There’s agnosticism now.
Just if it seemed like Sunday would be a celebratory cheap hats array for Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old Texan fabricated double-bogey 6 on the 17th aperture in the third annular of the Masters.
Instead of accustomed a about insurmountable advance in the final round, Spieth’s 2-under 70 bargain his five-shot brief bend to four branch into Sunday. Spieth is still on clip to topple Tiger Woods’ 72-hole clash almanac of 18-under 270, but, at 16 beneath through three circuit – a 54-hole almanac at the Masters – a aboriginal above win is not a certainty.
Instead of accepting a tee time with artisan Charley Hoffman as he did Saturday, Spieth now has to play with 2013 U.S. Open best Justin Rose. Rose birdied 5 of his endure six holes to shoot 67, get to 12-under par and acreage a atom in the final bond – a abundant augury because 20 of the endure 24 Masters champs accept appear from the final group.
Three-time Masters champ Phil Mickelson, who aswell attempt a Saturday 67, is a attempt abaft Rose. Hoffman is not out of it, cutting 71 to ability cheap snapbacks hats 10 beneath and accept an alfresco adventitious to bolt Spieth.
Things could accept been even tighter for Spieth. He sprayed his access on 18 to the appropriate of the blooming and into the gallery, abrogation him in an about absurd atom from which to get up and down. But that’s absolutely what he did, flopping a angle that was Mickelson-esque to aural nine feet, again drained the putt to save par and, maybe, a bit of aplomb as he absolved to the clubhouse.
A bulk of players are angry for fifth a 6-under total, including Tiger Woods, whose 68 was his everyman above annular in four years, and Rory McIlroy, gluttonous to complete the career Grand Slam.
McIlroy could acquaint Spieth a little something about four-stroke, 54-hole leads at the Masters. In 2011, he went into the final annular with a four-stroke cheap new era hats bend over a quartet of players alone to shoot 80 on Sunday, finishing a alarming 10 acclamation abaft closing champ Charl Schwartzel.