Masters R3: Scheffler endures rollercoaster round but leads by one
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler takes a one-shot lead into the final round of The Masters.
Scottie Scheffler recovered from a wobbly start to the back nine to take a one-shot lead into the final round of The Masters.
Scheffler, 27, carded a round of 1-under 71 to move to 7-under par and one shot clear of two-time major champion Collin Morikawa.
World No.1 Scheffler now has a chance to land his second Masters title in the last three years.
He is also going in search of a third title on Tour in his last four starts.
Morikawa, on the other hand, is looking to win The Masters for the first time to set himself up for a chance to complete the career grand slam at the US Open in June.
Scheffler started brightly with a chip-in birdie on 1 followed by draining a 30-footer for birdie on 3 after driving out of position.
The World No.1 handed a shot back on the tricky par-3 4th before making pars to the 9th.
But then the wheels came off for arguably the first time this season for Scheffler.
Despite splitting the fairway on the par-4 10th, Scheffler went long with his approach shot and he could only chip his ball to some 50 feet.
Scheffler nearly holed the lengthy par putt but his ball trundled past the cup to four feet.
He missed that down went a double bogey.
Scheffler then uncharacteristically followed up one bad mistake with another as he failed to get up and down for par on the tough 11th.
He settled down with a clutch par save from five feet on the iconic par-3 12th and then quickly proved why he is the best player in the world right now with a stunning eagle from 35 feet on the par-5 13th.
That saw Scheffler move back into a tie for the lead.
Scheffler then moved into the outright lead with an up-and-down birdie on the par-5 15th.
Despite lipping out his par putt from eight feet on 17, Scheffler split the fairway down 18 and then sent an incredible iron shot to within six feet of the cup.
Scheffler buried the putt for just the fifth birdie on 18 all day.
Scottie Scheffler birdies No. 18 to close out the third round atop the leader board. #themasters pic.twitter.com/2F8FoOmRUp
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2024
It all added up to a round of 1-under 71.
He finds himself at 7-under par and one shot clear of Morikawa, who went round in 69.
Scheffler said after the round:
"The eagle on 13 was important after the double on 10 and bogey on 11, but the par save on 12 turned momentum around. It was nice to see the ball roll over the edge for eagle on 13. It's just great to be in contention and just excited for tomorrow."
Max Homa carded a 73 to fall back to 5-under par but he is just two shots behind as he looks to land his maiden major title.
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg moved himself to 4-under par following a solid 70 as the European Ryder Cup star bids to become the first player since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win on their Masters debut.
Bryson DeChambeau did not have his best stuff out there on Saturday but the LIV Golf star produced magic down the 18th when holing out his third shot from 77 yards for a birdie.
DeChambeau carded a disappointing 75 but he still finds himself in with a shot of capturing his second major title at just four shots behind.
Bryson DeChambeau finishes with a bang. #themasters pic.twitter.com/I6zMUYB2MA
— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 13, 2024
Denmark's Nicolai Hojgaard had vaulted into the outright lead with a birdie bomb on the 10th, but the wheels very much came off for the European Ryder Cup star as he rattled off five consecutive bogeys from the 11th.
Hojgaard finds himself in T6 on 2-under par alongside Xander Schauffele (70) and Cameron Davis (73).
England's Tommy Fleetwood (72), Cameron Young (72), Cameron Smith (72) and Ben An (72) all remain at 1-under par in T9.
Elsewhere, Rory McIlroy finds himself well off the pace down in T21 on 3-over par despite a round of 71 as his wait for the career grand slam likely goes on.
Defending champion Jon Rahm could only manage a 72 and it leaves him on 5-over par in T28.
Tiger Woods had a day to forget as he shot his worst-ever score (82) at The Masters.
It also marked his worst ever score at a major.
Woods looks on from 11-over par in T52.
