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Final hole drama cuts Scottie Scheffler’s lead and sets up thrilling final day of the Masters
Scottie Scheffler, who seemed to be heading in with a commanding lead, hit a wayward tee shot on the 18th gap, along with his ball flying into the bushes to the left.
The newly topped world No. 1 finally discovered his ball, which ended up deep within the foliage, and was pressured to take a drop simply to have the ability to play his subsequent shot.
He was capable of produce a rare shot to get his ball close to the inexperienced however the penalty meant he completed with a bogey on the ultimate gap, finally carding a one-under par 71 on Saturday.
It means the US golfer has a three-shot benefit over second-placed Cameron Smith who surged up the leaderboard along with his personal glorious spherical of 68.
With simply 18 holes left at Augusta Nationwide, Scheffler has an opportunity to win his first main and proceed his glorious run of type.
Wanting imperious
Scheffler is the most well liked man in golf.
Final month, he was named the world No. 1 after an impressive stretch by which he gained three PGA Tour occasions in 5 begins.
So coming into the 2022 Masters, a event at which his greatest end got here final 12 months when he completed tied for 18th, the 25-year-old was certainly one of gallery’s favorites.
And he rewarded these beliefs, incomes himself a five-shot lead after 36 holes.
Regardless of holding the Masters lead, the stress by no means appeared to daunt Scheffler, as he laughed and joked with caddie Ted Scott throughout his third spherical on Saturday.
He oozed calmness as he shortly added to his in a single day eight-under rating, jumped to 10-under on the third gap.
A quick blip on the fourth gap meant he dropped again to nine-under however a blistering stretch of golf — by which he displayed all his qualities — helped reassert his lead as he went to 11-under.
All of the whereas, Smith was making his transfer. The Australian participant began the day on two-under, however vastly improved after a disappointing Friday as he confirmed glimpses of his greatest across the well-known course.
The 28-year-old completed six-under — carding the one rating below 70 on the day — to maneuver into second place with Scheffler nonetheless out on the course, and thrust himself within the operating for the inexperienced jacket.
Nonetheless, simply when it appeared like the whole lot was lining up for a giant Scheffler lead heading into the ultimate day, some small cracks started to appear in his usually steadfast recreation.
Consecutive bogeys on the 14th and fifteenth holes reduce his lead down to simply three, with two holes remaining.
He recovered in magnificent trend only a gap later, claiming a significant birdie on the penultimate gap to as soon as once more stretch his result in 4.
Simply when it appeared like he was operating away with it thought, his wayward drive on the ultimate gap made issues extra attractive.
Whereas he might’ve misplaced his head and been flustered, he remained calm and picked up to salvage a bogey and keep his lead.
With simply 18 holes left to go to determine the winner of golf’s most prestigious main, Scheffler stays in pole place to assert his debut Masters title.