Ewan Murray's day three report
What a third round! Some amazing performances: 65s for Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Jon Rahm, a 66 for Tommy Fleetwood. But it’s all about Patrick Reed’s 67, and those two eagles, because he’s the one with the three-shot lead going into Masters Sunday. He’s the form horse, having made 18 birdies and two eagles in 54 holes of golf so far this week. But nothing’s certain. Rory had a four-shot lead going into Sunday in 2011, you’ll remember. Greg had six on the field in 1996. So anything can happen. It promises to be a classic ... or a procession. Either way, you’ll not want to miss a shot. See you tomorrow, when the 2018 Masters begins in earnest around Amen Corner!
-14: Reed
-11: McIlroy
-9: Fowler
-8: Rahm
-7: Stenson
-6: Fleetwood, Watson, Leishman
-5: Thomas, Spieth
-4: D Johnson
-3: Smith, Rose, Oosthuizen
Reed’s putt slips to the right of the cup. But no matter. That’s par, a 67 to go with his 69 and 66, and he’s three in the lead going into Sunday. Par for Leishman.
Reed is calmness personified. This has been one hell of a performance ... and he serves up more brilliance by caressing his second into the green, using the banking on the right to send his ball curling in towards the flag. He’ll have a ten-foot look at birdie, a second 66 in a row, and a four-shot lead going into Masters Sunday! Wow!
Reed’s playing partner Leishman has hoicked his drive deep into the trees down the left. He’s a long way back too. He appears to be contemplating a miracle smash through the smallest of gaps between two trunks. Yep, he’s going for it. And he hits a pearler, running his ball up to the front edge of the green ... well, nearly. But that was something else from where he was. I suppose in his position, eight off Reed’s lead, there’s no point being meek and mild. Fortune certainly favoured the brave there.
Reed, his spirit buoyed by that magnificent par save on 17, crashes a huge drive down the last. He looks solid as a rock right now. He’s had opportunities to wobble, but every time he’s come back stronger. Whether that’ll survive a night tossing and turning, thinking about winning his first major championship, is another matter of course. But there’s plenty of time for those considerations; for now let us consider only Saturday matters. If he can eke out a birdie here, he really will have one arm in the green jacket!
Reed will have heard the roar, and worked out exactly what was going on. You could forgive him for shaking at the prospect of missing his par putt and his lead shrinking to two ... but he’s nerveless, and strokes it into the middle of the cup! What a wonderful up and down from a very tight spot at the back. Meanwhile a 70 for Henrik Stenson, and he ends the third round at -7.
-14: Reed (17)
-11: McIlroy (F)
-9: Fowler (F)
-8: Rahm (F)
-7: Stenson (F)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Watson (F), Leishman (17)
From the bank at the back of 17, Reed lifts a gentle chip to ten feet. Delicate brilliance, especially under the circumstances. Then up on 18, Rory trundles in his putt! Full advantage taken, after that big break from his wild drive! He signs for a 65, and will be in the final pairing tomorrow with Reed. He’s -11.
Yes, Patrick Reed is fine. He’s on pine straw, but he’s not quite made it to the line of trees, and therefore has a clear route to the green. He overcooks his iron in, and the ball tumbles down the back. That’ll be a testing up and down, but we’ve said that before, and he’s holed out! Meanwhile on 18, Rory also has a full view of the green. He hits a big fade and lands it pin high, 20 feet to the right of the cup. What he’d give for a birdie finish.
A huge break for McIlroy on 18. He slices his drive into the trees down the right, but gets a big kick back out onto the fairway. Whether he’s got a route into the green or not remains to be seen, but he can thank the golfing gods either way. Back on 17, Reed’s a bit wayward off the tee too, sending his drive into the pines down the right. He might not be in too deep, but again, we’ll have to see. Meanwhile up on 18, Jordan Spieth signs for a 71, having come back impressively with those birdies at 13 and 15. But at -5, the chances of a second green jacket look pretty slim, given how Patrick Reed is carrying on.
Reed’s putt across 16 isn’t the best he’s hit today. He leaves himself four feet short ... and pushes his par effort to the right. His second bogey at a par-three on this back nine. His lead is now only four. Only four! But McIlroy’s up and down on 17 now looks even more valuable.
-14: Reed (16)
-10: McIlroy (17)
Reed’s shot into 16 spins off to the bottom left of the green; the pin’s top left. A 45-footer for birdie. The way things have been going for this amazing young American today, he’ll probably make it. On 17, McIlroy can only take his medicine and chip out from the pine straw. But he wedges his third to 18 inches, and that’s a great par from the position he found himself off the tee. Up on 18, birdie for Justin Thomas, who signs for a 70. He’s -5.
McIlroy pushes his drive at 17 into the trees down the right. And he may be snookered behind a trunk. The footage was on delay, and as he contemplated the trouble he’s likely to face, the cheer generated by Reed’s chip-in for eagle crackled across the course. You could see the realisation of what had most likely occurred flash across McIlroy’s face.
Reed is finding it easy all right: he’s just eagled another par five! He’s lobbed his wedge into the cup at 15 from the front right of the green! A high lob, a couple of bounces, and an unerring trundle into the cup! In his first 14 rounds at Augusta National, he’d made one eagle. He’s just made two today in three holes! And he’s now five clear of McIlroy in second place. This is quite sensational! The 2018 Masters is beginning to look like his to lose ... though there’s many a slip between cup and green jacket at Augusta, as well we know.
