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Astonishing scenes of a different stripe over at 10, where Koepka gets up and down from the awful position he found himself on the bank to the side of the green. After chipping down to ten feet, then ramming home the putt, he quietly pumps a fist with determination. Could that be the big momentum shift he needs? The wake-up call? Rahm can’t make his birdie putt then both pump big drives down 11. Many stories yet to be told this afternoon.
If there was a roof over Augusta National, it would currently be sailing over Florida. The patrons loved that moment all right … and have started to dream their dreamy dreams. The old fellow is engulfed by well-wishers as he leaves the arena. There’s a slight bittersweet tang as another fan favourite, Jordan Spieth, ends with bogey, the result of hooking his drive into trees down the left. Spieth signs for a 66 and slips back to -7. What scenes on 18, though. The odds are that Mickelson’s total won’t be enough … but it’s Sunday at the Masters, where we’ve long learned to rule nothing out.
Lefty cards 65!Phil Mickelson cracks his drive at 18 down the middle. Then creams his second pin high to 12 feet. Then steers in the left-to-right slider for a closing birdie! He walks it in with putter raised and feet splayed, an ersatz reworking of Jack Nicklaus’s famous celebration on 17 in 1986! The 52-year-old veteran has come home in 31 strokes, and his round of 65 equals the best of the week! The three-time Masters champion posts a clubhouse total of -8, and it’s time to start dreaming, folks! He couldn’t, could he? Of course not, don’t be daft. But he could! He really, really could!
-10: Rahm (9)
-8: Mickelson (F), Koepka (9)
-7: Spieth (F), Henley (11)
Brooks Koepka has completely mislaid his game. He attempts to whip a 5-iron around the trees and towards the 10th green; he overcooks it and the ball sticks up on the bank to the right of the green. That’s going to be a hell of a chip back down. Jon Rahm cranks up the pressure by arrowing his approach straight at the flag. He leaves himself an uphill look at birdie from 15 feet.
Anyway, it’s that time to say … welcome to the start of the 2023 Masters Tournament! Yep, the final pair have hit the turn. It all happens now! Rahm sends his tee shot at 10 down the left-hand side of the fairway; Koepka’s drive heads right, and nearly finds the tree he found himself snookered behind earlier today. Not quite, and his ball holds in the first cut, but that’s still not the ideal position. Up on the green, Patrick Cantlay ships another shot, his erratic round continuing apace. He’s -5.
Quite a few big names brought back into the mix there. Neither Rahm nor Koepka seem on top of their games today, so if somebody posts a score … well, let’s just leave that thought there. The latest star to insert himself into the story is the 2018 champ Patrick Reed, who started slowly with a double-bogey at 2, but has since birdied 3, 6, 7, 8 and now 12, the latest the result of his draining a 45-footer.
Rahm and Koepka take turns to lash their drives down 9. Neither of their subsequent approaches are particularly top-drawer. Rahm’s topples back off the false front; Koepka’s stays stuck on the fringe to the left of the green. Rahm bundles his third eight feet past the flag; Koepka hits a hot putt across the green and ten feet past. Koepka retains the honour, and leaves his par putt high on the right. He’s played the front nine in 39 strokes and drops to -8 … but Rahm leaves his putt out on the high side too, and the leading pair walk off with bogey. The chasing pack once again given hope!
-10: Rahm (9)
-8: Spieth (17), Koepka (9)
-7: Mickelson (17), Henley (10)
-6: Young (15), Reed (12), Cantlay (9)
-5: Theegala (F), Woodland (13), Lowry (12), Matsuyama (10), Hovland (9)
-4: Scheffler (14), Fitzpatrick (14)
Sahith Theegala pars the last and signs for a 67. At -5 for his week’s work, he’s got a decent chance of finishing in the top ten on his Masters debut. Meanwhile on 10, trouble for Russell Henley, who sends his second at 10 into the sand to the right of the green, and then his wedge out ten feet past … but he rattles the par putt into the middle of the cup to save his par to remain at -7.
