The Masters 2011 – day three
• Click refresh to update or click the auto-update button • Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Read Lawrence Donegan’s day two report • Official Masters leaderboard • And in case you’re desirous of more golf reading… 6.55pm: Matsuyama is still the day’s main mover, having picked up three to move to -2, but perhaps not the most significant. The heroic Ryo Ishikawa, and Adam Scott with his stupid bloody broomhandle putter, are both two under through 4, and -4 for the tournament. And the defending champion Phil Mickelson is doing his usual Keystone Kops skittering up and down the leaderboard: he came out of the blocks flying, with birdies at 2 and 3, but has just dropped one at the short 4th; still, he’s in credit for the day at -3 for the tournament. 6.40pm: You’re all out in the hazy orange evening sun, getting slowly gaddered on crisp rosé, aren’t you. Hoy! Masters golf on over here! 6.35pm: Seven years ago, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson played out one of the greatest duels in Masters history. Els’ final-day 67 looked to have won it, but Mickelson, a few groups behind, came back with a late flurry of birdies to snatch the green jacket. Els has never won at Augusta – he was also second in 2000 – and now he’s reduced to going round on his own, the first out today, the odd man in the draw after the cut. It’s sad to see. He’s just this minute nearly drained a 40-footer on 15 for birdie, but it didn’t quite drop, and you get the sense neither the crowd, nor the man himself, gave much of a toss either way. Els is two over for the day, +3 for the championship. The 7 he carded on this 15th hole on the first day really took the puff out of him. 6.25pm: Unfortunate Juxtaposition alert! Kim’s playing partner Matsuyama has just sunk a birdie putt on 10 to move to -2. His is the best showing of the day so far: three birdies, no blemishes on the card yet. 6.20pm: Horror showing of the day so far comes courtesy of Kim Kyung-Tae. The young Korean bogeyed the 1st, steadied himself awhile, then dropped four more strokes between 5 and 9 to go out in an ugly 41. He was three under for the tournament after 14 holes of his first round, at which point a double-bogey 7 at 15 took the wind out of his sails. He recovered that day with a birdie 2 at 16, to card a very acceptable opening day 70, but yesterday took 75 strokes, and this sad trend appears to be continuing today. He’s now +6, after starting the day +1. 6.10pm: Bothering the lower echelons with mini-moves are Adam Scott and Ryo Ishikawa, both one under for the day and -3 overall. Martin Laird of Scotland, but America really, is one under for the day and -2 for the tournament, alongside the aforementioned Mr Palmer, who after his eagle at 2 has dropped one at 5. Tum te tum. Six O’Clock News with Sue Lawley, Nicholas Witchell and some troublemaking militant lesbians : Also two under for the day is Hideki Matsuyama, with birdies on 3 and now 8: he’s -1 for the tournament. I warn you, this is unlikely to hot up for a while. News at 5.45 with Leonard Parkin : Not a whole lot of early movement today. Only two men have picked up two shots on their travels so far: Ryan Palmer, now -3, and his compatriot Bubba Watson, at -2. The Ian Poulter rollercoaster continues apace: he bogeyed the 1st, but picked the shot back up again on 3, to return to -1 for the tournament. 5.40pm. Selected top tee times, worked out in the British money: Phil Mickelson is out at 5.55pm. Paul Casey at 6.05pm. SERGIO at 6.25pm. Ross Fisher at 6.35pm. Luke Donald at 6.45pm. Lee Westwood at 6.55pm. Freddie Couples and Rickie Fowler at 7.05pm. YE Yang and Ricky Barnes at 7.15pm. Geoff Ogilvy and Alvaro Quiros at 7.25pm. KJ and Tiger at 7.35pm. And Rory wanders round with his good mate Jason Day – an Augusta virgin this year, remember – at 7.45pm. As for the others – and let’s face it, everyone wants Tiger and Rory in the final pairing tomorrow, landing haymakers on each other as they both go on birdie blitzes down the back nine – there’s plenty of talent hovering. Lee Westwood. KJ Choi. Geoff Ogilvy. Luke Donald. YE Yang. Jason Day. Rickie Fowler. FREDDIE COUPLES. Alvaro Quiros. SERGIO. Someone’s likely to come bursting out of the pack to make a determined tilt at the top of the leaderboard; well, it is Moving Day, after all. Awww-gusta, it’s you that I love… Rory McIlroy will have plenty to say about that, however. He’s leading after 36 holes, having followed up his stunning 65 on Thursday with a staunch 69. After a lucky escape at 11 yesterday followed by his first dropped shot of the tournament so far at 12, he showed minor signs of nerves, putting very averagely indeed, but he got round without any more drama to hold onto his advantage. Hopefully he’ll have regrouped, ready to attack (sensibly) today. Now then, it’s Moving Day today, when the serious contenders traditionally elbow their way into position, ready for the big push on Sunday. Tiger Woods, however, couldn’t be bothered to wait for it. Yesterday, languishing at level par after seven holes, he decided 18 months of being a laughing stock was more than enough for the greatest sports star on the planet, and got relentless. Eleven holes and seven birdies later, he’d carded a 66, and from a nondescript position in the pack, suddenly found himself three off the lead. Now, if any other golfer struggling with their game had done this, you’d put yesterday down as a blip, and expect the vagaries of form to send them crashing back into the pack today. But this is Tiger. And this is Augusta. He’s got to be the favourite to win this, hasn’t he? It’s Masters weekend! All together now: “Awww-gusta, it’s you that I love…” Masters 2011 The Masters Golf Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