-15: Reed (15)
-10: McIlroy (16)
-9: Fowler (F)
-8: Rahm (F)
-7: Stenson (16)
Rory knocks his chip four feet past the hole. Enough to furrow the brow. But he makes the putt coming back, and that’s another salvaged par. He’s battling to stay on the leader’s shoulder; Reed by comparison is finding the game so much easier today. A par for Stenson as well.
The rain is coming down again. Nothing too dramatic yet, not like earlier, but it’s wet enough. Reed takes on the water at 15, and his 3-wood only just gets over the creek. His ball ends to the right of the green ... but it’s dry. His playing partner Leishman lets his grip go in the rain, and his ball sails miles right. He stays out of the creek too, but he’s got a testing chip to the green from way out there. Meanwhile on 16, Rory pushes his 9-iron just off the right of the green. He’s close to the flag, but it’ll be a testing chip nonetheless.
Rickie Fowler’s second into 18 is nothing more than average. He’s left with a 30-foot uphill birdie putt with a gentle left-to-right break. And he would have made it, too, with a couple more joules of energy. That’s a sensational seven-under-par 65, matching Jon Rahm’s best-of-week effort from earlier. It’s his first bogey-free round here in 29 attempts. He ends the third round at -9. Could the immensely likeable Californian break his major duck this week?
-13: Reed (14)
-10: McIlroy (15)
-9: Fowler (F)
-8: Rahm (F)
-7: Stenson (15)
A huge birdie for Rory McIlroy at 15! Having taken his medicine from the trees, he wedges to the back of the green, then holes in a 15-foot left-to-right curler. He moves into second spot on his own at -10, three off Reed’s lead. Birdie for Henrik Stenson too: he’s been steady today, if not spectacular, and isn’t out of this by any stretch of the imagination. He’s -7.
Bubba Watson pars the last, and signs for a 68. At -6 going into Sunday, the two-time champion will be a hovering presence felt by the leader, whoever he may be. Almost certainly Patrick Reed, let’s face it: he negotiates two ridges across the 14th green from 100 feet to five. What a wonderfully weighted putt, and he’s making no mistake in tidying up for par.
Here, Jordan Spieth isn’t quite out of this yet. He’s birdied the two par-fives on the back nine, 13 and 15, and suddenly he’s -5 again. He’ll probably require Reed to have some sort of meltdown, but these things happen round Augusta, as Spieth himself knows all too well. See also: McIlroy, who lifts a wedge over the trees down the left of 15 and onto the fairway. Medicine taken.
Rickie Fowler had birdied 15, and he follows that with another at 17. This one was the result of a gorgeous short iron which very nearly slam-dunked into the cup. The popular Californian, who had two top-five finishes in the majors last year, in the US Open and PGA, jumps into a share of second place!
-13: Reed (13)
-9: Fowler (17), McIlroy (14)
-8: Rahm (F)
McIlroy’s tee shot at 15 bounds into the trees down the left. He’ll not be able to make the green in two from there, surely. He’s not managed to build on the momentum of that eagle on 8 at all. Patrick Reed on the other hand, has grown and grown since birdie on the same hole. He’s got a route to the green from the pine needles down the side of 14, and bashes his second onto the right-hand edge of the putting surface. The flag’s over the other side, but that’s not half bad from where he was. He’s playing calmly and with confidence. He’ll take some beating, unless the pressure of closing out his first major begins to do its awful thing.
The field needs a little help from Reed, and he might have given them it by hooking his drive at 14 into trees. We’ll see. Up on the green, Stenson and McIlroy have both sent their second shots 12 feet past the flag, setting up birdie chances. Neither can convert. We’re not at the stage yet where these chances simply can’t be missed ... there’s too much narrative to unfold yet ... but spurning them doesn’t help, and McIlroy’s chest heaves a sigh accordingly.
Jon Rahm finds the front of the 18th with his second. He’s faced with a putt that’s the best part of 100 feet uphill. He rolls it up the ridge to three feet, a simply wonderful effort from there. Par, and he signs his name to a best-of-week 65! He’s the new clubhouse leader at -8. Meanwhile the actual leader Reed, in the no-nonsense fashion, curls his left-to-right breaker into the cup at 13 for eagle! He moves four clear at the top, and in this mood will take some catching.
-13: Reed (13)
-9: McIlroy (13)
-8: Rahm (F), Fowler (16)
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And McIlroy can’t afford a mistake, because coming behind him, Patrick Reed is playing like a dream. He’s split the 13th fairway too, but he’s not making a mistake with his approach like Rory. A long iron arrowed straight at the flag, one of the shots of the week, and he’ll have a 12-foot look at eagle!
Rory chips wonderfully to four feet. And rolls in the par saver! On the one hand, that’s not ideal, having blasted a lovely drive down the middle of the hole. On the other, serious disaster loomed when, for a terrible moment, he feared his ball was lost. That’s a stunning scramble in the circumstances, having got himself into terrible trouble. He blows his cheeks out hard, knowing he’s got away with one there.
McIlroy’s found his ball! He’s standing waist-deep in the flowers, with a grim look on his grid. Can he get a swing to this? It looks as though he’s going to give it a whack. This could be costly. But he manages to punch it out onto the fringe! That at least gives him a chance to get up and down to scramble his par. What drama! That brief tempest nearly knocked McIlroy seriously off course. Even a bogey might be a reasonable result after that off-kilter, slippery second shot.
The rain brings instant pain for Rory, whose grip slips as he hits his second into 13. That sends his ball high into the bank of azaleas to the left of the green. He might have lost that. He’s looking for it with great concern on his face. Ah, the rain has eased off, which is the only bit of good news.
