Let’s not forget about Ian Poulter’s performance in all this ...
Ewan Murray’s verdict.
That’s a 66 for Molinari, to go with yesterday’s 67 and Thursday’s 70. He’s only dropped one stroke in the first 54 holes! But of course the Masters doesn’t actually start until the back nine tomorrow. If the final round is even half as exciting as today’s, we’ll be in for a treat. So please make sure you join us. Remember, we’ll be teeing off this report at midday UK time tomorrow, with threesomes going out from the 1st and 10th from 12.30pm BST, the leaders teeing off at 2.20pm. Can Molinari add the Masters to his Open title? Can Koepka add it to his US Open and PGA pots? Can Finau win his first major? Can Tiger win his 15th? Or will someone else burst from the pack isntead? It promises to be a classic! See you in 12 hours!
-13: Molinari
-11: Finau, Woods
-10: Koepka
-9: Simpson, Poulter
-8: Kuchar, Harding, Schauffele, Oosthuizen, D Johnson
-7: Fowler, Scott
-6: Cantlay, Olesen, Thomas, Mickelson, Rahm, Day
-5: Watson, Bjerregaard
-4: Spieth, Fleetwood, Conners
Day can’t get up and down. That’s a bogey to finish, and it’s a very disappointing 73. He’s -6 and his race is almost certainly run. But Molinari tidies up. What a sensational par save! Finau and Woods - his nearest challengers, and the men who will go round with him tomorrow morning - are permitted to let out a sigh: for a moment there, it looked as though their job tomorrow would become a little bit easier. Nope!
Molinari receives a warm ovation as he reaches the 18th green, and how he deserves it. But will another fine performance have a slightly bitter denouement? He’s left himself a 35-yard bunker shot. The sort you could leave miles short. The sort you could thin through the back. But he takes a full swing, throws his ball up, lands it halfway, and releases it to a couple of feet. That is a quite exquisite sand shot. Seve would have been proud of it.
A stroke of good fortune for Molinari, whose tee shot at 18 skirts with the trees on the right. But he gets a very fortunate kick left from the first cut and he should have a route into the green. Day, still reeling from that double on 15, sends his drive into the pine straw on the left. His second flies wide of the bunker on the right; there’s really not a lot of green in front of the flag once he gets over the trap. And then a rare mistake by Molinari, who sends his second into the bunker front left. It’s a long way up to the pin from there. Could the leader be about to drop a shot for only the second time this week, since the 11th hole on Thursday? What a time to do it, if so.
Koepka is dreadfully unlucky with his birdie putt. He looks to have teased it in gently, left to right, but it turns a little more just before reaching and stays out on the right. That’s still a fine 69 that brings him up to -10. Meanwhile a three-putt bogey for Adam Scott, who ends with a level-par 72. A weak finish, having shed a shot at 16 as well. He’s -7, and wears the glazed look of a man who knows that is probably one shot too far out with tomorrow in mind.
Koepka will have a really good look at birdie from 15 feet at the last, after sending his wedge pin high. Meanwhile Molinari is on the 17th in regulation. He’s got a long birdie putt, one you wouldn’t expect him to make ... and he doesn’t, but he’s only a turn shy. A par on 17 is more than acceptable. He remains two clear at the top.
DJ gives the long uphill putt he’s left himself a good clatter, but it slips past and that’s a bogey at the last. His second 70 in a row, and he’s -8 going into the final day. As is his partner Oosthuizen, who curls in a big left-to-right breaker for a birdie that gets him under par for his round with his very last stroke. He’s -8 too after a 71. Could that make a huge difference tomorrow? Meanwhile back down the hole, Koepka bashes his drive up the middle of the fairway. Prime position.
A bogey for Schauffele at the last. A fine round of 70, but momentum was lost with that dip in the water on 15. He’s -8. Koepka sends a fine second to the rear of the 17th green, leaving himself a 18-foot birdie chance. It slips by, a millimetre wide. He stays at -10. Up on 18, big Dustin hoicks his tee shot into the trees on the right and is forced to hack back out. His wedge in threatens to topple down to the front portion of the green, but stays on the level of the flag. That’s a stroke of fortune, and he’s got an outside chance of saving an unlikely par now.
This is rather special by Molinari. Perhaps worried about the water on 15, he sends his approach a little long. His ball just about stays on the green, but it’s a long eagle putt form the back. He doesn’t really hit his first putt, leaving himself a good ten feet short. But in goes the birdie putt anyway! He stretches his lead at the top to two, moving to -13. And while his tee shot at 16 isn’t the best, it snags on the apron 20 feet from the cup, from where he’ll expect to get up and down for his par. A double bogey at 15 for Day, sadly, as he misjudged his approach into the green, his ball toppling back into the drink He slips to -7.
-13: Molinari (15)
-11: Finau (F), Woods (F)
-10: Koepka (16)
-9: Simpson (F), Poulter (F), Schauffele (17), D Johnson (17)
-8: Kuchar (F), Harding (F), Scott (16)
Koepka sends a stunner of a pitching wedge to four feet on 16. And then he pulls the short birdie putt to the left! Just a par, and the reigning US Open and PGA champ looks sick. He stays at -10. Meanwhile one behind: Ian Poulter, who curls in a left-to-right 15-footer for a par that secures a third round of 68! This is some Masters, and we’re not anywhere near the back nine on Sunday yet!
Tiger strokes a lovely putt towards the cup, but it’s always staying high on the left. No matter, a par will suffice, and the cheers ring around Georgia as he walks off to sign for the 67 that gives him a very real chance of that elusive 15th major. He’s -11. Tomorrow! What a day awaits us. Early doors, remember.
Tiger’s second into 18 isn’t the greatest shot, well to the left of the target. But he’s pin high, and will have a putt for birdie from 25 feet. He receives an ear-shredding ovation as he marches up the fairway, and though he clearly tries to suppress it, a smile plays across his face. It’s a lovely moment. It’s a moment of love. Some people just have it.
Koepka teases in his downhill eagle putt. He’s not been on his A game either yesterday or today; compare and contrast to his complete control while shooting that blemish-free 66 on Thursday. Yet he still shot 71 yesterday, and he’s suddenly three under for his round today ... and one of just four players in double figures under par! He really is some player.