Phil Mickelson nearly holes out from 170 yards on 17! An arrow, straight at the flag. He’ll tap in to move to -7. This is astonishing. Lefty! Who’d have thought? He couldn’t, could he? No, of course not. But he could! Spieth then knocks his approach from a similar distance to a comparatively average (!) five feet. He knocks his birdie putt in too, and this is getting wonderfully ridiculous! Heading in the other direction, Viktor Hovland, who can’t get up and down from a plugged lie in a bunker to the left of 9, and he’s turning in 39 strokes, -5 overall.
-11: Rahm (8)
-9: Koepka (8)
-8: Spieth (17)
-7: Mickelson (17), Henley (10)
Koepka responds magnificently, rolling his putt up from 80 feet to kick-in distance. Par, and though he’s now a couple back, that could have been a whole lot worse. Meanwhile over on 16, Spieth dunks his tee shot into the sand guarding the front of the green, but gets up and down to save his par. Mickelson comes so close to birdie, but his 15-foot putt dies to the right on its final turn. And up on 9, Henley screeches his approach to a couple of feet, and the resulting birdie moves him into a share of third.
-11: Rahm (8)
-9: Koepka (8)
-7: Spieth (16), Henley (9)
-6: Mickelson (16), Young (14), Woodland (12), Hovland (8), Cantlay (8)
Scottie Scheffler can’t make his 12-foot bogey putt on 12. He becomes the latest Sunday victim of the famous Golden Bell. He drops back to -4, dreams of retaining his title extinguished as quickly as they’d been rekindled. Meanwhile Rahm creams a fairway wood up the 8th as far as he can, while Koepka fizzes his third into the green … though he’s a way away from the hole. Two difficult putts from distance to save his par … and the pressure’s really ramped up when Rahm wedges elegantly from 50 yards to 12 inches. He taps in for birdie.
Brooks Koepka is not on his game at all right now. All that confidence on display earlier this week has drained away for now. He hooks a wild drive into the woods down the left of 8 and is forced to chip out sideways. Jon Rahm splits the fairway. Meanwhile up on the green, Patrick Cantlay and Viktor Hovland take turns to pass up birdie chances from 12 feet. They both remain at -6.
Brooks Koepka of the United States and his caddie Ricky Elliott look over a shot on the eighth hole. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty ImagesScottie Scheffler whistles his tee shot at 12 into the rhododendrons behind the green. He’s forced to take an unplayable lie, and even after doing that, is in all sorts of trouble, stuck halfway up the bank among the flowers. Trouble there. He does well to bundle his ball back down onto the green, 12 feet past the flag. He’ll have a chance to limit the damage to bogey. Meanwhile up on 15, Jordan Spieth crashes his second into the heart of the green, and two putts later, makes a birdie that takes him right into the story here! Birdie for Lefty too … and eagle for Cam Young on 13, a putt drained from downtown … and this Masters is bubbling up real nice!
-10: Rahm (7)
-9: Koepka (7)
-7: Spieth (15)
-6: Theegala (16), Mickelson (15), Young (13), Woodland (11), Henley (8), Hovland (7), Cantlay (7)
What a moment for Sahith Theegala on 16! He’s in a very similar spot to the one Tiger Woods famously found himself in 2005 … and holes out in almost identical fashion! A delicate bump up onto the green, a huge right-to-left curl down the slope, and in! There’s no dramatic beat as the ball pauses on the lip before toppling, but other than that, it’s really, pretty, amazingly, stunningly similar. “OH, WOW! In your life have you seen anything like that?!” Well, yes. Yes we have. Theegala is -6.
Koepka gives his putt across the green a good clack. It’s always missing high on the left. The door’s ajar for Rahm to take a two-stroke lead … but he decelerates on his putt, which dies apologetically to the left. Just the par, and Koepka tidies up for his as well. Meanwhile the defending champ really isn’t dead yet: he drains a biggie across 11 and suddenly he’s just four off the lead! Neither Rahm nor Koepka look completely convincing right now, and they’re giving the chasing pack succour.
