Scheffler grabs sole lead after three rounds; Morikawa close on his heels
Topranked Scottie Scheffler battled through a backnine shootout to seize a onestroke lead over Collin Morikawa after Saturday’s third round of the Masters while Tiger Woods endured a nightmare collapse.
Scheffler’s remarkable shotmaking under pressure, including a clutch eightfoot birdie putt at the 18th hole to shoot a oneunder par 71 and stand on sevenunder 209, capped a wild round at Augusta National.
Scheffler, the 2022 Masters winner, lost the lead with a doublebogey at 10, recaptured it with an eagle at 13 and birdied two of the last four holes.
“The putts were important to me. I try to feed off the positive energy of seeing the ball go in,” Scheffler said.
Scheffler held off
UScompatriot Morikawa, a twotime Major winner who fired a 69 to stand on 210.
“You give yourself a chance with 18 holes left, that’s all you can really do and everything that you practice for,” Morikawa said.
American Max Homa was third on 211 after a 73 with Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg, making his first Major appearance, fourth on 212.
Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, holed out from 77 yards at the 18th for birdie to shoot 75 and stand fifth on 213, four shots back.
“Gave myself a chance,” DeChambeau said. “If I can make some putts tomorrow, I think I can have a good opportunity.”
Worst round
Woods, a 15time Major winner, fired his worstever Masters round, a 10over 82, to stand on 11over 227 and stumble out of contention for a recordtying sixth green jacket and record top prize of $3.6 million.
“I was not hitting it very good or putting well,” Woods said. “Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it.”
Meanwhile, Indian American golfer Akshay Bhatia lost a chance to bid for a top10 finish after carding a twoover 74.
Bhatia (72, 75, 74) was fiveover and T28, while another Indian American Sahith Theegala shot a third straight 74 to get to sixover and T36.
Leading scores (third round): 209: Scottie Scheffler (USA) 66, 72, 71; Collin Morikawa (USA) 71, 70, 69; Max Homa (USA) 67, 71, 73; Ludvig Aberg (Swe) 73, 69, 70;
Bryson DeChambeau (USA) 65, 73, 75.