Spieth still ahead, Rose, Mickelson in pursuit
AUGUSTA: Jordan Spieth takes a four-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round of the Masters with a chance to rewrite the Augusta National record books but two major champions are in hot pursuit.
The 21-year-old American stands on 16-under par 200, the lowest 54-hole score in Masters history, with England’s Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open winner, second on 204.
US 44-year-old left-hander Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters winner and five-time major champion, was another stroke adrift with unheralded 38-year-old compatriot Charley Hoffman, who snapped a fiveyear win drought last year in Mexico, fourth on 206.
World number one Rory McIlroy, seeking his third major win in a row to complete a career Grand Slam, and 39-year-old Tiger Woods, the 14-time major winner ending a two-month layoff to fix various shotmaking woes, were in a pack sharing fifth on 210. But they would need the greatest comeback in Masters history to stop Spieth, surpassing the record eight-shot rally by Jack Burke in 1956.
Spieth, who squandered a front-nine Masters lead on Sunday last year and settled for sharing second behind Bubba Watson, is the man to beat
LAHIRI STICKS IT OUT Anirban Lahiri turned in an improved performance in the third round but was still unable to make a move up the leaderboard at the Masters, staying tied 50th after carding a two-over 74.
He shot one birdie and one bogey each, besides a double bogey that dragged his score down in the third round. Lahiri’s third round of two-over 74 saw him move to four-over 220 but stayed in the same place at the end of the third day.