Collin Morikawa walks as much as the 18th inexperienced throughout the third spherical of the Masters on Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — On Thursday and Friday at Augusta National, gusty winds and fast greens made for a chaotic couple of days. On Saturday, the wind and rain had been gone, however the chaos wasn’t. The course? Still actually tough.
“It’s a hard golf course out there,” stated Jon Rahm. “Anything under par is a good round.”
No one was protected atop the Masters leaderboard on Saturday.
Collin Morikawa joined the pack with three straight birdies to start out his spherical. Scottie Scheffler had an uncharacteristic double bogey-bogey stretch, which in fact he adopted with an eagle. Max Homa couldn’t do something however make pars. Bryson DeChambeau couldn’t purchase a putt. Nicolai Hojgaard made three straight birdies solely to comply with them with 5 straight bogeys. His Ryder Cup teammate, Ludvig Aberg, grabbed a co-lead then made back-to-back bogeys. No one — and we imply nobody — could determine how you can maintain a ball on the par-3 twelfth inexperienced.
And via all of it, at 5:42 p.m., Jim Nantz stated it greatest: “What’s going on here?”
It was an unpredictable, great Saturday at the Masters, and now our leaderboard for Sunday is ready. Four years in the past, Dustin Johnson led by 4 after 54 holes. Three years in the past, Hideki Matsuyama was up 4. Two years in the past, Scheffler led by three; and final 12 months, depraved climate led to a marathon Sunday that squeezed 1 1/2 rounds right into a single day.
As for this 12 months? Things are totally different. It’s a correct leaderboard with a number of players in the combine in what can be a standard, sunny Sunday. Scheffler leads at seven below, adopted by Morikawa (six below), Homa (5 below), Aberg (4 below) and DeChambeau (three below).
That’s your core group of contenders. And sure, they’ve in all probability thought of slipping on a inexperienced jacket (for the first time or once more).
“Look, it always crosses your mind,” Morikawa stated. (*10*)
So, who’s going to win the Masters? Let’s break down the contenders — or a minimum of the 10 we consider have the greatest probability to take action.
Ranking Sunday’s Masters contenders
No. 10 — Nicolai Hojgaard (-2, 5 photographs again)
The 23-year-old DP World Tour professional made three straight birdies on Nos. 8-10 to seize the Masters lead at seven below, however he killed his spherical with 5 straight bogeys. He has the firepower to throw some circles on his scorecard.
No. 9 — Cameron Young (-1, 6 photographs again)
He’s famously by no means received on the PGA Tour however has managed to complete second seven instances. He was T7 right here final 12 months. But is he too far again? Maybe…
No. 8 — Tommy Fleetwood (-1, 6 photographs again)
He shot even par on Saturday and performed higher than his rating recommended, lacking a 6-footer for birdie on 12 and a 4-footer for par on 18. It’s a course that fits his ball-striking. But will he make sufficient putts or go low sufficient?
No. 7 — Cameron Smith (-1, 6 photographs again)
The 2022 Open champion has completed in the high 5 right here thrice and is considered one of the greatest putters in the recreation. He didn’t make as many on Saturday, but when he begins rolling some in on these tough, quick greens early in Round 4, he could submit an excellent quantity and see if anybody can catch it.
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No. 6 — Xander Schauffele (-2, 5 photographs again)
The man usually atop the listing of the best-player-never-to-win-a-major ranking, Schauffle’s quietly caught round with rounds of 72-72-70. He has six top-five finishes in majors. Is this the time he lastly breaks via?
No. 5 — Bryson DeChambeau (-3, 4 photographs again)
The first-round chief had a wild Saturday, making simply two pars in his last 11 holes. Just a few of the head-scratchers: a three-putt par on 13 and a water ball and double bogey on the par-5 fifteenth (which was 5 strokes worse than Scheffler on those self same holes). But he’s received a serious earlier than, and he ended Saturday on a excessive word after a irritating second 9 — holing out for birdie with a wedge from 77 yards on the 18th gap.
No. 4 — Max Homa (-5, 2 photographs again)
Playing in a last pairing for the first time in his main championship profession, Homa battled nerves on the first tee and drove his opening tee shot into the Ninth-hole fairway. He nonetheless managed to avoid wasting par, however he didn’t make a birdie on Saturday, and he hasn’t made one in 32 holes. The excellent news? His regular however not spectacular play stored him in it. He has one profession main high 10 in 17 begins; he’ll get one other this week. But will it’s a win?
No. 3 — Ludvig Aberg (-4, 3 photographs again)
Every betting pool’s favourite sleeper choose hasn’t dissatisfied. He shot a two-under 70 Saturday that might have been even higher if not for back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15. Still, it’s his first main. Can the 24-year-old deal with the strain? He has up to now. It could be the first main victory of a particularly vibrant profession.
No. 2 — Collin Morikawa (-6, 1 shot again)
Don’t be shocked to see him right here — he’s completed in the high 10 in his final two Masters begins, and he hasn’t completed worse than T18 in his final three. The two-time main champ opened Saturday with three straight birdies to get to 6 below, which is the place he ended the day due to 10 straight pars (and a deft brief recreation). His confidence is sky excessive and a win right here would imply he’s three-fourths of the option to the profession grand slam.
No. 1 — Scottie Scheffler (-7, 1 shot lead)
It has primarily been the World No. 1’s match to lose and it nonetheless is likely to be. After a uncommon stretch wherein he performed two holes in three-over par, Scheffler performed the subsequent two par-5s (13 and 15) in three below, with a 31-foot eagle bomb on 13 performing as the exclamation level. We know the information: he received right here in 2022, and he’s received two of his final three begins (and practically received all three). He’s nonetheless the favourite come Sunday, just because he’ll make fewer errors than everybody else. And don’t neglect about the caddie benefit, both: his looper, Ted Scott, has already been on the bag for 3 Masters wins (one with Scheffler, two with Bubba Watson).
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