-12: Molinari (12)
-11: Finau (F), Woods (17)
-10: Koepka (15)
Updated
Koepka looks to repair the damage of 14 at the par-five 15th. His second into the green is magnificent, and he’ll have a look at eagle from eight feet or so. Back down the hole, the leader Molinari splits the fairway. On 16, DJ sends his tee shot over the flag and will have a 12-footer coming back for birdie. And up on 18, Tiger rips it down the centre. The patrons are beside themselves with glee. The noise here tomorrow is going to be off the scale if Tiger wins green jacket number five and major number 15.
Dustin Johnson has been quiet. But birdies at 13 and 15 have suddenly lifted him to -9. He’s alongside Schauffele on the leader board, the young Californian walking off the 16th green laughing heartily, his par putt taking a couple of 360-degree spins round the lip before dropping! Not so much luck for Poulter on 17; his long birdie putt hits the cup and defies gravity to stay up. He remains at -8.
Molinari hits the front on his own! He sends his second at 14, from 170 yards, over the flag to eight feet! It’s a hell of a shot, and it deserves the dead-eyed putt coming back that secures a third birdie in a row. He’s -12. His partner Day birdies too, after an even better approach, from 150 yards to a couple of feet. He’s -9. And a regulation par for Tiger at 17. This has been a sensational day’s golf!
-12: Molinari (14)
-11: Finau (F), Woods (17)
-9: Simpson (F), Schauffele (15), Scott (14), Day (14)
Kuchar pars the last and signs for a 68. He’s -8. His partner Mickelson birdies, much to the delight of the congregation around 18, but that’s only a 70 and he knows it’s almost certainly not good enough. He’s -6 Julius Boros still stands as the oldest player to win a major, the 1968 PGA Championship, unless something very odd happens tomorrow. Maybe the real fairytale will happen in the US Open at Pebble Beach in a couple of months, huh?
Tiger has a share of the lead at the Masters. Just sayin’.
-11: Finau (F), Woods (16), Molinari (13)
-9: Simpson (F), Schauffele (15), Scott (14)
Koepka simply refuses to get ruffled, and chips pin high to 12 feet. He’ll have a reasonably straight putt to save his par. That’s a wonderful shot. But he can’t make the par saver, and his back-and-forth day continues apace: he’s back to -8. Schauffele can’t salvage his par on 15 and he slips to -9. Back on 13, Molinari takes two putts for yet another fuss-free birdie. He joins Finau at the top on -11. And seconds later there were three, as Tiger knocks in his birdie putt, his third in four holes! The patrons jump up and down like pistons. Augusta is alive! “This is golf,” opines Butch Harmon on Sky, and who on earth would argue with him?! This is golf!
If there was a roof on Augusta National, it’d be flying over Florida right now. Tiger’s just landed his tee shot at 16 to six feet! Wild cheering. But groans back on 15 as Schauffele’s approach only just gets over the water, and topples back down the bank and into the drink. He’ll do well to escape with par now. And bother for Koepka on 14, who sent his drive into the first cut down the left, then clattered his second into overhanging branches. The ball takes an abrupt right turn, and he’ll be hitting three from distance.
Poulter is faced with a long eagle putt. He doesn’t go particularly close, but anyone who watches the Ryder Cup knows he’s got nerves of steel and plenty of grit, and in goes the very missable slippery six-footer he’d left himself. He moves to -8, though that’s no closer to Tiger, who tidies up without fuss to nip up to -10. Tiger’s one off the lead at the Masters! We’ve waited a while for this.
-11: Finau (F)
-10: Woods (15), Schauffele (14), Molinari (12)
-9: Simpson (F), Koepka (13), Scott (13)
-8: Kuchar (17), Poulter (15), D Johnson (13), Day (12)
Tiger’s second into 15 goes just over the back of the green. He chips back up to three feet, a lovely touch across a quick green with a big left-to-right break. He’ll move to -10 providing he doesn’t do anything silly with his flat stick. Back on 13, birdie for both Scott and Koepka, who move to-9. Coming behind them, Molinari glides his second into the heart of the green. He’ll have a 45-foot go at eagle.
As you’ll no doubt have heard, the weather isn’t looking too good tomorrow afternoon. So the committee have moved tomorrow’s play forward. Players will be grouped in threesomes, with tee times scheduled to begin at 7.30am local time, 12.30pm BST, in a split start off the 1st and 10th. The leaders will tee off at 9.20am local, 2.20pm BST. “The safety of everyone on our grounds is paramount,” says Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament. “We also believe the earlier start will give us the best opportunity to complete the Masters on Sunday. This decision should benefit everyone – the players, our patrons and our fans watching around the world. Given the competitiveness and drama of this year’s Tournament, we look forward to an exciting conclusion tomorrow.”
Kuchar’s Masters bid continues to gather pace! He rolls a 40-footer into the cup at the par-three 16th for a fourth birdie in a row! Just as well that one hit the hole, because it was travelling some. He moves to -8, as does Day with birdie at 12. Molinari taps in, of course he does.
-11: Finau (F)
-10: Schauffele (13), Molinari (12)
-9: Simpson (F), Woods (14)
-8: Kuchar (16), D Johnson (13), Koepka (12), Scott (12), Day (12)
Molinari is about to join Schauffele in second place at -10. Having done extremely well to make par on 11 after his drive snagged in the first cut, he lands his ball a couple of feet from the flag at 12. It threatens to skip in, but like Frank Costanza, stops short. So close to the first hole-in-one at Golden Bell since Curtis Strange made one in 1988. The only other players to manage one there: William Hyndman in 1959, and Butch Harmon’s father Claude in 1947. No wonder Butch yelped with excitement on Sky when the ball pitched close!
Kuchar has been up and down since the turn. Or down and up. Having played the front nine in 34, he handed the shots back at 11 and 12. But what a response here: birdies at 13, 14 and 15 see the trademark Kuchar smile flashed to all four corners of Augusta National. There’s a little frost on the teeth, given he missed a decent eagle chance from ten feet. But he’s back up to -7.
Finau rolls his long birdie putt up to tap-in distance. That’s the third round of 64 today, after Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson, and the big man is currently in prime position, two clear of the field. Actually, scrub that! Schauffele, who had sent his second up a bank at the back of 13, clips a lovely little chip down to six feet and tidies up for birdie! He’s just the one off the lead! And Scott, who has been quiet for a while, rakes in a big putt from the back of 12, and he joins the group at -8.
