned it way left with a fairway wood. Nerves, double cross, bad swing? Whatever it is, it's not the settler that he'll have been after.
Rahm also plays a 3-wood and is short and right but on the short stuff.
THE 1ST ALWAYS THROWS UP ALL SORTS
Hovland holes a beauty while Cantlay misses a short one at the 1st. Koepka is something like 210 yards away, and on the adjacent fairway, and he muscles one over the trees and onto the green. Rahm misses right... a lot happening in the early exchanges.
All four have missed out on the chance of feeding it into that bowl.