Reed’s tee shot to 12 is a little strong, over the back left. The pin’s in the immediate environs, just on the green, but Reed is overly aggressive with his chip and sends his ball sailing 12 feet past. He can’t knock in the return, and slips back to -11. Ever the good metaphor, the rain suddenly comes down very heavily. Wow. Seems like the forecasters knew what they were taking about after all.
-11: Reed (12)
-9: McIlroy (12)
-8: Rahm (17)
-7: Fowler (14)
-6: Fleetwood (F), Watson (15), Stenson (12), Leishman (12)
Cameron Smith is making a move! The 24-year-old Aussie birdied 2, 13 and 15, and now he’s nearly holed in one at 16. He’ll kick in to move to -5. Back-to-back birdies for Bubba, at 14 and 15, and he’s right up there at -6. Justin Rose creams an iron into 15 to set up a ten-footer for eagle, but he doesn’t hit his putt and has to settle for birdie. He’s -3. Rahm eases his second at 17 to ten feet, then registers his second birdie on the bounce: he’s -8.
Patrick Reed has made three birdies in a row on three separate occasions this week. Can he register his first run of four? Not quite. But it’s a beautifully weighted putt on 11, and he’s tapping in for his par. Still -12. And it’s yet another close shave for Leishman, who is inches from birdie. He stays at -6, and looks super-frustrated. He’s not playing badly, but his putter is stone cold. Over on the 12th green, Rory splashes out of sand and somehow gets an abnormal amount of check spin, which means he’s got a longer par putt than he’d have liked. A testing seven footer. And in it goes! He fist-pumps the air. He knows how important that could be come tomorrow afternoon. He stays three behind Reed at -9.
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McIlroy’s tee shot at 12 hits the lip of the bunker at the front and topples back into the sand. Back up the hill, Reed is firing into 11. He aims straight at the flag, but he’s a little bit shy. His ball creeps onto the green. Should be an easy two-putt; it’s an outside chance for birdie. Or a good chance for birdie, the way Reed’s been putting today. Meantime up on 16, Rahm whips a gorgeous tee shot to ten feet, and rolls in the birdie effort. He’s -7.
McIlroy sets his putt at 11 away on the right line ... but doesn’t give it quite enough. His ball dies at the last turn, and he’s forced to tap in for a par. He mouths the EFF word in frustration. So close to closing the gap at the top. Meanwhile up on 18, Tommy Fleetwood can’t make his par from distance, but a round of 66 is pretty fine work nonetheless. He goes into the final round at -6, well placed for a run at the title ... providing Patrick Reed doesn’t keep making birdies, that is.
Rickie Fowler salvages his par on 13. He wedges from the drop zone to five feet, and knocks what’s left into the centre of the cup. He stays at -7, and after getting wet, that’ll be a small boost. (Speaking of getting wet, the forecast rain’s stayed away. Woo hoo!) On 11, McIlroy sends his second straight at the flag and leaves himself a 15-footer for birdie. And on 14, birdie for Bubba, the reward for screeching a wedge to a couple of feet. He’s -5.
Rahm’s second into 15 goes over the back of the green. He knocks a fine wedge to six feet, but doesn’t hit the birdie putt, and remains at -5. Up on 18, Fleetwood’s second finds the heart of the green, but it’s teetering on the ridge that runs across the middle, and loses the battle of gravity. The ball comes rolling back, which means he’ll have a long two putts for his par and a round of 65.
Disaster for Rickie Fowler on 13, as he loses his second shot, a fairway wood, to the right. And that means his ball doesn’t make it over the creek. Ker-plunk. Back on 10, Marc Leishman watches another birdie putt narrowly fail to drop. But Patrick Reed’s flat stick is hot now, and he curls in his short birdie chance to tear three clear at the top! Three birdies in a row! That lucky bounce from the trees on 8 has really kick-started something!
-12: Reed (10)
-9: McIlroy (10)
McIlroy tickles his putt towards the cup at 10 from the thicker grass at the back of the green. It’s nicely judged and he cleans up for his par. Coming behind, Reed slams a monster drive down the track- then sends in a gentle draw to eight feet! What a response this is to McIlroy’s eagle. Meanwhile up on 17, Fleetwood gives himself the chance of a sixth birdie in a row, sending his second to ten feet. But nobody’s perfect, and he has to settle for a par, his putt sliding by low on the right. Nothing lasts forever.
Patrick Reed crashes his drive down the middle of 9, then finds the centre of the green with his second. He’ll have an uphill look at birdie from 20 feet. His partner Marc Leishman wedges pin high. Reed to putt first - and he judges it perfectly, the slight left-to-right mover stopping for a nanosecond on the left lip before dropping! He’s restored his two-stroke lead! Leishman can’t make his from half the distance. Meanwhile up on 10, McIlroy’s drive finds the first cut down the right. Which means he can’t hold the green with his second. But his ball only just topples off the back, so he should be fine for a two-putt par from the fringe. Though this is Augusta, so let’s assume nothing.
-11: Reed (9)
-9: McIlroy (9)
-7: Fleetwood (16), Fowler (12)
-6: Rahm (13), Stenson (9), Leishman (9)
-5: Thomas (11), D Johnson (10)
-4: Watson (12)
-3: Smith (13), Oosthuizen (12), Spieth (10)
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This Saturday at Augusta continues to astonish. Tommy Fleetwood knocks his tee shot at 16 to five feet. And in goes the putt! That’s five birdies in a row! 2-4-3-4-2. It should be six, really, but he didn’t hit that putt on 11. Hey, maybe that’s what kickstarted this. Anyway, Europe’s number one is three off Reed’s lead at -7.