The branches won’t bother Finau ... but his wedge in is short, only finding the front portion of the green. He’ll have a monster putt up the ridge for birdie and a course-record-tying 63. Unlikely. Oosthuizen races his putt from the back of 12 miles past the hole, and can’t salvage his par. He’s back to -7.
Tiger’s left himself a six footer, though it’s down a glassy green. No bother! In it goes, and the birdie takes him to -9, two off Finau’s lead! A big stroke of luck ... but then you’ve still got to take advantage of it, and that’s what Tiger did so wonderfully well. Birdie for Poulter as well, who rises to -7. Meanwhile on 18, Finau’s drive finds the fairway, but hugs the right edge and the trees may cause him a problem. And up on the green, Fowler misses a short par putt. He’s still signing for a fine 68, and he’s -7, but looks as deflated as you’d expect.
Another errant drive, another huge break for Tiger! His ball made its way back into the first cut, and he’s able to punch round the corner, laying up in front of Rae’s Creek! That allows him to wedge into the green, and set up a decent birdie chance. Meanwhile a good up and down by Schauffele from the back of 12. And another good par for Finau, this time at 17. Can he birdie the last and equal the course record? We’ve said this twice already this afternoon, with Patrick Cantlay and Webb Simpson. Third time lucky?
Tiger’s driver betrays him again. He’s too tight to the trees down the left of 13, clips a branch, and that could have dropped anywhere. Oosthuizen, who has been quiet, level par through 10, draws a glorious iron into 11, and he’ll be kicking that in for a birdie that’ll move him to -8. And Olesen bogeys the last, having sent his second miles over the back of the green, fortunately not clocking any patrons because his ball whistled off down the path back towards the scorer’s hut. Bogey, but that’s still a fine 68, and the big Dane’s -6 going into Sunday. A good day, and he’ll be happy to hear his favourite football team beat West Ham earlier this evening too.
A steady par for Finau at 16. On 11, Schauffele hits the flagstick with his approach, but even though he’s only left with a four footer, there’s a huge left-to-right break. He doesn’t give it enough, and par will have to do. A little irritated by the spurning of a chance to pick up about a shot and a half on the field, he sends his tee shot at 12 over the flag and over the green. That’ll be a tricky up and down coming back for his par.
A huge break for Molinari on 9. His second is short, and should really roll back down the bank at the front of the green and off down the fairway. But his ball snags on the fringe. That saves him 30 yards or so, plus he can get the putter out. Two putts, and that’s a par. He’s still only made one bogey this week, at the 11th on Thursday! This is not standard behaviour. He remains at -9, turning in 34.
Mickelson can’t get a charge going. The man who would become the oldest major winner of all time, beating 1968 PGA champion Julius Boros’ long-standing record, three-putts the par-five 13th from 30 feet. The crowd murmur quietly. He remains at -6, five off the lead. The fairytale looks a little less likely right now.
Tommy Fleetwood gets up and down from a plugged lie in a bunker by 18. A final par that means he’s signing for a 70, his best of the week. That goes with a pair of 71s. He’s been very steady, but it’s not quite enough. He’s -4, just that wee bit too far back. Another fine performance on US soil in a major, though, and he’ll be looking to better last year’s personal best at Augusta, a tie for 17th.
Tiger can’t make his birdie putt at 11, and the gallery moan, but let’s not get greedy. He’d have grabbed that par with both hands when his ball was sailing off into the pines. He might have taken it before he’d even hit his drive. It’s good enough. He remains at -8. But up ahead on 15, the leader Tony Finau makes another easy birdie, and he moves two clear. One more birdie, plus a couple of pars, and he’ll be tying the course record of 63.
What a break for Tiger! He’s got an avenue straight towards the green! He takes full advantage of his good fortune by bashing a short iron 150 yards towards the green. He’s on in regulation, when anything could have happened! He’ll have a speculative look at birdie from 35 feet.
Tiger has hoyed his drive deep into the trees down the right of 11. That is way right. He could do with a big break. Chances are he’ll have to take his medicine and chip out. Back on 8, a fuss-free two-putt birdie for Molinari, who looks as calm and controlled as ever. He’s quietly made his way up to -9, one off the lead.
Birdie for Mickelson at 12, after a lovely tee shot to 12 feet. He’s -6. Birdie for Koepka at 8, as he nearly chips in for eagle from the swale to the right of the green: he’s -8. Birdie for Fowler at 15; he’s -8 too. Let’s put all this recent news into saucy leader-board form.
-10: Finau (14)
-9: Simpson (F), Schauffele (9)
-8: Fowler (15), Woods (10), Koepka (8), Molinari (7)
-7: Olesen (15), Poulter (10), Oosthuizen (9), D Johnson (9), Scott (8), Day (7)
-6: Cantlay (F), Mickelson (12), Harding (9)
Par for Jordan Spieth at 18, and he’s back in 32 strokes. He’s eight under over the back nine so far this week. The front nine, not so good. He lines up a 69 alongside his first two rounds of 75 and 68. He’s -3 and while he’ll not be winning a second green jacket this week, he may well have arrested his recent slump.
Mickelson has been quiet by his own standards. A long birdie putt shaves the hole at 11, but that’s his sixth par in a row. That fast start, with birdies at 2 and 3, seems a long time ago. He remains at -5. Day hands a shot back to the field at 7 after flaying his drive into trees. He slips to a big group at -7 that now also contains: Thorbjorn Olesen, who has gone on a run of birdies: 6, 8, 11, 13 and now 15; and Louis Oosthuizen, who has responded to those dropped shots at 4 and 5 with back-to-back birdies at 7 and 8.
Finau grabs sole ownership of the lead with birdie at 13! He had to work for it, having pulled his approach into sand on the left, then chipped out weakly. But he rolled in a 15-footer to move to seven under for his round. And this is where it leaves him:
-10: Finau (13)
-9: Simpson (F), Schauffele (8)
-8: Woods (9), Molinari (6), Day (6)
-7: Scott (7), Poulter (9), Koepka (7), Fowler (13)
Koepka still only has one par to show for his work so far, having just yipped a short par putt on 7. He slips back to -7. Tiger makes his par putt on 9 and he turns in 34 ... as does Poulter, who rolls in a 25-footer for back-to-back birdies! After lying dormant for seven holes, he suddenly springs to -7!
