2014 Masters Day 3 Recap: It's anyone's game
We have just one round remaining at the 2014 Masters, and while it looked like Bubba Watson might run way with this championship after his eagle on the second hole on Saturday, the 2012 Masters champion came back to the field.
Watson hit a brilliant second shot on the opening par-5 at Augusta National to set up that eagle, but it was a lot tougher for the remainder of his day as he struggled to figure out the speed of the greens and it really hurt his chances of extending this lead.
He never gave up the lead he carried into the day, though, so it will be Bubba and Jordan Spieth in the final group on Sunday, with both tied at 5-under and a shot ahead of Matt Kuchar and Jonas Blixt.
Spieth was solid on Saturday, firing a second straight 70 to get himself in the final group at his first Masters with a chance of becoming the youngest winner ever at this major championship. Watson, of course, is looking for a second green jacket, but will need to take advantage of how good he's hitting his driver this week on Sunday if he wants to win his second Masters in three years.
Besides the leaders, the top story on Saturday was the play of Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rickie Fowler. Both teed off early, with Jimenez posting the round of the week with his 6-under 66 while Fowler just missed a birdie putt on the 18th hole to match that score. The young American still posted a 67, the second-lowest round of the week. Both sit just two shots back of Bubba and Spieth with one round to play.Â
The tough round of the day goes to our defending champion, Adam Scott, who played with Spieth on Saturday but couldn't get a single thing going until his round was already lost.
Scott bogeyed his opening hole for the second straight day, and followed that up with two more bogeys and a double on his opening nine. His outward 40 was bad, but things just wouldn't improve much on the back, and his round of 76 has all but shot him out of a tournament he was very much in after two rounds.
Once again, it seemed the hole that saved or hurt the guys in contention was the par-5 15th. Spieth, Kuchar, Blixt and Fowler were able to take advantage of the last par-5 on the course, while guys like Bubba, Jimenez and Furyk couldn't do much.
The 13th gets all the love because it's an incredible golf hole set at the end of Amen Corner, but the 15th has brought some serious drama this week and will be a spot on Sunday where someeone either wins or loses this championship.
"He's already got one green jacket, so it's my turn." â" Rickie Fowler, talking about his good buddy and co-leader, Bubba Watson
After 14 holes, Matt Kuchar was into it. He had played his way up a tough leaderboard with back-to-back birdies and had one final par-5 left to take advantage of before the finish at Augusta National.
Kuchar's second shot sailed over the skinny 15th green, leaving him one of the toughest pitches on the entire golf course to not only try to make birdie, but not make some huge mistake that could bring bogey or double-bogey into the equation.
Kuchar lofted his pitch shot high and soft, landing it in the one spot you could land it to get the ball somewhere around the hole. The shot checked, rolled out and gave Kuchar an eight-footer for his birdie that he converted to make it three birdies in a row and give him the final touch he needed to get into the penultimate group on Sunday.
With one round left to go, the green jacket is totally up for grabs for pretty much anyone even par or better.
Sunday will give us a chance to possibly see a second jacket for Bubba, a first for 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and a chance for plenty of names like Matt Kuchar, Jonas Blixt and Rickie Fowler to add a first major to their resumé.
Live golf kicks off on CBS at 2 PM ET, so be ready for what is always a fun final day at Augusta National.
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