Leishman can’t get going today. He sets up a 12-foot birdie chance on 8, but his putt dies off to the right. He stays at -6. But Reed makes no mistake from similar distance, and he reclaims the lead at -10! Meanwhile Rahm’s hitting four from the dropzone at 13 ... and he hits the flagstick with his wedge in. He’ll escape there with par! On 11, Fowler rolls in a 20-foot par saver to keep hold of his momentum. Jordan Spieth bogeys 9 to drop to -3. Fleetwood takes two putts on 15 to make his birdie and move to -6. And Bubba continues to bubble: having dropped a shot at 11, he reclaims it immediately at 12. This is one heck of a Moving Day (Marc Leishman and Jordan Spieth excepted).
-10: Reed (8)
-9: McIlroy (9)
-7: Fowler (11)
-6: Fleetwood (15), Rahm (13), Stenson (9), Leishman (8)
After The Lord Mayor’s Show admin dept. Rahm makes his first big mistake of the day, slam-dunking his second at 13 into Rae’s Creek. Rose misses a four-footer for birdie on 11 after sending a heatseeker of an iron towards the pin. Fleetwood crashes his second at 15 over the water and onto the green. Reed sends his drive at 8 into trees but gets a break back out and is able to eventually set up a 12-foot birdie chance. Hey, if Rory deserves some luck on that hole, so does Reed.
Sensational from Rory McIlroy! (And slightly fortunate, if we’re being honest with ourselves.) He bumps his chip up onto the 8th green, over a couple of small hillocks. It’s rolling on the dancefloor. Still dead on line, but really moving. This could go a fair way past the flag unless it hits the stick ... which it does, flush, and drops into the cup! A preposterous eagle, and the grand-slam-seeking young genius from Northern Ireland is suddenly joint leader of the 2018 Masters! Back-to-back birdies for his partner Stenson, by the way, who moves to -6. But y’know.
-9: McIlroy (8), Reed (7)
-7: Fowler (10)
-6: Rahm (12), Stenson (8), Leishman (7)
-5: Fleetwood (14), Thomas (9), D Johnson (8)
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Fleetwood is purring at the moment. He eases his second into 14 to 18 inches. He’ll knock that in to move to -5. Dustin birdies the second par-five of the day: he’s -5 overall through 8. Fowler watches in disbelief as his ten-foot birdie putt on 10 stops a turn short. And Rory sends his second at 8, a full-blooded fairway wood, near the 9th tee box. He’ll have a pitch onto the green, so par shouldn’t be an issue, but he’ll have been wanting to pick up a shot at this par-five, like Big Dustin before him.
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Rahm’s tee shot at the 12th gets caught in the swirling wind, and his ball flies left and over the back. That’ll be a testing chip and putt for par. But he wedges to six feet and calmly rolls in the saver. He stays at -6. Meanwhile Leishman misses a three-footer for par on 7. He was looking to break his run of pars today, but not like that. He drops to -6.
Another birdie for Tommy Fleetwood! This one comes at the par-five 13th, having safely found the putting surface in two. He’s not let that silly miss at 11 affect him at all. He’s -4 for his round and the Tournament. Meanwhile a huge cheer on 10, as Bubba - who had bogeyed 8 and missed a par tiddler on 9 - rakes in a huge one for a bounceback birdie. He’s -4.
Jon Rahm fires one of the shots of the day straight at the flag at 11, whip-cracking an iron from the top of the hill. But he misses the four-footer for birdie. That’s a shame, he stays at -6. Bubba three-putts the 9th to drop back to -3. His playing partner Justin Rose reaches the turn in 35: he’s -3 too.
Henrik Stenson hasn’t got going ever since taking that drop from the azaleas on 2. He sends his tee shot at 7 into the trees down the right. He can only find the sand guarding the front of the green with his second. So what happens next? You already know what happens next. He splashes out and into the cup! He’s back to -5. His partner McIlroy finds the back of the green, but can’t curl in from 20 feet. Par. Meanwhile Thomas hits a hideous eagle putt on 8, short and right, but he makes the four-foot birdie chance he leaves himself and moves to -5 alongside Stenson.
Justin Thomas has been quiet since birdie at 2: a run of five pars since. But he’s just clattered a gorgeous fairway wood into 8, using the bank to the left of the green to guide his ball towards the flag. He’ll have a 25-foot look at birdie. Meanwhile birdie for Jordan Spieth at 7, to finally get his round going. He’s back to -4.
Or will it?! Because Reed rolls in a 20-footer on 5 to card his first birdie of the day! Elsewhere Jon Rahm lands his second at the course’s hardest hole, the 10th, pin high, and rattles in the 12-footer he’s left with. And Rickie Fowler strokes in an uphill 20-footer on 8 to join a brand new second-placed group! Look out, there’s a Moving Day going on here, ladies and gentlemen.
-9: Reed (5)
-7: Fowler (8), McIlroy (6), Leishman (5)
-6: Rahm (10)
Sensational stuff from Rory McIlroy, who appears to be in the mood to move today! He whips his tee shot at 6 straight over the flag. It lands 18 inches past the cup, bounces and bites. It’s surely got to spin straight back into the cup. But it stops still. He’ll kick that in for a birdie that’ll bring him to within one stroke of Patrick Reed’s lead!
Louis Oosthuizen, so often the bridesmaid at the majors, is threatening in yet another one. The 2010 Open champion and 2012 Masters runner-up started with a bogey today, but birdies at 3, 6 and now 7 have sent him up the leaderboard to -4. Meanwhile Tommy Fleetwood continues to play some lovely golf: he eases his tee shot over the stick at 12 and rolls in the right-to-left 18-foot slider he leaves himself. He’s -3!