Simpson’s second at 18 fails to get over the ridge running across the green, and topples back down. With the pin at the back, he’s left with a monster putt to tie the course record. He can’t make it, but that’s a stunning 64, the second of the day. That’s a Masters record in itself: the most 64s or better in the same round in the tournament’s history! He ends a fine day’s work at -9. Now that’s moving.
Tiger’s got a route out of the pine at 9, but can only whip his second to the bottom of the big hill guarding the big green. He wedges up to six feet and will have chance to escape with a par. Meanwhile bounceback birdie for Schauffele at 8, who had bogeyed the previous hole after a loose tee shot into trees. He rejoins the leaders at -9.
Tiger has just sprayed his tee shot at 9 into deep trouble down the right. A bit too much adrenaline flowing there. Francesco Molinari makes big back-to-back par-saving putts, on 4 and 5, and benefits from the resilience when he birdies 6. His partner Jason Day nearly aces, and that’s a birdie too. The final pair had parred their way around up until that point; now they’re both at -8. And Fowler chips in from the side of 13 for an eagle! That scoots him up to -7, after a shot dropped at 10.
Updated
Birdie for Jordan Spieth at 17. It’s his fourth since turning for home, following shots picked up at 10, 12 and 15. He must be bitterly regretting the wild drive at 2 that cost him a double bogey, never mind his front nine of 40 on Thusrday. He’s -4, just five off the lead, and this from a player who had supposedly lost it completely. What moxie Spieth has. He just clicks with this place.
Tiger’s eagle putt slides by the left of the cup. It never looked like dropping. But that’s OK. A third consecutive bogey, a wonderful response to dropping a stroke at 5 (the result of an errant drive into sand, a carry-on we might not have mentioned). He’s -8, a shot off the top. Birdie for Poulter, too, who breaks a sequence of seven pars: he’s -6. Meanwhile Brooks Koepka continues on his erratic way: bogey at 5 is followed by birdie at 6. He’s only made one par so far today. He’s one under for his round, and -8 overall.
Simpson could be forgiven if his shoulders tighten up, but he clacks a 3-wood straight down the 18th, in prime position. Speaking of prime position, back on the par-five 8th, Tiger continues to make his move. He creams his second from 270 yards to 12 feet. If he makes his eagle putt, he’ll be joining Simpson and Finau in the lead! This Masters is already on a rolling boil. Goodness knows what the atmosphere will be like if Tiger’s in contention on the back nine tomorrow. No wonder they’re forecasting electrical storms.
Scott once again takes three from the front of a par-four hole. This time it costs him a shot at 5. He drops back to -7. Bogey for Dustin Johnson at 6, cancelling out his early birdie at 2; he’s -6. Louis Oosthuizen has been going the wrong way: bogeys at 4 and 5 and he’s -5. And also heading backwards: Jon Rahm, who has seven pars and a bogey at 4 to his name today. He’s -4.
Webb Simpson’s ball in mid-flight. “Please be good, darling,” he implores in his gentle North Carolina drawl. (Hello Neal, hello Brenda, love to you both.) It’s good all right. His second whipped from 170 yards to 15 feet. He’ll have yet another birdie opportunity. This one slips by, though only by inches. Still, a birdie up the last, and he’ll be matching the course-record 63 of Nick Price (1986) and Greg Norman (1996).
And here’s some proof of that. Tiger hits a 140-yard wedge to kick-in distance on 7; he’ll move up to -7. Simpson knocked his tee shot at 16 to 12 feet, then slotted away the birdie putt; he joins Finau at the top at -8. And two becomes three as Schauffele makes his third birdie of the afternoon at 6. Is your head spinning? Mine too.
-9: Simpson (16), Finau (10), Schauffele (6)
-8: Koepka (4), Scott (4)
-7: Woods (7), D Johnson (5), Molinari (3), Day (3)
-6: Cantlay (F), Kuchar (8), Harding (6)
Finau can’t guide in his 12-foot birdie putt on 10, the ball dying left on its last turn. It’s far from an egregious miss, on a very treacherous green. At -9, he remains a shot ahead of Simpson (15), Schauffele (5), Koepka (4) and Scott (4). Meanwhile news of Bubba, who made a two-putt birdie at 15 then parred his way home for a 67. He’s -5, and will be hoping nobody up ahead makes too dramatic a run this afternoon. He’ll need to plait, never mind cross, his fingers, I suspect.
A three-putt par for Tommy Fleetwood on the par-five 13th. He hangs his head, knowing full well that he can’t spurn opportunities like that, on the fringes of the action at -4 as he is. Happier news up on 6, as Tiger holes a long birdie putt for the second day in a row, and he’s back up to -6!
Finau hasn’t let that missed birdie putt on 9 annoy him. He blooters his drive at 10 down the left side of the fairway, then eases his second pin high. He’ll have another look at birdie, on one of the most testing holes at Augusta. Up on 15, Simpson pushes his second shot wide of the bunker to the right of the green. He sends a feather-light lob over the sand, a fine shot as he’s little green top play with. But the ten-footer he leaves himself slips by. Just a par, but he remains at -8, one off the lead.
A dropped shot for McIlroy at 18, and he’s signing for a 71. A fine back nine of 33, but that rally was staged far too late. Maybe next year. He’s -1, having barely moved on Moving Day at all. Three putts meanwhile for Adam Scott from just off the front of the short par-four 3rd; he remains at -8. But his partner Brooks Koepka makes no such mistake. A chip from off the front to a couple of feet, and in goes the birdie, his second in a row. What a response to bogey on the opening hole! Back to -8.
Finau’s birdie putt at 9 shaves the side of the hole. He’s not going to become the first man to break 30 on the front nine, but that’s par, and 30 ties the tournament record. He joins a select club that features Johnny Miller (1975), Greg Norman (1988), KJ Choi (2004), Phil Mickelson (2009) and Gary Woodland (2014). Meanwhile bogey for Harding at 4; he drops to -7. And a patron-silencing bogey at 5 for Tiger, who drops back to -5.
