The Masters 2024, Day 3 leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler takes one-shot lead into final round
Not for the first time, Scottie Scheffler has become embroiled in controversy at Augusta. A contentious ruling helped hand him a crucial lead on a wild Moving Day at the Masters.
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Another contentious ruling propelled world No.1 Scottie Scheffler to the outright lead on a manic moving day at the Masters.
Scheffler was awarded a free drop at hole No.3 after pulling his tee shot left and deep into the pine trees.
Using every inch of his two-club-lengths relief because an immovable leaderboard was deemed to be obstructing his line, the American placed his ball and found a gap to punch his wedge onto the green - and then drained a 34-foot birdie putt.
Scheffler (-7) cashed in on a similar drop on the penultimate day two years ago on his way to a first green jacket.
Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa was Augusta’s biggest mover with a three under 69 and will play alongside Scheffler in Sunday’s final pairing.
Cameron Davis (73) is the best-placed of the five Australians, five shots off the pace.
Fellow Aussie Cameron Smith made a costly bogey at the final hole to card an even par 72 - but gives himself a fighting chance.
“I think I’m still in the golf tournament,” Smith said.
“The way that the golf course is playing, I feel really confident with my ball striking, probably the best I’ve felt in a while.
“It’s only one or two their way and one or two my way, and it’s really close.
“Just gotta keep grinding it out.”
But Smith said attacking pins on Sunday was not the answer.
“I mean, you can’t at the moment,” he said.
“If you start playing the golf course that way, I can see where that heads. I’ve been down that road before. I’d like to think I’m a pretty smart golfer. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing, hitting it to 15, 20 feet, and hopefully they go in tomorrow.”
Rising Swedish star Ludvig Aberg (70) - playing in his first major - and American Max Homa are four under for the tournament, while Bryson DeChambeau (-3) made a miraculous hole out from the 18th fairway to keep his dreams alive.
Tiger Woods, fresh off a 24th-straight cut at Augusta, tumbled out of contention after a disastrous 82 - his worst ever round at the Masters.
Davis said: “I hung in there quite well. It was playing tough, but I feel pretty proud walking away with one-over after a few, it felt like, disasters while I was out there.
“I’m giving it everything I’ve got. I feel like today I wasn’t laying up, and I was giving it a good crack. Tomorrow hopefully we’ll make the right decisions in the moments and come away with a round that’s as good as we can make it.”
Adam Scott (+4 for the tournament) fired six birdies and survived a triple bogey in an impressive round of 70. But Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (75) both battled.
RE-LIVE THE ACTION FROM AUGUSTA IN OUR BLOG BELOW
9.30AM: DAY OPENS UP ON CLOTHING CONTROVERSY
Jason Day has revealed he was tapped on the shoulder and asked to remove a garish designer sweater at Augusta.
Day, who has signed a deal with golf apparel maker Malbon, wore the offending item playing alongside Tiger Woods on Friday.
“Yeah, they asked me to take it off - the vest off - yesterday,” Day said after his third-round 76.
“Yeah, the busy one. Respectfully, you do that because it’s all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament. That’s what we’re here to do is try and play and win the green jacket.”
Asked if the writing on the vest was deemed too big by the powers that be, Day said: “I don’t know. I didn’t ask. They said, can you take it off? I said, ‘yeah, no worries’.”
Day’s unusual parachute pants have also drawn attention at the Masters.
- Michael Warner
I had your back on the pants yesterday, Jason (they were cool), but you’re on your own today. pic.twitter.com/rkB1lhGebu
— Stina Sternberg (@StinaSternberg) April 12, 2024
9.15AM: DECHAMBEAU MAGIC LIGHTS UP AUGUSTA
Bryson DeChambeau has nailed an outrageous birdie on 18 to close out the action today – holing it from distance to move to three-under for the tournament.
He’s had a rollercoaster afternoon, and walks off with a 75, but that’s a stunning way to finish your round and is a gentle reminder of what the mad scientist is capable of.
From deep on the fareway, DeChambeau landed his iron within about three feet of the pin, spinning back viciously towards the hole to rev up the Augusta crowd.
Max Homa can’t follow suit, but stays cool and calm for par to sit two shots off the lead.
1. Scottie Scheffler, 7-under.
2. Collin Morikawa, 6-under.
3. Max Homa 5-under.
4. Ludvig Aberg, 4-under.
5. Bryson DeChambeau, 3-under.
Australians:
6. Cameron Davis, 2-under
9. Cameron Smith, 1-under
9AM: SCHEFFLER CLAIMS CLUBHOUSE LEAD
After a wild moving day, we end up with Scottie Scheffler holding onto the clubhouse lead.
Collin Morikawa was perfect through the back nine, carding a bogey-free 69 to be six-under for the tournament. Momentarily that looked like it would be enough to head into Sunday’s final round with at least a share of the lead.