Fleetwood doesn’t hit his par putt on 11. Such a shame, because that was a gorgeous shot into the green, and he had the putt going on the correct line. But par will suffice. He taps in to stay at -2. Meanwhile McIlroy gives his birdie putt a good rap on 4, but it dies off to the right by the width of half a dimple. He bends over in exasperation, and it’s a terrible shame, though birdie there would have been a karmic outrage!
On 5, Spieth sends his second into the bunker at the back. He splashes out to seven feet. But he can’t rescue his par. His first bogey of the day, and he drops to -3. Then coming behind, an absurd stroke of luck for Rory McIlroy. His tee shot ends in the deep trap to the left of the fairway. He smashes his second into the face of the bunker ... but it bounds forward towards the green anyway, running straight towards the cup and ending up 15 feet past the hole! That could have gone anywhere. He laughs heartily, making no attempt whatsoever to hide his outrageous good fortune. And why not. If he escapes with par after two dismal shots, that’ll be fine ... but what a smash and grab it’d be if he makes the birdie putt.
The bad weather continues to stay away. Keep those fingers crossed. Especially as it’s all going well for Tommy Fleetwood, who is quietly moving up the leaderboard in his trademark unassuming style. Birdies at 2 and 9, moving him to -2, and now he’s sent a lovely draw into 11 to set up a seven-foot birdie attempt.
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A little trouble for the leader Patrick Reed on 3. His second span back off the green and down the big slope at the front, so he’s got a blind chip up, and not much surface between him and the flag. But he flops up beautifully to six feet. That was very brave. But he can’t knock in the par saver, which horseshoes out. A bogey that drops him back to -8, having hit wedge into the green. Three pars to start for Marc Leishman, who is now just one off.
-8: Reed (3)
-7: Leishman (3)
-6: Fowler (6), McIlroy (4)
Birdie for Bubba at 7. And another for McIlroy, who curls one in from the back of 4. It was never missing from the moment it left the face. Probably wise to update this leaderboard already, because everyone’s moving today all right.
-9: Reed (2)
-7: Leishman (2)
-6: Fowler (6), McIlroy (4)
-5: Rahm (8), Watson (7)
Another birdie for Fowler, who sends his tee shot at 6 to ten feet and slides in the left-to-right putt! He’s -6, alone in third spot. The task of sharing a leaderboard berth with Rory McIlroy at -5 is now fielded by Jon Rahm, who sends his second at the par-five 8th to the edge of the green, then bounces his wedge home along a very aesthetically pleasing arc. An eagle, and like Fowler, he’s four under for his round already. Meanwhile a couple more pars in the final group for Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman, this time at 2.
The expected rain has stayed away, which is good news. Hopefully that means the thunder and lightning won’t arrive either, but let’s not get greedy and tempt fate. A bit of rain we can all deal with. Rickie Fowler certainly won’t want a break in play, because he’s come flying out of the blocks today: a birdie at 5 now to go with his eagle at 2! He’s suddenly in third spot ... alongside Rory, who sends a high lob wedge into 3, then curls a 12-footer in for birdie!
-9: Reed (1)
-7: Leishman (1)
-5: Fowler (5), McIlroy (3)
-4: Watson (6), Thomas (4), Spieth (3), D Johnson (3), Stenson (2)
Spieth’s putter goes cold again, this time on 3, a birdie chance from nine feet spurned. He’s opened with three pars: not ideal, but a vast improvement on yesterday, when he dropped three strokes in the first two holes.
Pars at Tea Olive for the leading duo Patrick Reed and Marc Leishman. That’ll settle the nerves as the pair, both bidding for their maiden major, embark on the most important weekend of their sporting lives. Up on the 2nd green, Rory leaves his chip up onto the green 15 feet short, and doesn’t quite hit his dribbly birdie effort. Par. Stenson takes two putts as well to get down, and that’s a disappointing bogey. But if you will send your drive miles off target ...
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Rory has a route to the green. He’s hampered on his follow-through by the trunk of a tree, but goes for it anyway. He lashes a long iron to the left of the green, circumventing the bunker. He’ll have a straight look at the flag from where he ends up, but there’s a small bank and not much green on the other side. Stenson meanwhile has to drop out of the flowers, and smashes his third greenside. He chips up to 15 feet. Elsewhere, up on 18, it’s a 74 for Ian Poulter: he’s 74. And a 72 for Tiger Woods, who remains at +4. Meanwhile the reigning Players champion, the brilliant 22-year-old South Korean Si Woo Kim, is making some serious waves. Birdies at 7, 9, 13 and now 15 have zipped him up the leaderboard to level par for the Tournament.
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Trouble for Henrik and Rory off the 2nd tee. Stenson’s drive hits a loblolly down the left and bounds into the azaleas. McIlroy flashes one into the trees down the right. That’s pretty wild. Down on the green, Dustin joins the group at -4 after finding the putting surface in two and lagging his eagle putt up to tap-in range. Par for Spieth, who lets a fairly easy uphill birdie putt slip by from 12 feet.
A fine up and down by Rory, who pitches up to three feet and scrambles his par. Stenson leaves his birdie putt well short, and settles for par too. Meanwhile playing partners Justin Thomas and Tony Finau both birdie 2. Already this leaderboard is sending shivers down the spine, and we’re only a few holes into Moving Day!
-9: Reed
-7: Leishman
-5: Stenson (1)
-4: Watson (4), Fowler (3), Thomas (2), Spieth (1), McIlroy (1)
Another birdie for two-time winner Gerry Lester Watson Jr.! This one at 3, and he joins fellow Golf Boy Rickie Fowler at -4. Any old excuse to go Bubba-da-Bubba-da-button-up, eh?
