England’s Justin Rose climbs into a share of the lead with Sergio Garcia of Spain as the battle for the Masters intensifies on day three at Augusta.
By Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport
England’s Justin Rose jumped into a share of the lead with Spain’s Sergio Garcia as the battle for the Masters intensified on day three at Augusta.
Rose, 36, sunk five birdies in the last seven holes in his five-under-par 67 to join Garcia, who hit 70, on six under.
Rickie Fowler finished a shot back, while Jordan Spieth carded a 68 to move level with fellow Americans Charley Hoffman and Ryan Moore on four under.
Lee Westwood (68) moved to one under while Rory McIlroy (71) is level par.
Rose is one of four previous major winners in the top 10 going into Sunday’s final round, which will be live and uninterrupted on BBC Two from 19:00 BST.
Garcia, Fowler and England’s Westwood are each hoping to finally land one of golf’s four most prestigious tournaments.
Olympic champion Rose, 36, has not claimed one of golf’s four majors since his maiden triumph at the 2013 US Open, but lifted himself into contention for a first Masters title with a stunning finish on Saturday.
The Englishman, who has four previous top-10 finishes at the Augusta National, was level par for the round after 11, only to blitz the final seven holes.
He rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the 17th, then a 10-footer at the last, to join Hoffman in the lead.
Garcia, playing alongside the 40-year-old Californian, birdied the 15th to briefly make it a three-way tie at the top.
But Hoffman, one of four to share the overnight lead after the first two rounds, slipped behind Rose and Garcia after finding water on the par-three 16th and ending with a double bogey.
„The key for me was staying patient early in my round. For me the test was around six when I made bogey, I stayed with it and played well on the back nine. Everything clicked into gear,“ said Rose.
„Patience is the key on Sunday. This is a golf course where you have to pick your moments. That will be the game plan. “
Two-time major winner Spieth is hoping to banish memories of last year’s spectacular final-day collapse by winning his second Masters.
And the 23-year-old Texan, who has finished second, first and tied second in his three Augusta appearances, put himself in the frame again with a nerveless third-round display.
After an opening-round 75 which featured a quadruple-bogey nine on the 15th, Spieth was 10 shots adrift of leader Hoffman.
No previous Masters winner has trailed by more than seven shots after 18 holes.
Spieth, who recovered with a three-under 69 on Friday, started his third round with five pars, but three birdies in four holes before the turn catapulted him into contention.
Further birdies at 13 and 15 moved him into outright second, only for a bogey on 16 – his first in 30 holes – to drop him back into a share for fourth.
„We wanted to shoot four under and thought if we did the lead would move to six or seven and I’d creep on it,“ said the 2015 champion, who is bidding to become the youngest two-time Masters winner.
„Moments present themselves on Sunday here – it is about being patient.
„I know better than anyone what can happen on a Sunday. “
World number eight Fowler putted solidly on his way to a hard-fought one-under-par 71, while Moore responded to the grief of losing his grandmother earlier this week with six birdies in a three-under 69.
Like Garcia, Worksop’s Westwood has long been considered one of Europe’s finest players, only to have an excellent career somewhat tarnished by the absence of a major title.
And the 43-year-old, who was third after an opening-round 70, appeared to have scuppered his chances of ending that long wait following a five-over 77 on Friday.
However, he is back with an outside chance after converting six birdies in a four-under-par 68.
„Obviously I would like to be deep in the red, but one under is pretty good,“ said Westwood, who finished tied second with Spieth last year.
„I’ve got half a chance if I can get a roll going on the front nine. “
World number two McIlroy’s hopes of becoming only the sixth man to win all four majors at his third time of trying at Augusta look ever slim.
The Northern Irishman, 27, made a strong start with birdies on the second and third, only to be set back by three-putts on the fifth and seventh which cost him a bogey and double bogey.
Further birdies on the eighth and 12th provided hope, but he could not add any more to close the gap on the leaders.
„I had some chances on the back nine that I could have converted,“ said the four-time major winner.
„I think I probably could have shot a 67 or 68, but I had just a few too many wasted opportunities.
„I’m going to need my best score around here, 65, to have a chance. “
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