But Scheffler rebounded from a double-bogey on 10 with an eagle on 13 – and iced a shot for the outright lead with a birdie on 18.
That leaves the pair with the momentum heading into Sunday’s action, although American Max Homa could yet make a move. He’s two back from Scheffler, with two holes still to play.
8.30AM: SCHEFFLER RE-TAKES LEAD IN WILD TURNS
As we head into the final handful of holes for the leading pack, Scottie Scheffler has once again taken the outright lead after some early stumbles on the back nine.
An eagle on 13 kick-started his charge, and he moved ahead of Colin Morikawa by draining a birdie putt on15.
Morikawa has been consistent on the back nine, going bogey-free through the first seven holes – but he’s missed opportunities to build a lead of his own, three-putting on 13 after having a look at eagle himself.
He also narrowly missed a monster birdie putt on 16.
8.15AM: TIGER’S NIGHTMARE AFTER HISTORIC MELTDOWN
His hands and heart are willing, but the body is failing Tiger Woods.
Fresh off making a record-breaking cut at the Masters, Woods, 48, tumbled out of contention after a disastrous third-round 82 - his highest ever score at Augusta National.
Woods’ previous worst was a pair of 78s.
“I didn’t have a very good warm-up session, and I kept it going all day today,” Woods said.
“Just hit the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it.
“And I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makeable putts. I missed a lot of them.”
Woods appeared to be labouring with injury but said he would not be quitting.
Being forced to play 23 holes on Friday also took its toll, he said.
“My team will get me ready. It will be a long night and a long warmup session, but we’ll be ready,” he said.
- Michael Warner
8AM: SCHEFFLER REJOINS LEAD IN $5.5M BATTLE
By Michael Warner
Scottie Scheffler has rejoined Collin Morikawa atop the leaderboard with a huge eagle at 13 – while much of the leading groups struggle on the back nine.
And there’s plenty to play for – not lest of all a mighty paycheck.
The Masters winner will take home a cool $5.5 million.
Tournament chiefs announced the field of 89 would share a prize money purse of $30.8m (US$20m) - up $3m on last year amid golf’s raging inflationary war.
Second place pockets $3.3m and 50th gets $78,000.
Dean Burmester, the winner of last week’s Saudi-backed LIV Miami tournament, who did not qualify for the Masters, received $6.1m.
LIV boss Greg Norman has attended all days of the Masters as a patron in a provocative show of support for the 13 defectors teeing it up at Augusta.
LIV players to miss the cut at the Masters included Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Adrian Meronk, Charl Schwartzel and Bubba Watson.
PGA Tour deserter and defending champion Jon Rahm, whom three-time winner Nick Faldo this week quipped had been playing LIV “resort courses in his shorts”, has also failed to fire.
Rahm was paid an estimated $450m fee to sign with LIV.
American Bryson DeChambeau and Australian star Cameron Smith are Norman’s best hopes for a LIV-aligned victory on Sunday.
When Tiger Woods won his first green jacket in 1997, the total prize pool at Augusta was just $4.1m.
Masters prize money top 10
1. $5.5m
2.$3.3m
3.$2.1m
4.$1.5m
5.$1.2m
6.$1.1m
7.$1m
8.$955,000
9.$890,000
10.$832,000
*Converted from US dollars to AUD
7.45AM: HOJGAARD JOINS LEADERBOARD CARNAGE
It feels like just a minute ago that Nicolai Hojgaard held the outright lead after Scottie Scheffler’s outrageous double bogey.
Now he’s in a world of hurt himself.
The rising star has just dunked an iron into Rae’s Creek, as the leaderboard cops a battering.
Aberg and Homa have both dropped shots, and what was moments ago a five-headed leaderboard at six-under has rapidly changed.
Now Collin Morikawa holds the outright lead, with three men – Aberg, Homa and Hojgaard - falling back to five-under, and Scheffler and DeChambeau a further shot back.
Things have fallen apart for Cameron Davis, who started the back nine at five-under – but has giving up four shots, including a double bogey on 10, to slump to one-under.
Countryman Cameron Smith is Mr Consistency on the back nine. He’s at two-under to be the leading Australian contender.
7.30AM: CARNAGE ATOP LEADBOARD
There’s been plenty of movement at the top of the leaderboard this morning – and we’re now looking at a three-way split for the lead.
Scottie Scheffler followed up his double-bogey with a whiffed putt that has dropped him back to four-under, leaving a three-headed monster atop the board.
Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, and Ludvig Aberg are all locked up at six-under.
Bryson DeChambeau and Nicolai Hojgaard were alongside them before an untimely bogeys on 11 and 12.