A huge stroke of luck for Spieth at 2. He slices his tee shot towards the woods. It’s heading into deep horrors, but his ball clanks off the ankle of some poor patron, and while that’s still wide, it’s not going to be in terrible trouble. A lucky break for Rory McIlroy, too, whose opening drive is heading for bother down the right; a favourable bounce back into the first cut saves him some heartache. But he doesn’t take advantage, sending his second down a swale to the right of the green. He’ll have a testing up and down if he wants to save par. His partner Henrik Stenson finds the heart of the green in regulation.
Rickie Fowler scrapped hard for his 72 yesterday, a round that positioned him nicely for the weekend. And he’s taking advantage. He crashes his second at 2 to 20 feet from 230 yards, and rolls in the eagle putt! A flying start, and he’s -4. Spieth and DJ meanwhile both par the opening hole, neither man having found the dancefloor with their approaches.
Tiger Woods was always chasing par down 15, having flayed his drive left. A bogey, but he’s bounced back in typical style by arrowing his tee shot at 16 straight at the flag. One more bounce and that could well have been a hole-in-one, but he’ll settle for a birdie that brings him back to +4.
The much-fancied, always-dangerous Jordan Spieth is out and about! A safe drive down the middle of Tea Olive. His partner Dustin Johnson follows him down there. An eventful start to the round for Charley Hoffman: bogey, birdie, birdie. He’s -3. And birdie for Bubba at 2, who joins the group at -3. Meanwhile Tyrrell Hatton signs for a one-over 73: he’s +6. His playing partner Phil Mickelson bogeys the last and that’s a 74 for the three-time champ, who could never quite haul back that opening-hole triple bogey. He’s +7.
Matt Fitzpatrick is in the clubhouse with a fine five-under 67. He’s level par for the Tournament now. Paul Casey is also back home, having shot a very acceptable 69. He’s +2 overall. And a brisk start by the local lad Russell Henley, who finished just outside the top ten here last year: birdies at 2 and 3, and he’s -1 for the Tournament.
Thanks to Rob ... and you have to think Jon Rahm will already be ruing that opening-day 75. That awful tee shot at 16 on Thursday could end up being very costly. We’re getting ahead of ourselves of course, because he’s six off Patrick Reed’s lead, but look at it this way: after those birdies at 1 and 2, he’s on a run of six birdies in his last ten holes. He’s really turned this around. Easy to forget he’s only 23, and he’s only played here once before. A top-30 finish, since you ask. Anyway, it’s an opportunity for us to put up our first refreshed leaderboard of the third round...
-9: Reed
-7: Leishman
-5: Stenson
-4: McIlroy, Spieth
-3: Rahm (2), D Johnson, Thomas
-2: Hoffman (2), Smith (2), Watson (1), Fowler (1), Finau
That’s your lot from me, so I’ll hand back to Scott to guide you through the rest of the day. Thanks for reading.
Jon Rahm is another who will fancy his chances of putting himself in contention today, especially now he has birdied the first two holes. At -3 he is right in the mix. Could Spain have another Masters champion? A long way to go yet but this guy has all the tools.
Jason Day’s form has been steadily improving this week and three birdies in the first seven holes today suggest he’s getting hotter. He’s -1 and now only eight shots off the leader Patrick Reed, who’ll start his round in 45 minutes. It’s a big gap, but Day in this mood could at least put himself back in contention. Tiger can only par the par-five 13th and Mickelson is similarly frustrated at 15. Poulter snaffles a birdie at 13 though.
It’s moving day at the Masters and Matt Fitzpatrick’s charge is gathering pace. He has followed up his birdie spree with an eagle at 15. The Englishman is now –5 for the day and back to even par. Mickelson knocks one in from off the green for a birdie on 14. Can he repeat the Fitzpatrick magic at the next?
Tiger has his arms aloft and laps up the acclaim of the crowd with a wry smile after missing the drink from the tee on 12 for the first time this week. The birdie putt dives off to the left though. Poulter scrambles another par by sinking a missable putt for the second hole in a row to stay at +7.
Thanks Scott. And welcome, wherever you may be. The conditions are quite calm in Augusta right now but that doesn’t stop Mickelson landing his second in the Rae’s Creek tributary at the par-five 13th. After a drop he gives himself a chance of saving par with a nice chip but leaves the putt short to drop back to +7. Hatton follows suit with a bogey to return to +5.
Webb Simpson has birdied 10. That means he’s three under for his round today, and the hottest player out there on the sodden course. The 2012 US Open champ is +2. Also going well: Paul Casey, whose birdie at 13 takes him to two under for the day, and +3 for the Tournament, and his compatriot Matt Fitzpatrick, who has birdied 7, 8 and 12, a fine response to bogey at 5, moving to +3 overall as well.
And with that, I’m off for a big plate of Hamburger Helper, the only food-flavored food product to be marketed by a singing golf glove. Rob Bleaney will be your guide for the next hour. I should be back in plenty time for the leaders, severe weather delays, etc.
The entertainingly hot-headed Tyrrell Hatton bogeys 11. Upon failing to make his par putt, he spins his putter into the air, fails to catch it as it falls, and watches - still seething - as it bounces off towards the water. He’s spared the indignity of fishing it out by one bounce. He picks it up sheepishly, taps in for the bogey, then slams the flat stick into his bag with all the force he can muster. I mean, yes, yes, won’t someone think of the kids, all that ... but it is amusing to watch golfers slip into hot funks, rolling boils, impotent rages, etc. Anyone who’s ever tried to play the game can surely sympathise. And to be fair to Hatton, he knows how to use this stuff as fuel: his next act is to clip a business-like tee shot at 12 to seven feet! In goes the birdie putt, and he’s +4 again. I enjoy watching Tyrrell Hatton. He’s great.