Koepka and Rahm are both hitting into 7 from the centre of the fairway. The former pulls his approach. He still finds the green, but he’s 30 feet to the left of the flag. The latter leaves himself an uphill eight-footer. The big moments just keep on coming. Two huge putts coming up.
Rahm pearls his drive down 7. Koepka, the pressure on, follows him down. Up on 15, Sahith Theegala makes his sixth birdie of the day to move to -5 … and at 14, Jordan Spieth creams his second from 173 to three feet, tidying up to rise to -6. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies at 6 and 7 for Patrick Cantlay, who hasn’t thrown in the towel yet! It is, to quote Billy Liar’s favourite comic Danny Boon, all ‘appenin’.
-10: Rahm (6)
-9: Koepka (6)
-6: Spieth (14), Woodland (10). Henley (7), Hovland (7), Cantlay (7)
In fact Rahm’s tee shot did spin off the front of the green. From the fringe, he takes a wedge and screeches it to a halt five feet from the pin. Koepka then knocks a skinny chip up the bank and 20 feet past the hole. He’s lucky it’s been so wet this week, because under normal conditions that would have probably rolled all the way down to the front of the green. As it is, his putt back misses wide on the right, and that’s another shot gone. Rahm walks his par saver into the cup and the 2023 Masters has a new sole leader.
-10: Rahm (6)
-9: Koepka (6)
-6: Woodland (9), Henley (7), Hovland (6)
… although the leading pair are in pretty generous mood. Rahm’s tee shot at the par-three 6th nearly backspins off the front of the green, while Koepka sends his over the green and down into Hovland Country. Meanwhile the eagle-eyed of you will have already worked out that Spieth couldn’t get up and down from the bunker on 13, but Mickelson took two putts for a birdie that catapults him into the narrative. Masters Sunday is fun. Masters Sunday is hectic.
A rush of adrenaline for Viktor Hovland as he sends his tee shot over the flag at 6 and down the back of the swale. He chips up to six feet, then gives his par saver a hell of a rattle. From a rush of adrenaline to a rush of blood. Then he horseshoes the one coming back, and out of nowhere, that’s a double-bogey six. Meanwhile on 9, Gary Woodland sends his drive into the pines on the right, leaves his second short, misjudges his chip up, and ends up making bogey. All of a sudden, there’s some serious separation between the leading pair and the chasing pack.
-10: Rahm (5), Koepka (5)
-6: Woodland (9), Henley (6), Hovland (6)
-5: Mickelson (13), Spieth (13), Young (10), Scheffler (9), Reed (8), Cantlay (6)
OK, corrections and clarifications time: I was a bit out with the distance on Rahm’s putt. Just the 60 feet. Just! Anyway, he lags it up to kick-in distance, and nobody’s ever going to be unhappy with par on 5. Koepka’s effort, from 25 feet or so, dies to the right. Par as well. The pair walk off still tied at -10.
Rahm and Koepka both find 5 in regulation, but neither go close. Rahm in particular has plenty of work to do; he’s left himself a putt that’s the best part of 100 feet. A little encouragement for the chasing pack … and with this in mind, both Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth go for it on the par-five 13th. Fairway woods out! Spieth lashes his into the bunker back left, but Lefty finds the heart of the green. Earplugs in if either of them hole their next one.
Another big-time putt from Viktor Hovland! He only just makes the front of the deep 5th green, and leaves his first putt a good 12 feet short. But he rolls in the par saver and remains at -8. Another dropped shot for his playing partner Patrick Cantlay, though, who was always out of position after driving into the bunkers down the left. He topples further back to -4.
Birdie for Scottie Scheffler on 9. That follows birdies at 2 and 3, and the champion hasn’t given up on his defence quite yet! He’s -5.