7AM: DISASTER FOR DAVIS, SCHEFFLER
A horror start to the back nine for Cameron Davis, who drops a double-bogey on the 10th.
Having missed a birdie shot on nine that would’ve put him within one of leader Scottie Scheffler, Davis followed up with a nightmare on the 10th.
A poor chip which rolled back towards him cost the Australian dearly as he dropped back to three-under - and four shots back from the leader.
Although Scheffler followed suit 10 minutes later, landing in similar trouble in the Augusta pines - before coughing up the lead with a double-bogey of his own to fall back to five-under.
Hojgaard now owns the outright lead at seven-under.
6.45AM: SMITH REMAINS IN THE MIX
It has been a tricky couple of days for former British Open champion Cameron Smith.
Like many, he struggled to get anything going in the shocking, windy conditions on Friday but he has kept himself within touching distance of the leaders across the weekend.
And he’s kept things tight today, picking up a birdie on Hole 3 to be near the front of the chasing pack at two-under for the tournament.
A mistake-free finish to his round over the next hour will give him optimism about an Augusta miracle tomorrow.
6.30AM: DAVIS ROCKETS INTO CONTENTION
Cameron Davis is firmly in the hunt at Augusta as he hits the halfway mark of his third round.
With three birdies on the front nine on Saturday (Sunday AEST), Davis has moved to within two shots of leader Scottie Scheffler.
Across the first two rounds, he went all even on the back nine – with three birdies, three bogeys – so there’s something to improve on today to well and truly put his name in contention leading into tomorrow.
Davis’ best-ever finish at Augusta was a tie for 46th two years ago.
6AM: SCHEFFLER MAKES HIS MOVE
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler claimed the outright lead on moving day at the Masters.
Scheffler flew out of the blocks with two early birdies, one assisted by a contentious drop.
But unsung Australian Cameron Davis is among a group of chasers, including two-time major winner Collin Morikawa.
Tiger Woods, fresh off a 24th-straight cut at Augusta, tumbled out of contention after a disastrous front nine 42.
Australian star Cameron Smith was five shots off the pace after nine holes.
Adam Scott, who narrowly made the cut, fired six birdies and survived a triple bogey in an impressive round of two-under 70.
- Michael Warner
12AM: WORLD’S BEST EYE BOUNCE BACK AS TRIO SHARE LEAD IN THE MASTERS
Heavy winds at Augusta National on Friday left the world’s finest golfers struggling to make par on a day of high scoring at the Masters.
Tiger Woods faced a mini-sandstorm at the 18th green when the wind whipped up sand from the greenside bunker while Gary Woodland was about to putt before his ball blew away, almost off the green.
The top round of the day was a three-under 69 from Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg with only one the trio of co-leaders, Max Homa, getting below par with his one-under 71.
With the tall pine trees swaying heavily in places, the sight of players stepping back from shots as strong gusts of wind suddenly hit them was another sign of how tricky it was on the already difficult course.
“I don’t think it gets any tougher than this, to be honest,” said 58-year-old Jose Maria Olazabal, Masters champion in 1994 and 1999.
“I mean, you really don’t know where the wind is coming from, what the wind is doing. Some of the times you are guessing how the ball is going to react up in the air.
“Around the greens it’s very difficult to control the distance, the pace on the greens.
“From one to 10, I would give it an 11.”
Set the alarm once again. Here are #themasters third round tee times for the five Aussies to make the weekend.
— Golf Australia â›³ï¸ (@GolfAust) April 13, 2024
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England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who shot one of the better rounds with his 71, said there was not a moment’s respite.
“It was just a scrap all day. I mean, the course is hard enough without like the conditions that they’ve had,” he said.
“Nothing’s ever done, like nothing’s safe ever, like whether you’ve got a three-footer or whatever, you’re just never done until you’ve actually got the ball in the hole.
“So it’s a pretty stressful place to play when it’s like this.”
South African Christo Lamprecht, playing his first Masters, saw his ball move six times on the green according to his partner and compatriot Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 champion.
“It’s unfortunate, for a guy like that, first time around here, he got thrown in the deep end,” he said.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry is well used to windy conditions but said that combined with Augusta’s notoriously tricky greens was a double-whammy.
“It’s just hard. It’s hard to pick a wind and it’s hard to get it right if we were playing around a normal golf course, but you’re playing around Augusta National, where you have to be so precise as well,” Lowry said.
“You’re trying to pitch the ball; you don’t have much to pitch the ball in. You can be made to look like an idiot out there today by not doing too much wrong.”
But Phil Mickelson, a three-time winner at Augusta, said he felt it may have been windier in 2007 when Zach Johnson triumphed.
“There’s been a couple of really tough wind days. If you fought hard and kind of stayed in it, this weekend should be nice and give you some opportunities to make a move,” he said.
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