World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, leading at 7 under par, entered the 10th fairway with a one-shot lead at the Masters.
Scheffler, who rarely makes mistakes, appeared to be moving comfortably toward a 54-hole lead by the end of the day. He played very well from tee to green and his putter was very cooperative.
However, Scheffler miscalculated the wind and sent the 10th green flying into the air on his approach. His ball rolled on the green, down a hill, and landed in rugged pine needles next to a bush, putting him in a dangerous position.
“I hit 10 shots that I thought were decent shots,” Scheffler said after the game.
“I wasn’t trying to get it to the pin, but I got a really bad gust of wind and it ended up about eight feet from the pin and ended up in the bushes there.”
The result was a double bogey, and Scheffler, who had been dominant for the past 24 months, suddenly looked like he was on the verge of death. Another bogey followed at No. 11, and within minutes Scheffler went from 7 under to 4 under, opening the door for many on a difficult day at Augusta National.
But there’s a reason Scheffler is the best player in the world.
“Things happen very quickly in this world,” Scheffler added.
And he nailed it on the next hole, the famous par-3 12th.
“The putt on No. 12 was very important,” Scheffler said.
“I went up the hill about seven feet and it wasn’t the easiest putt to hole because the green was fast and bumpy. “I was happy to see that ball go in. I used that momentum to keep things moving from the 13th to the finish.”
On the famous par-5 13th, Scheffler hit a great tee shot and was given the green light to hit the green in two. He managed to do it and gave himself a golden opportunity to take the lead he had just taken.
Schaeffler took advantage of the opportunity. pour for the eagle from a distance of 30 feet. That big putt elicited a rare triple fist pump from Scheffler and vaulted him back into a share of the lead.
Two holes later, Scheffler made another birdie on the par-5 15th hole and moved into the sole lead at 7 under. This is the position when you make the turn.
But his roller coaster wasn’t over yet.
After two-putting for par on the 16th, Scheffler missed a 7-foot par on the 17th, but the hole position was devilish in front of the green. Players had cramps all day, and the hole was ranked as the second-hardest on Saturday.
“[You have to be] Be patient and understand that things like this happen,” Scheffler said.
“I didn’t hit that bad of a shot, but it’s a difficult golf course.”
Interestingly, the most difficult hole of Saturday’s third round was the uphill dogleg right No. 18. Scheffler faced other challenges, but he overcame them without buckling under pressure.
Scheffler hit a great tee shot that Best approach for the day Into the hole that closes. He calmly hit a 5-foot shot for birdie, his 71st shot of the day.
In the end, Scheffler heads into the final round with a one-stroke advantage over Collin Morikawa. As the 2022 Masters champion, Scheffler finds himself in a familiar position. Additionally, he has won The Players Championship twice in a row, with many comparing him to Tiger Woods.
“It’s great to have that kind of experience, but [Sunday]That’s really all there is to it,” Scheffler said.
“I can look back on some things from that round and this is a position I know well. I’m excited about the challenge of competing in and winning a golf tournament. [on Sunday]. But at the end of the day, it’s all about your process and staying patient to hit every shot and make quality putts. ”
Scheffler didn’t have to wait to make birdie Saturday. His third round got off to a strong start thanks to a chip-in birdie on the first hole. He hit a 30-footer for birdie after two holes.
However, he failed to get up from the sand on the par-3 4th hole and came back to the ground.
Schaeffler’s roller coaster ride then stabilized with a front nine, finishing with five consecutive pars. But when he reached the 10th hole, things almost went awry.
But thankfully for Scheffler, he pushed himself, as the best players in the world should. Now he has a great chance to win that coveted green jacket for a second time.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