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Tiger gives his uphill putt a good rap. It’s always going to reach, but it’s always going to stay out on the right. A par, and he turns in 36, still at +4. But that second shot deserved so much more. Meanwhile on 11, a break for Phil, who has a route through the trees straight to the green! He punches out low, sending his ball scampering towards the green below. Amazingly, he leaves himself a 20-foot birdie putt. He very nearly makes it, too, a right-to-left slider missing by inches to the left, but he’d have taken par when he was watching his tee shot sail towards green nonsense. He remains at +6.
“Fore right!” Yes, folks, Phil’s on the tee. Another wayward drive, this time down 11. He’s in the pines again. He wasn’t too far away from draining a long birdie putt on 10, too; how quickly momentum can shift in a round of golf. See also: Tiger, who lands his second at 9 pin high. He’s left with a six footer across the green for birdie ... but hold on, the backspin suddenly bites, and sends his ball rolling back down the green. He’s still got a birdie putt, but it’s from 30 feet now. A chance for a third birdie in four holes suddenly doesn’t look so good.
Tiger makes it two birdies in three holes, getting up and down from the front of the large 8th green without too much fuss. He’s back to +4, where he started the day. But it’s back-to-back bogeys for his partner Ian Poulter, who drops to +7. With DeChambeau making birdie at 7 and rising to +6, Poults is now rock bottom in 53rd place. A round with Jeff Knox tomorrow would be something to look forward to, though, right?
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Kevin Kisner, who has come close in recent years to winning the Players and the PGA, is usually a presence at the majors these days. The South Carolinian has started well today, with birdies at 2 and 3. He’s +1. Along with Webb Simpson, who is two under for his round through 8, at +3, Kisner has the best round going right now.
Mickelson bundles his second at 9 to the back of the green. He’s not far from the flag, which is tucked away in the far corner. And in goes the birdie putt from the fringe! Not a bad way to follow up that sensational eagle. He reaches the turn in 37, which is pretty good going when you consider he opened his round with a whiff, a triple bogey and a bogey. But that’s sort of Phil in microcosm; it’s integral to his charm. How good would it be if he won the US Open this year? There wouldn’t be a dry eye in New York State. Anyway, he’s +6.
Bryson DeChambeau was the low amateur here a couple of years ago. This is his first appearance as a professional, and he’s been steady without being spectacular so far: a couple of two-over 74s to make the cut easily enough. But the eccentric and entertaining young Californian is struggling a bit today: bogeys at 2, 4 and 5, and suddenly he’s assisting Mickelson in propping up the rest of the field, in a tie for 52nd at +7. DeChambeau won’t be following Mickelson, Cary Middlecoff, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia in becoming Masters champion as a former Silver Cup winner. Not this year anyway. But at 24, he’s got plenty of time left.
This might not be Tiger or Phil’s week. But you can’t keep good men down. Tiger gently swishes a gorgeous tee shot at 6 to seven feet, and makes no mistake with the putt. It’s only his sixth birdie of the week. He’s +5. Meanwhile from the centre of the 8th fairway, Mickelson thrills ‘em again by taking driver off the deck and creaming it from 271 yards to nine feet! The whoops and hollers as the ball serenely progressed up the big green towards the hole warmed the heart. What swashbuckling brilliance! Please make the eagle putt. Please. And in it goes! That was simply sensational! His fourth eagle in competitive action at 8! Some more Masters crystal in the bag. He’s +7.
Paul Casey birdies 9. He reaches the turn in 35 strokes, having also birdied 6 but dropped a shot at 7. He’s +4. He was first out today, and as 53 players survived the cut, is playing with a marker. That marker being the legendary Jeff Knox. Any old excuse to dig out this wonderful profile of Augusta’s most famous member since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Mickelson tugs another drive into trees down the right, this time at 7. His ball plays bagatelle with the branches, before dropping into bother. He’s spent a ridiculous amount of time wandering around, wide-eyed and dazed, in the woods this week. His swing obstructed again, he can only smack a low one back out onto the fairway. A chip up to ten feet represents a good chance to save par ... and he takes it! Five straight pars, and that one’s a real bonus. But he can’t keep flaying drives off line like this.
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Tyrrell Hatton has been playing well this morning. Several birdie chances already, though he’s been passing them up, much to his trademark heart-on-sleeve irritation. But finally the young Englishman takes one, hitting his tee shot pin high to 15 feet at 6 and rolling in the putt. He’s +4. His playing partner Phil Mickelson has made four consecutive pars since that nightmare triple-bogey/bogey start. He remains at +9.
The young Texan Doug Ghim - who as the only remaining amateur in the field is guaranteed to win the Silver Cup, providing he completes the 72 holes - joins Webb Simpson in red figures for his round today. A birdie at 2, thanks to a delightful wedge to ten feet, and he’s +3. Tiger clips a fine tee shot at the par-three 4th to 12 feet, but there’s a big right-to-left curl on the putt he’s left with, and it’s never going in. Another par, though, and at least the ship is steadied. And the sun comes out! Though not in Ian Poulter’s heart, who came up short off the tee and couldn’t get up and down from the wrong side of the bunker at the front. He’s back to +6.