It doesn’t take Koepka long to right that wrong. Two big booms and he’s greenside at the par-five 2nd in two. A chip to eight feet, and in goes the putt. Bounceback birdie, and he’s back in the group at -7 again. Meanwhile yet another birdie for Simpson, this time at 14. He’s picked up seven strokes in the last eight holes! And a statistical note: if Finau birdies 9, he’ll have gone out in 29 strokes ... and that’s never happened in Masters history before. He’s just hit his second there to ten feet. Blimey. This is on!
-9: Finau (8)
-8: Simpson (14), Schauffele (4), Scott (2)
This is getting silly already. Birdies for the surprise-package-even-though-he’s-world-number-49 Justin Harding at 2 and 3; he’s -8, one off the lead. His playing partner Xander Schauffele is matching his score, hole for hole, and he’s -8 too. Another birdie for Rickie Fowler, this time at 8, and he’s -6. And a second birdie of the day for Matt Kuchar, at 6: he’s -6 too. So let’s thank Brooks Koepka for mixing it up a bit: he can’t find the opening green in regulation after driving into a bunker, and fails to get up and down to save his par. A rare bogey, and he slips to -6.
Adam Scott has taken sole ownership of the lead.
The 2013 champion bashed his opening drive down the left-hand side of Tea Olive, then swooshed his second from 150 yards to eight feet. In went the putt, and he’s ... ah, scrub all that! Tony Finau has just creamed a sensational second shot at the par-five 8th from 260 yards to kick-in distance. Is there such a thing as breathe-in distance? Well, anyway, that’s an eagle, and the gentle giant leapfrogs Scott into the lead himself! And there’s more eagle news: Webb Simpson at 13. Someone’s going to break the course record today at this rate.
-9: Finau (8)
-8: Scott (1)
-7: Simpson (13), Oosthuizen (2), D Johnson (7), Harding (2), Molinari, Day
Word of the amateurs. Takumi Kanaya parred his way in after dropping that shot at 13, and signed for a superb 68. He’s -1. Devon Bling is +2 after a one-under 71 today. Viktor Hovland’s round threatened to spiral out of control after bogeys at 4, 5 and 6, but the young Norwegian has responded marvellously with birdies at 7, 10 and now 13. He’s -1 overall. And Alvaro Ortiz is also on a birdie blitz, having turned in 39; birdies at 12, 13 and 14 have clawed back all the ground he’d lost, and he’s level par for both is round and the tournament.
The two-time winner Bubba Watson started the day at level par after a pair of 72s. No fireworks. Until now: birdies at 3, 8, 12, 13 and 14, offset only by bogey at 5, which in fairness is playing as the hardest hole on the course. He’s four under for his round, rising to -4 overall. With another par five to come - he’s just left himself a 40-foot eagle putt on 15 - he could find himself in decent nick for a run from the pack tomorrow.
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Bryson DeChambeau enjoyed a two-shot lead at one point yesterday, before his putter went stone cold and it all went to pot. He ended with a 75, and it looks like more of the same today: bogeys at 2 and 5, and he slips back to -1 with just about everyone else heading in the other direction. Meanwhile Rory McIlroy finally moves the right way, whipping a long iron from 225 yards to eight feet on 15 and converting for eagle, then following it with a tee shot at 16 to 12 feet. Birdie. He’s -2, but this is too little, too late. At least he’ll get a nice bit of crystal from the committee for his eagle, but that’s not what he was really after this week.
Phil the Thrill looks well up for this! He sends his tee shot at the par-three 4th into the sand to the left. He’s not got much green to play with, but no worries. He opens the face of his wedge, takes a full swing, lands his ball softly on the green, and sends it rolling to within the width of a dimple on his Callaway. Par, and the gallery continues to crackle with excitement as Mickelson showcases all the shots. Back on 2, it’s pars for Tiger and Poulter, always the likely outcome after those drives found the fairway bunker.
Cantlay decides to lay up from the bunker, so there’ll be no equalling of the course record today. Unless he does something daft with his wedge in. And daft’s not far from happening, his approach ending up three feet from the flag. That’s an appropriate end to a wonderful round of golf. He signs for a flawless 64, 32 on the front nine, 32 coming back. After a pair of 73s, he’s suddenly in the mix at -6! One off the lead ... a lead that is now jointly held by Tony Finau, who makes his fourth birdie of the day at 6. This afternoon is going to be some ride, isn’t it. Note the lack of question mark there.
-7: Finau (6), Molinari, Day, Koepka, Scott, Oosthuizen
-6: Cantlay (F), Mickelson (3), Woods (1), Harding (1), Schauffele (1), D Johnson
-5: Matsuyama (17), Simpson (10), Fowler (6), Thomas (5), Kuchar (3), Rahm (2), Poulter (1)
Opening pars for Tiger and Poulter. Tiger doesn’t look too pleased as he sends his drive at 2 into the bunker down the right of the fairway. Poulter follows him in there. Also finding sand: Cantlay up the last, finding Sandy’s Sand with his drive. One match in front of Cantlay, the debutant Aaron Wise bogeys and is forced to settle for a 68. That’ll do around Augusta on Moving Day! Mickelson follows up birdie at 2 with another at 3: he joins the group one off the lead at -6. And birdie for Mickelson’s partner Matt Kuchar, who moves to -5.
Cantlay continues to lay waste to Augusta’s back nine. His drive at 17 isn’t perfect, finding the first cut on the left. There are overhanging trees to worry about. But he draws his second from 160 yards to ten feet, then rolls home the relatively straight putt. He’s now -6 for the tournament, and if he manages to birdie 18, he’ll equal the course record of 63 set by Nick Price in 1986 and matched by Greg Norman ten years later!
It’s three birdies in a row for Hideki Matsuyama: 13, 14 and 15. That’s shot him up the standings to -5. When Matsuyama is hot, he really does get hot. If he can keep that putter warm for the rest of the weekend, he’ll be there or thereabouts. A first major for the Japanese star is long overdue, especially after close shaves recently at the US Open and PGA. Another birdie for Justin Thomas, at 3, and he’s -5. Phil Mickelson birdies 2 to get the gallery warmed up: he’s -5. And the wind’s in 2012 US Open and 2018 Players champion Webb Simpson’s sail: a run of birdies at 7, 8, 9 and 10, and he’s -5 too!
