Rose, Garcia lead; Fowler, Spieth lurk
English golfer Justin Rose and Spanish rival Sergio Garcia head into the final round of the Masters out in front with a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler in a tight contest with just five shots separating the top 10.
In the third round at Augusta National yesterday, Rose charged from behind on the back nine to join Garcia in front at six-underpar.
Also in the mix to claim the first golf major title of the year was Jordan Spieth, two shots behind - putting him in contention for a fourth straight year.
Rose was optimistic about his chances, but was grateful just to be in with a chance. ‘‘I have an opportunity. That’s all you want,’’ Rose said.
Rose could use another back nine like he had in the third round. He was five shots behind until a tee shot to the left pin on No 12 landed 5 feet from the cup, starting his run of birdies. He picked up two more on the par 5s and fin- ished with birdie putts of 20 feet and 12 feet on the last two holes for a 67.
Garcia hung his head in the 13th fairway when his 4-iron shot disappeared off a bank toward the tributary of Rae’s Creek. Moments later, he realised the ball bounced softly enough off the side of the bank to stop halfway down. He chipped up to tap-in range, turning a potential bogey into a birdie.
The 37-year-old Spaniard finished off his round by clenching his fist when a 7-foot par putt dropped into the cup for a 70.
Garcia and Rose had a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler, who made birdies on all four of the par 5s in a round of 71.
Perhaps the most daunting name on the leaderboard was Spieth, who began the tournament with a quadruple-bogey 9 on the 15th hole of the opening round and was 10 shots out of the lead when he trudged off the course on Friday.
He pulled off a shot yesterday that would have made Arnold Palmer proud, a 4-iron off the pine straw and over the water on the 13th to 30 feet for a two-putt birdie. He nearly holed a wedge from the fairway on the 15th for another birdie and wound up with a 68.