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AUGUSTA, Ga. — On Thursday and Friday at Augusta National, gusty winds and fast greens made for a chaotic couple of days. On Saturday, the wind and rain had been gone, however the chaos wasn’t. The course? Nonetheless actually troublesome.
“It’s a tough golf course on the market,” mentioned Jon Rahm. “Something below par is an efficient spherical.”
Nobody was protected atop the Masters leaderboard on Saturday.
Collin Morikawa joined the pack with three straight birdies to start out his spherical. Scottie Scheffler had an uncharacteristic double bogey-bogey stretch, which in fact he adopted with an eagle. Max Homa couldn’t do something however make pars. Bryson DeChambeau couldn’t purchase a putt. Nicolai Hojgaard made three straight birdies solely to comply with them with 5 straight bogeys. His Ryder Cup teammate, Ludvig Aberg, grabbed a co-lead then made back-to-back bogeys. Nobody — and we imply nobody — might determine the right way to maintain a ball on the par-3 twelfth inexperienced.
And thru all of it, at 5:42 p.m., Jim Nantz mentioned it finest: “What’s happening right here?”
It was an unpredictable, great Saturday on the Masters, and now our leaderboard for Sunday is about. 4 years in the past, Dustin Johnson led by 4 after 54 holes. Three years in the past, Hideki Matsuyama was up 4. Two years in the past, Scheffler led by three; and final 12 months, depraved climate led to a marathon Sunday that squeezed 1 1/2 rounds right into a single day.
As for this 12 months? Issues are completely different. It’s a correct leaderboard with a number of gamers within the combine in what can be a standard, sunny Sunday. Scheffler leads at seven below, adopted by Morikawa (six below), Homa (5 below), Aberg (4 below) and DeChambeau (three below).
That’s your core group of contenders. And sure, they’ve most likely considered slipping on a inexperienced jacket (for the primary time or once more).
“Look, it at all times crosses your thoughts,” Morikawa mentioned. “If it doesn’t cross your thoughts, I don’t know what the hell your thoughts is considering.”
So, who’s going to win the Masters? Let’s break down the contenders — or a minimum of the ten we consider have the perfect probability to take action.
Rating Sunday’s Masters contenders
No. 10 — Nicolai Hojgaard (-2, 5 photographs again)
The 23-year-old DP World Tour professional made three straight birdies on Nos. 8-10 to seize the Masters lead at seven below, however he killed his spherical with 5 straight bogeys. He has the firepower to throw some circles on his scorecard.
No. 9 — Cameron Younger (-1, 6 photographs again)
He’s famously by no means received on the PGA Tour however has managed to complete second seven occasions. He was T7 right here final 12 months. However is he too far again? Perhaps…
No. 8 — Tommy Fleetwood (-1, 6 photographs again)
He shot even par on Saturday and performed higher than his rating instructed, lacking a 6-footer for birdie on 12 and a 4-footer for par on 18. It’s a course that fits his ball-striking. However will he make sufficient putts or go low sufficient?
No. 7 — Cameron Smith (-1, 6 photographs again)
The 2022 Open champion has completed within the high 5 right here thrice and is likely one of the finest putters within the sport. He didn’t make as many on Saturday, but when he begins rolling some in on these difficult, quick greens early in Spherical 4, he might publish quantity and see if anybody can catch it.
No. 6 — Xander Schauffele (-2, 5 photographs again)
The person usually atop the checklist of the best-player-never-to-win-a-major rating, Schauffle’s quietly caught round with rounds of 72-72-70. He has six top-five finishes in majors. Is that this the time he lastly breaks via?
No. 5 — Bryson DeChambeau (-3, 4 photographs again)
The primary-round chief had a wild Saturday, making simply two pars in his last 11 holes. Just a few of the head-scratchers: a three-putt par on 13 and a water ball and double bogey on the par-5 fifteenth (which was 5 strokes worse than Scheffler on those self same holes). However he’s received a serious earlier than, and he ended Saturday on a excessive notice after a irritating second 9 — holing out for birdie with a wedge from 77 yards on the 18th gap.
No. 4 — Max Homa (-5, 2 photographs again)
Taking part in in a last pairing for the primary time in his main championship profession, Homa battled nerves on the primary tee and drove his opening tee shot into the Ninth-hole fairway. He nonetheless managed to avoid wasting par, however he didn’t make a birdie on Saturday, and he hasn’t made one in 32 holes. The excellent news? His regular however not spectacular play saved him in it. He has one profession main high 10 in 17 begins; he’ll get one other this week. However will or not it’s a win?
No. 3 — Ludvig Aberg (-4, 3 photographs again)
Each betting pool’s favourite sleeper decide hasn’t disillusioned. He shot a two-under 70 Saturday that will have been even higher if not for back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15. Nonetheless, it’s his first main. Can the 24-year-old deal with the strain? He has up to now. It may very well be the primary main victory of an especially vivid profession.
No. 2 — Collin Morikawa (-6, 1 shot again)
Don’t be shocked to see him right here — he’s completed within the high 10 in his final two Masters begins, and he hasn’t completed worse than T18 in his final three. The 2-time main champ opened Saturday with three straight birdies to get to 6 below, which is the place he ended the day due to 10 straight pars (and a deft quick sport). His confidence is sky excessive and a win right here would imply he’s three-fourths of the best way to the profession grand slam.
No. 1 — Scottie Scheffler (-7, 1 shot lead)
It has basically been the World No. 1’s event to lose and it nonetheless is likely to be. After a uncommon stretch through which he performed two holes in three-over par, Scheffler performed the following two par-5s (13 and 15) in three below, with a 31-foot eagle bomb on 13 appearing because the exclamation level. We all know the info: he received right here in 2022, and he’s received two of his final three begins (and almost received all three). He’s nonetheless the favourite come Sunday, just because he’ll make fewer errors than everybody else. And don’t overlook in regards to the caddie benefit, both: his looper, Ted Scott, has already been on the bag for 3 Masters wins (one with Scheffler, two with Bubba Watson).
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