“Request for an update,” begins the very polite Abhijato Sensarma. “How’s Woods doing today?” We aim to please, Abhijato, so here’s that update: Tiger’s on the first tee right now! He cracks his tee shot down the centre of the fairway, his expression a study in concentration. He’s got his gameface on today. His playing partner Ian Poulter follows him down. We’ll be keeping a good eye on Tiger, don’t you worry.
At the tender age of 22, Aaron Wise already has a PGA Tour win to his name, secured at the Byron Nelson last year. A big hitter, Augusta should be his playground, and here he is, on debut, ripping up the back nine today. He’s birdied 12, 13, 14 and now 16; throw in front-nine birdies at 2 and 7, plus bogey at 9, and he’s whistled up the leader board to -3. He’s alongside Henrik Stenson, who ended his round strongly with birdies at 15, 16 and 18, reaching the clubhouse in 67 swipes. He’s the very early third-round clubhouse leader. Meanwhile here’s supermarket shopper Hubert O’Hearn: “I think you’re spot on about Rory. He needs to prove to himself that he can eat at the Big Boys table all over again. Anyway, I’m not going to psychoanalyse the lad too much. He literally does live within shouting distance of me when he’s in Norn Iron and at this rate, and with my luck, I’ll bump carts with him at Tesco and he’ll stave in my skull with a leg of lamb.”
There’s going to be an awful lot of movement on this leader board today. Rickie Fowler started out with a bogey, but last year’s runner-up has responded by rattling off three birdies on the spin. He joins the group at -5, two off the lead. Another birdie for Tommy Fleetwood, this time at 6, and he’s -4. Charley Hoffman, a late bloomer who has been sniffing around the majors for a while now, birdies 1 and 4 to move to -4. And an opening birdie for Justin Thomas, who hauled himself back into contention yesterday with a 68. He’s -4 too. Pars meanwhile at Tea Olive for Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar, two of America’s big beasts. They both remain at -4.
Cantlay whips his second into the heart of 15. He’s 50 feet from the flag, but two careful putts later, and he’s now threatening to shoot something very special! This birdie takes him to seven under for his round, -5 overall. Meanwhile another birdie for Finau, at 3, the perfect start! As good a time as any for our first leader board update of the day.
-7: Molinari, Day, Koepka, Scott, Oosthuizen
-6: Finau (-3), D Johnson, Harding, Schauffele, Woods
-5: Cantlay (15), Poulter, Rahm
-4: Matsuyama (14), Hoffman (6), Fleetwood (6), Conners (2), Thomas (1), Howell III (1), Kizzire, Kuchar, Mickelson
Though to be fair to Rory, he isn’t moping around, sulking or throwing tantrums. He fashions a bash out of the pine straw, back across Rae’s Creek, and down the fairway. Effectively a lay-up. He’ll have the chance to wedge in, of up and down for birdie. He flashes another broad smile, having enjoyed crafting that escape. Meanwhile a fast start for Tony Finau, who birdies 1 and 2 to rise quickly to -5. And Hideki Matsuyama is going very well indeed: a run of birdies at 6, 7, 9, 13 and now 14 have catapulted him up the leader board to -4. How he’ll be ruing his dreadful bogey-bogey-bogey start on Thursday.
McIlroy continues to flap about in erratic fashion. Having birdied 10, one of the hardest holes on the course, he missed a short par putt at 11 and an even shorter birdie effort on 12, having hit a delicious tee shot into Golden Bell. He’s all over the shop. I’m wondering, if he’s ever to win the Masters, whether he’ll need to secure another one of the other three majors first, in order to get that particular monkey off his back. At the moment, he stumbling around with two of the creatures weighing him down: a five-year major drought, and of course the 2011 Masters, the one that got away and continues to elude him. It must be a hell of a struggle. Ah, he’s just flayed his drive at 13 into the pine straw over the other side of the creek. This isn’t the easiest watch.
Thanks Tom. Back just in time to see Patrick Cantlay continue to make hay while he’s in the groove. His sixth birdie of a currently perfect day comes at 14, as he arrows an iron from 150 yards to a couple of feet. He’s now -4 for the tournament, and there are clearly scores to be had out there. It’s lovely to see Cantlay, a former world number one amateur, gaining some career momentum at last. He’s only 27, of course, but was expected to flourish immediately upon turning pro. However a back injury, combined with the personal blow of his long-time friend and caddie Chris Roth being killed in a hit-and-run incident when the pair were enjoying an evening out, left him reeling. Now regrouped, a high finish at last year’s Open announced his talent to the wider world; he’s currently on for an Augusta 66 that’d raise his profile further. With birdie chances still to come! He’s in the middle of 15, in prime position.
Best round of the day so far remains Patrick Cantlay’s – he’s now five-under through 13 to be two under for the tournament. An excellent eagle putt attempt from Stenson on the 15th comes tantalisingly close, but it’s another birdie for the Swede. Li almost matched him with a superb long putt that finds the lip of the cup but doesn’t go down. And it’s another dropped shot for McIlroy on the 11th after he’d put himself in a good position when his second shot found the edge of the green. Some wayward putting means another bogey.
Anyway, Scott’s back and suitably nourished, and will take you through to the close. Bye.
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The most significant move among the leading contenders thus far has come from Charley Hoffman, who’s been tearing it up early on, making confident birdies on the 1st and 4th to gain two shots from his overnight position and move to four under par.
What of last year’s champion, Patrick Reed? He’s still drifted back to one under-par, after following a birdie on the 2nd with a bogey on the 5th, while further up Takumi Kanaya hasn’t, alas, been able to maintain his stunning momentum of his front nine, making four consecutive pars on the 14th to the 17th but this has still been a superb effort from the Japanese amateur. He’s one under for the tournament.
A birdie for Tommy Fleetwood on two puts him three-under and four off the lead. It’s very much still on for Southport’s finest. A rare fine iron shot from Rory – his best of the day – takes him to the 10th green in two. He drains the birdie putt with assurance, to regain a shot and a bit of pride. Leishman has a tougher time of it on the same hole, sending his second to the bottom of the hill to the left of the green, from which he is unable to recover for par, dropping a shot to go one over.
