In a single day Masters co-leader Scottie Scheffler held a one-shot lead over Max Homa, Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa halfway via the third spherical as Tiger Woods’ bid to make a cost faltered on Saturday at sunny and breezy Augusta Nationwide.
Pre-tournament favorite Scheffler, who started the day in a three-way share of the lead with Homa and LIV Golf’s DeChambeau, lined the entrance 9 in one-under-par 35 which took him to seven underneath.
Scheffler loved an ideal begin as he chipped in for birdie on the first and rolled in a 34-foot putt on the third gap to construct a two-shot lead earlier than a bogey on the par-three fourth took some wind out of his sails.
The world primary instantly steadied the ship, nevertheless, and rode a string of pars into the flip simply because the already-tricky Augusta Nationwide greens continued to get firmer and quicker.
Twice main winner Collin Morikawa, enjoying one pairing forward of Scheffler, began out with a trio of birdies to place stress on the chief.
DeChambeau, one of many eight LIV Golf gamers who made the reduce and enjoying within the last pairing with Homa, bogeyed the par-four third to drop again however responded with a brief birdie putt on the par-five eighth.
Homa, enjoying in his fifth Masters, may have grabbed a share of the lead however missed an 11-foot birdie putt on the eighth gap and needed to accept an eighth consecutive par.
BRIGHT SUNSHINE
A day after solely eight gamers broke par in a second spherical performed amid wind gusts that topped 40 mph and made a tough course much more difficult, the early starters had been greeted with dazzling sunshine and a a lot lighter breeze.
READ | Scheffler, Homa, and DeChambeau share Masters lead as Woods targets Inexperienced Jacket
Woods, contemporary off his Masters record-setting twenty fourth made reduce, started his third spherical seven photographs behind the leaders and hoping his injury-ravaged physique would maintain up and permit him to make an early transfer.
However Woods, who insisted this week he can nonetheless equal Jack Nicklaus’s file of six Masters titles, all of a sudden confirmed indicators of discomfort throughout a horrendous end to his entrance 9 and was eight over via 15 holes.
Following a three-putt bogey on the par-three fourth, Woods drained a fist pump-inducing birdie putt from 19 ft on the fifth that produced the day’s greatest roar earlier than he all of a sudden began to unravel.
Woods bogeyed the par-three sixth after his tee shot landed behind the inexperienced, made a double-bogey on the seventh the place he chipped right into a bunker, carded one other double on the eighth and a bogey at 9 the place his strategy discovered one other sand entice.
Among the many different early starters was Rory McIlroy, who started the day 10 photographs off the lead and in search of a low rating to spice up his hopes of finishing the profession Grand Slam of golf’s 4 majors however needed to accept a one-under-par 71.
“All I can do is come right here and take a look at my finest. That’s what I do each time I present up. Some years it’s higher than others,” stated world quantity two McIlroy. “I’ve simply received to maintain displaying up and attempt to do the proper factor.”
The day’s low rating within the clubhouse belonged to American Chris Kirk who carded a four-under 68 to succeed in one over for the match.