Koepka whips out majestically from the bunker, over the flag to six feet. Rahm can’t quite guide in his big left-to-right swinger for birdie, but taps in for par. Back over to Koepka, who tickles his downhill putt wide left. Just a share of the lead for Koepka now, and he’s bringing the chasing pack just that little bit closer. Speaking of which, it’s a birdie for Phil Mickelson on 12, and Lefty’s up to -4 … and it’s back-to-back birdies for Gary Woodland, the latest at 8. Russell Henley slips back though after sending his second at 5 down the swale to the back right of the green, from where it was too huge an ask to get up and down. Masters Sunday, right here, right now!
Brooks Koepka of the U.S. plays out from the bunker on the 4th hole during the final round. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters-10: Rahm (4), Koepka (4)
-8: Hovland (4)
-7: Woodland (8)
-6: Henley (5)
-5: Spieth (12), Young (9), Cantlay (4)
A three-putt bogey by Patrick Cantlay on 4. That’s his second careless mistake so far, to go with taking three from the front of 1. He slips back to -5 and has probably used up his quota of mistakes allotted by the golfing gods already. Par for Viktor Hovland. Then once they vacate the area, Jon Rahm swishes his iron pin high, right in the heart of the green … but Brooks Koepka dunks his tee shot into the bunker guarding the front. There’s not much green to play with from there, the pin being tucked in front of the trap. Another big matchplay-style exchange of shots coming up.
A big moment on the 3rd green. Neither Koepka nor Rahm get particularly close with their chips up the bank. Decent enough, but they’re only half-chances. Koepka leaves his 15-footer a couple of feet short. Strangely timid. But Rahm steers in his slightly shorter left-to-right curler, and the gap at the top is only one!
-11: Koepka (3)
-10: Rahm (3)
-8: Hovland (3)
-7: Henley (4)
Jordan Spieth hits one of the shots of the week on 11. He’s miles wide right of the green and facing a chip towards a flag not so far away from the lake on the other side. No matter! He hits a stunning – but aggressive – chip that bounds towards the hole and screeches to a halt inches to the right of the cup. He’ll save his par in spectacular style. He remains at -5.
Gary Woodland is in the mood to make one of those aforementioned runs. From 150 yards to seven feet at 7, and in goes the putt for birdie. He joins Patrick Cantlay at -6. Meanwhile back on 3, Viktor Hovland curls a 20-foot left-to-right birdie effort across the front of the hole. Another inch’s worth of pace and that was in. He remains at -8.
-11: Koepka (2)
-9: Rahm (2)
-8: Hovland (3)
-7: Henley (4)
-6: Woodland (7), Cantlay (3)
-5: Spieth (10), Young (8), Matsuyama (4)
Gary Woodland is on a charge. Photograph: Andrew Redington/Getty ImagesRahm has a decent lie on the pine straw to the right of 2, but pulls his second into the bunker front left, a fair old way from the flag, which is tucked away on the right. He can’t get up and down from such a long distance, and has to settle for par. He’s fortunate to see Koepka, who had found the bunker on the right and splashed out to five feet, lip out on the left. Par as well. Neither of the leaders have made a particularly impressive start … and if somebody from the pack makes a run at them, there’s just a danger that they become too concerned with tearing lumps out of each other to notice. The odds are against, but just sayin’.
Jordan Spieth is taking a Hail Mary shy at this! Three birdies in a row, at 8, 9 and 10, and all of a sudden he’s -5 for the tournament. In textbook Spiethian style, he’s only parred two of his 10 holes so far: six birdies and two bogeys. The spirit of Seve, who would have been 66 today, right there. Meanwhile Russell Henley rakes in a long birdie effort across 3 and moves onto the shoulder of the leading pack at -7.
There’s only one problem with the putts left by Cantlay and Hovland: a huge 90-degree left-to-right turn halfway to the hole. Hovland gets his to six feet, but he pushes his birdie putt right and has to make do with par. He’s -8. Cantlay’s effort is much better, and he’s able to tap his second one in for a birdie that cancels out that opening bogey. He returns to -6. Meanwhile birdie for Xander Schauffele at the par-three 4th, reward for knocking his tee shot to four feet; he’s -4.