On the 9th, guess where McIlroy is? Yup, in a bunker after a wayward second shot. He scuffs out of it to the edge of the green, but the long putt can’t rescue a par. It’s another bogey and he’s now two over. His partner, Leishman, shows him how it’s done with an impressive birdie on the same hole. Stenson errs uncharacteristically with his second drive on 14, endangering a smattering of patrons behind the green, and lodging under a green chair. Someone’s sarnies nearly came a cropper there. A bit of furniture removal delays his shot, which is woefully underhit and stops up abruptly on the right-hand edge of the green, giving him a tricky long downhill putt for par, but he judges this one beautifully, nudging it to within an inch of the pin. Still, it’s a shot dropped.
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Jordan Spieth’s topsy-turvy start continues as he follows the birdie and double-bogey with which he began his round with another birdie. He’s one under par overall. His companion Tway has made consecutive birdies on 2 and 3, meanwhile.
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McIlroy has a decent stab at birdie on the 8th but his putt veers off slightly to the right, so he’s recovered par after a hideous tee-shot but that’s no good at this stage, on a par five. Further up, Patrick Cantlay’s superb round continues as he birdies 11 to go three-under for the tournament. Another good shot from the tee from Stenson at the par-five 13th gives him an eagle chance, which he can’t make but it’s a smooth enough shot to set up the birdie, which he sinks comfortably. He’s now one under.
Thanks Scott. Afternoon everyone. It’s not getting any better for Rory, as he shanks his tee-shot on 8 to the left into the pine straw, stuck just behind a tree, but he’s on the green after his third shot following a brilliantly judged iron shot. Meanwhile, Henrik Stenson’s performed efficiently enough today, but he’s still stuck on even-par for the tournament after squandering a birdie chance on 12 after a precision tee-shot.
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Patrick Cantlay makes his fourth birdie of the day at 9, and he’s handbrake-turning in 32. He’s 2. Alongside him: Jordan Spieth, who may just have blown off some cobwebs yesterday with a glorious 68. The 2015 champion loves this place, his record here being T2, 1, T2, T11, 3. If someone’s going to post a 65 today, it could well be the 25-year-old from Dallas. He’s birdied the opening hole, having sent his second to ten feet and knocked in the putt. He’s -2. So having said all that, he’s just flayed his drive at 2 into trouble down the right. But, well, y’know. Meanwhile another bogey for Rory at 7. His head drops, and he’s gone: +1.
And with that, I’m off to have a quick bowl of golf-glove-marketed food-flavored foodstuff Helper. Tom Davies will guide you through the next hour. See you again soon!
A fairly eventful traipse down 13 for the amateur Kanaya. We had previously said that he’d gotten through Amen Corner unscathed, but of course that famous stretch includes, according to the official literature, “the first half of hole No.13”. So, er, yeah. He sent his drive into the pines down the right, then lashed his second from the straw into Rae’s Creek. The ball snagged on some gravel, instead of completely sinking in the water, so he was able to play out of the hazard. But he could only splash out, literally, to 40 feet. Three putts later, it’s his second bogey of the day. He’s back to -1.
Uneventful pars for McIlroy and Leishman at 5. Rory then sends his tee shot at 6 well left of the green. He’s shortsided himself, but bumps up nicely, his ball stopping five feet past the hole, about the best he could do from where he’d left himself. Sadly it’s not good enough to save his par, as he tugs carelessly to the left. A bogey, he’s back to level par, and the fast start he was so desperate for has simply not materialised. If the jig wasn’t up on 18 yesterday evening, it pretty much is now. Par for Leishman, who remains -1.
But never mind that! The young Japanese amateur Takumi Kanaya is ripping this grand old course to shreds! Yet another birdie, this time at 12, and he’s through Amen Corner unscathed, five under for his round today! He’s -2, just four off the lead in a tie for 23rd! Someone further up the leader board is going to post a low number, I’ll be bound.
Kim Si-woo came close at the Texas Open last week. He aced the 16th in his second round, then a day later came an inch or so away from doing exactly the same thing in his third. So close to a once-in-a-lifetime slice of history. The 2017 Players champion has gone about his business more quietly this week, with a pair of 72s, but he’s started like a flash today, with birdies at 2 and 3. He’s -2. Two other fast starters, suggesting there’s a score out here on a receptive course, are Tyrrell Hatton and Patrick Cantlay. They’re playing together and spurring each other on big-style by the looks of it: they’re both three under for their rounds through 7, rising to -1 overall.
So having missed three reasonably makeable birdie putts ... you know what happens next. Rory finds the heart of the par-three 4th with his tee shot, though he’s a good 30 feet from the flag. No matter! In trundles the long birdie putt, and suddenly the pre-tournament favourite is going the right way! He’s -1. Leishman slips back to meet him with a three-putt bogey. Meanwhile here’s Mac Millings with the weather. “If the weather here in Charleston, South Carolina, is anything to go by (and, at a mere stone’s four-hour-drive from Augusta, I think it is), it’s going to be a beautiful day, sapphire-blue sky interfered with only by the odd cloud. And while I’m judging the conditions at the Masters by what I can see out of my window, I have to warn you that the greens appear terribly overgrown, clover-ridden, and occupied by at least one cat.” Move over Michael Fish, there’s a new sheriff in town.
Actually, what would Rory give for his playing partner Marc Leishman’s start? The genial Aussie, who came very close to the 2015 Open and not so far away from the 2013 Masters, has birdied 2 and 3 to move to -2. McIlroy remains marooned at level par, wedging weakly from the apron at 3 to 12 feet, then missing his third birdie putt in a row. None of them have been gimmes, to be fair, but in these circumstances you’d hope to make at least one, while the lack of a really good birdie chance doesn’t say much about his approach play or short game. It’s been lacking spark, all very scrappy.
What would Rory give for the amateur Takumi Kanaya’s front nine?! The last time we spoke of the young Japanese prospect, he’d just bogeyed 7, checking the momentum of his early three-birdie burst. Well, he’s taken that one on the chin, responding with back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9, reaching the turn in 32 strokes! He’s now four under for his round through 10, and -1 overall for the tournament.
Having already spurned a couple of chances for birdie, McIlroy relaxes his shoulders and unwinds a monster drive onto the edge of the par-four 3rd. He’ll probably be reaching the stage of Butler Cabin or bust soon; maybe he has already. One way or another, this round will be fun to follow. “Is this actually as good as top level competitive sport gets these days?” wonders Ewan Paton. “Club football is increasingly predictable and financially doped. In what other individual or team sport are there so many genuine title contenders competing against each other at the highest level, with no one having a Scooby who’ll win? Also, is Chucky Three Sticks (Charles Howell III) the best nickname for a golfer since Jason ‘Somnambulist’ Dufner?”
