Scheffler leads by 1; Morikawa closes in
AUGUSTA (AP) — Scottie Scheffler was in the lead and seemingly in control of his game Saturday, April 13, in the Masters until realizing there was no such thing at Augusta National.
He posed over another beautiful shot at the flag on the 10th hole and was stunned to see it take a hard hop over the green and roll down into the bushes. He made double bogey and suddenly was one shot behind.
"Make another bogey at 11 and all of a sudden I'm probably going from in the lead to a few out of the lead and then," Scheffler said, "you know, things happen pretty fast out there."
It was so fast and furious that it was hard to keep up.
Six players had at least a share of the lead at one point. There was a five-way tie for the lead early on the back nine. No one was safe. It was like that to the very end.
Scheffler made an 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 1-under 71 that gave him a one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa, the two-time major champion who has largely disappeared from the elite in golf and now is one round away from the third leg of the Grand Slam.
Bryson Dechambeau looked to be on the verge of a meltdown when he drove into the trees right of the 18th fairway, punched out to the short grass and then hit wedge from 77 yards that spun back into the cup for a birdie to sum up a wild Saturday.
"Easier than putting," Dechambeau, adding that he was joking although there was some truth to that. He three-putted three times on the back nine.
Max Homa has gone 32 holes without a birdie and he was only two behind after a round of 17 pars and one bogey for a 73. Xander Schauffele has gone 25 holes without a bogey, and that goes a long way. He was five back after a 70.