The rain continues to tip down. It’s going to oscillate between Spring Shower and Manchester all day, with a good chance of some thunder rolling in mid-afternoon. Hopefully we’ll swerve the latter, and there will be no stoppages. But the last few groups might not be out long before they’re heading back to the clubhouse. Fingers crossed that’s an overly pessimistic reading of the forecast. Anyway, there’s some better news for Tiger, who splashes out of the deep bunker at the front of 3 to a couple of feet, and tidies up for his first par of the day.
Woods is struggling here. He sends a big slice into the trees down the right of 3. Patrons wielding green-and-white umbrellas scatter. He can only punch out, sending his ball scampering up to the bunker at the side of the green. He’ll need a good up-and-down to avoid the ignominy of three straight bogeys to start. Meanwhile birdie for Paul Casey at 6, the reward for a fine tee shot at the troublesome par-three, landed ten feet from a pin tucked front-left behind sand. Having parred his way up until then, he’s +4.
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Tiger continues to faff about with his irons. Having driven into the big fairway bunker down the right of 2, and taken his medicine by chipping out, he sends his wedge into the sand guarding the front left of the green. Another mistake from the centre of the fairway. He splashes out to ten feet, but his par putt drifts wide left, and there goes another stroke. He’s +6. That’s his first bogey on a par-five this week. He wears the look of a man trying to keep the lid on a fume. His playing partner and old pal Ian Poulter makes a birdie that repairs the damage of bogey at 1: the new Houston Open champ is +5.
The rain falls in Georgia. But it’s a bright start today for the 2012 US Open champ Webb Simpson. Birdies at 1 and 2 and he’s +3 for the Tournament. Kiradech Aphibarnrat birdies 4; the big Thai likes this course, having tied for 15th on his only other appearance in 2016, and he’s +4. Simpson and Aphibarnrat are the only folk making positive moves so far, though it’s early doors of course.
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The romantics had been dreaming of a duel between the old foes Phil and Tiger. In retrospect, that was probably wishful thinking. Ah well. At least both survived the cut. Though both players will right now be wondering whether it was worth it. Woods has once again bogeyed the opening hole from the middle of the fairway; he slips to +5. Mickelson, a couple of groups ahead, fared even worse down Tea Olive, lashing his opening drive into deep nonsense down the right, taking an air shot while attempting to extricate himself from the situation, a branch impeding his backswing, and subsequently running up a triple-bogey seven. He’s followed that up with bogey at 2, and he’s just had to get up and down from the back of 3 to save his par. He’s +9 and propping up the field. Oh Lefty!
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Here we go, then!
It’s Moving Day at the Masters. The forecast is for rain, very possibly thunder, and almost definitely hot golf. Look at this leaderboard, packed with stars and all manner of narrative possibility ...
-9: Reed
-7: Leishman
-5: Stenson
-4: McIlroy, Spieth
-3: D Johnson, Thomas
-2: Finau, Fowler, Oosthuizen, Rose, Watson, Hoffman
-1: Smith, Kuchar, Rahm, Wiesberger
E: Walker, Matsuyama, Z Johnson, Fleetwood, Hadwin
+1: Li, Henley, Cabrera Bello, Singh, Kodaira
+2: Couples, Moore, Vegas, Molinari, Stanley, Grace, Day
+3: Reavie, Kisner, Harman, Berger, Kaymer
+4: Ghim (a), Langer, Scott, DeChambeau, Woods
+5: Poulter, Simpson, Schauffele, Hatton, Mickelson, Fitzpatrick, Aphibarnrat, Casey
... though sadly the weekend will be missing some big names who have missed the cut, a roll call of greats which includes the former champions Sandy Lyle, Charl Schwartzel, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Danny Willett, Trevor Immelman, Ian Woosnam, Larry Mize, Angel Cabrera, Mark O’Meara ... and the reigning champ Sergio Garcia. No need to further riff on Sergio’s pain, we all know what happened on Thursday. Suffice to say, as his 15-over-par title defence came to an end in the gloaming yesterday evening, he exited the stage having made a glorious birdie at 18. Of course he did. Oh Sergio! We still love you.
Today’s Sergio-free tee times:
10am/3pm: Paul Casey
10.10am/3.10pm: Matthew Fitzpatrick , Kiradech Aphibarnrat
10.20am/3.20pm: Tyrrell Hatton, Phil Mickelson
10.30am/3.30pm: Webb Simpson, Xander Schauffele
10.40am/3.40pm: Tiger Woods, Ian Poulter
10.50am/3.50pm: Adam Scott, Bryson DeChambeau
11am/4pm: Doug Ghim (a), Bernhard Langer
11.10am/4.10pm: Martin Kaymer, Si Woo Kim
11.20am/4.20pm: Brian Harman, Daniel Berger
11.30am/4.30pm: Chez Reavie, Kevin Kisner
11.40am/4.40pm: Branden Grace, Jason Day
11.50am/4.50pm: Francesco Molinari, Kyle Stanley
12pm/5pm: Ryan Moore, Jhonattan Vegas
12.10pm/5.10pm: Satoshi Kodaira, Fred Couples
12.30pm/5.30pm: Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Vijay Singh
12.40pm/5.40pm: Haotong Li, Russell Henley
12.50pm/5.50pm: Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Hadwin
1pm/6pm: Hideki Matsuyama, Zach Johnson
1.10pm/6.10pm: Bernd Wiesberger, Jimmy Walker
1.20pm/6.20pm: Matt Kuchar, Jon Rahm
1.30pm/6.30pm: Charley Hoffman, Cameron Smith
1.40pm/6.40pm: Justin Rose, Bubba Watson
1.50pm/6.50pm: Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen
2pm/7pm: Justin Thomas, Tony Finau
2.10pm/7.10pm: Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson
2.20pm/7.20pm: Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy
2.30pm/7.30pm: Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman
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