McIlroy’s second into 2 is both short and left. That’s a poor miss, sand between him and the flag, and he’s not got much green to play with either. A big ask to get up and down for birdie. He chips 15 feet past the flag. The right-to-left curler coming back nearly drops, another close shave, but it’s two pars to start. A little scrappy, his week in microcosm.
Having just mentioned the rain, not particularly obliquely, here’s the weather forecast in broad brush strokes. It’s overcast today, and some rain is expected. Maybe a thunderstorm, but we’re hoping to get away with that. However tomorrow may prove to be a bit of a bugger, with a high chance of rain and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Fingers crossed the gods of weather and golf are on good speaking terms at the moment, because if they haven’t thrashed out a deal, we could be facing our first Monday finish since 1983.
McIlroy gives his birdie putt a good whack ... but it stops one turn short on greens that have taken a fair bit of water this week and aren’t running as fast as they usually do. He stays at level par, and flashes a smile at the patrons, who really wanted that to drop if their oohs, aahs and sighs are anything to go by. He moves on to the par-five 2nd, one of the easiest holes on the course, always good for a birdie, a fair few eagles, and the very occasional albatross (well, just the one, by Louis Oosthuizen in 2012). He’ll really need to pick up a stroke here. He sends his drive down the right of the fairway, just avoiding the first cut.
We’ll have to wait awhile for most of the big names, because nearly all of them are bunched at the top of that lovely leader board. But the pre-tournament favourite isn’t up there with them. Rory McIlroy hasn’t been at his best this week. He’s fourth longest in the driving stats, which only goes to show that length isn’t everything. He’s been occasionally wild off the tee, his putting has been characteristically patchy, and he’s slipped into the unfortunate habit of immediately taking a step backwards every time he looked like gaining some momentum. The look in his eyes as he missed a ten-foot birdie chance on 18 last night suggested he knows the jig is up. A seven-shot deficit at the halfway mark is far from insurmountable; the only problem is, he starts the weekend with 35 players ahead of him. An awful lot will have to go his way. Still, if he posts a 65 or 66 today, while the leading pack stumble, it’d be back on. Stranger things have happened, but he really needs to move on Moving Day, and set a mark to make the leaders think. He embarks on his hunt for birdies by clattering a 310-yard drive down the middle of Tea Olive. His wedge in from 130 yards is decent, but no more. He’ll have an uphill look at birdie from 25 feet.
The halfway lead is held jointly by no less than five major champions. And we’ll get onto that subject in due course. But first things first: the Silver Cup for low amateur! Someone’s bound to win it this year, because no less than four of the six amateurs have made the cut. It’s a prestigious trophy all right: winners in the past include Cary Middlecoff, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, major champions all. Three years ago, Bryson DeChambeau lifted it, and now look at him go. It’s kind of a big deal. This time it’ll be a four-way scrap between Takumi Kanaya (Japan), Devon Bling (USA), Alvaro Ortiz (Mexico) and Viktor Hovland (Norway), and Kanaya has thrown down the gauntlet early doors. He started out today by making birdies at 2, 3 and 6. A bogey at 7 has checked that momentum a little, but he’s still zoomed up the rankings to +1, and will have started dreaming of matching his compatriot and mentor Hideki Matsuyama, who raised the Silver Cup in 2011. Just for a minute there, the 20-year-old was the hottest player out on the course today. This’ll be a race worth keeping an eye on.
There’s only one way to start. With the possible exception of Jackson by Johnny Cash and June Carter, the best music ever put out by CBS.
Welcome to Moving Day at the 83rd Masters Tournament!
I could wax lyrical about the infinite possibilities of this glorious weekend (weather permitting). But that’d just be gilding the lily. The pure poetry of this 36-hole leader board is all you need to know.
-7: Molinari, Day, Koepka, Scott, Oosthuizen
-6: D Johnson, Harding, Schauffele, Woods
-5: Poulter, Rahm
-4: Kizzire, Kuchar, Mickelson, Howell III
-3: Aphibarnrat, DeChambeau, Thomas, Conners, Finau, Woodland, Fowler
-2: Olesen, Kisner, Holmes, Bjerregaard, Hoffman, Fleetwood
-1: Langer, Cabrera Bello, Spieth, Tway, Reed, Simpson, Hovland (a)
E: Walker, Na, Oritz (a), Bradley, Watson, S Kim, Stanley, Leishman, McIlroy, Smith
We’ll get going in earnest at 4pm BST. Anything could happen, and surely will. It’s on!
BST times; US unless stated; *amateur
14.05 E Pepperell (Eng),
14:15 B Grace (SA), E Grillo (Arg)
14:25 Z Johnson, T Kanaya (Jpn)*
14:35 A Norén (Swe), B Horschel
14:45 M Kaymer (Ger), D Bling*
14:55 H Stenson (Swe), H Li (Chn)
15:05 K Mitchell, A Wise
15:15 T Hatton (Eng), P Cantlay
15:25 H Matsuyama (Jpn), T Immelman (SA)
15:35 S Kodaira (Jpn), A Landry
15:45 C Smith (Aus), M Fitzpatrick (Eng)
16:05 M Leishman (Aus), R McIlroy (NI)
16:15 SW Kim (SK), K Stanley
16:25 K Bradley, B Watson
16:35 K Na, Á Ortiz (Mex)*
16:45 V Hovland (Nor)*, W Simpson
17:05 J Spieth, K Tway
17:15 B Langer (Ger), R Cabrera-Bello (Sp)
17:25 T Hoffman, T Fleetwood (Eng)
17:35 JB Holmes, L Bjerregaard (Den)
17:45 T Olesen (Den), K Kisner
18:05 G Woodland, R Fowler
18:15 C Connors (Can), T Finau
18:25 B DeChambeau, J Thomas
18:35 C Howell III, K Aphibarnrat (Tha)
18:45 M Kuchar, P Mickelson
18:55 J Rahm (Sp), P Kizzire
19:05 T Woods, I Poulter (Eng)
19:15 J Harding (SA), X Schauffele
19:25 L Oosthuizen (SA), D Johnson
19:35 B Koepka, A Scott (Aus)
19:45 F Molinari (It), J Day (Aus)
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