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The Masters 2011 – day three
• Click refresh to update or click the auto-update button • Email your thoughts to scott.murray@guardian.co.uk • Read Lawrence Donegan’s day two report • Official Masters leaderboard • And in case you’re desirous of more golf reading… 6.55pm: Matsuyama is still the day’s main mover, having picked up three to move to -2, but perhaps not the most significant. The heroic Ryo Ishikawa, and Adam Scott with his stupid bloody broomhandle putter, are both two under through 4, and -4 for the tournament. And the defending champion Phil Mickelson is doing his usual Keystone Kops skittering up and down the leaderboard: he came out of the blocks flying, with birdies at 2 and 3, but has just dropped one at the short 4th; still, he’s in credit for the day at -3 for the tournament. 6.40pm: You’re all out in the hazy orange evening sun, getting slowly gaddered on crisp rosé, aren’t you. Hoy! Masters golf on over here! 6.35pm: Seven years ago, Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson played out one of the greatest duels in Masters history. Els’ final-day 67 looked to have won it, but Mickelson, a few groups behind, came back with a late flurry of birdies to snatch the green jacket. Els has never won at Augusta – he was also second in 2000 – and now he’s reduced to going round on his own, the first out today, the odd man in the draw after the cut. It’s sad to see. He’s just this minute nearly drained a 40-footer on 15 for birdie, but it didn’t quite drop, and you get the sense neither the crowd, nor the man himself, gave much of a toss either way. Els is two over for the day, +3 for the championship. The 7 he carded on this 15th hole on the first day really took the puff out of him. 6.25pm: Unfortunate Juxtaposition alert! Kim’s playing partner Matsuyama has just sunk a birdie putt on 10 to move to -2. His is the best showing of the day so far: three birdies, no blemishes on the card yet. 6.20pm: Horror showing of the day so far comes courtesy of Kim Kyung-Tae. The young Korean bogeyed the 1st, steadied himself awhile, then dropped four more strokes between 5 and 9 to go out in an ugly 41. He was three under for the tournament after 14 holes of his first round, at which point a double-bogey 7 at 15 took the wind out of his sails. He recovered that day with a birdie 2 at 16, to card a very acceptable opening day 70, but yesterday took 75 strokes, and this sad trend appears to be continuing today. He’s now +6, after starting the day +1. 6.10pm: Bothering the lower echelons with mini-moves are Adam Scott and Ryo Ishikawa, both one under for the day and -3 overall. Martin Laird of Scotland, but America really, is one under for the day and -2 for the tournament, alongside the aforementioned Mr Palmer, who after his eagle at 2 has dropped one at 5. Tum te tum. Six O’Clock News with Sue Lawley, Nicholas Witchell and some troublemaking militant lesbians : Also two under for the day is Hideki Matsuyama, with birdies on 3 and now 8: he’s -1 for the tournament. I warn you, this is unlikely to hot up for a while. News at 5.45 with Leonard Parkin : Not a whole lot of early movement today. Only two men have picked up two shots on their travels so far: Ryan Palmer, now -3, and his compatriot Bubba Watson, at -2. The Ian Poulter rollercoaster continues apace: he bogeyed the 1st, but picked the shot back up again on 3, to return to -1 for the tournament. 5.40pm. Selected top tee times, worked out in the British money: Phil Mickelson is out at 5.55pm. Paul Casey at 6.05pm. SERGIO at 6.25pm. Ross Fisher at 6.35pm. Luke Donald at 6.45pm. Lee Westwood at 6.55pm. Freddie Couples and Rickie Fowler at 7.05pm. YE Yang and Ricky Barnes at 7.15pm. Geoff Ogilvy and Alvaro Quiros at 7.25pm. KJ and Tiger at 7.35pm. And Rory wanders round with his good mate Jason Day – an Augusta virgin this year, remember – at 7.45pm. As for the others – and let’s face it, everyone wants Tiger and Rory in the final pairing tomorrow, landing haymakers on each other as they both go on birdie blitzes down the back nine – there’s plenty of talent hovering. Lee Westwood. KJ Choi. Geoff Ogilvy. Luke Donald. YE Yang. Jason Day. Rickie Fowler. FREDDIE COUPLES. Alvaro Quiros. SERGIO. Someone’s likely to come bursting out of the pack to make a determined tilt at the top of the leaderboard; well, it is Moving Day, after all. Awww-gusta, it’s you that I love… Rory McIlroy will have plenty to say about that, however. He’s leading after 36 holes, having followed up his stunning 65 on Thursday with a staunch 69. After a lucky escape at 11 yesterday followed by his first dropped shot of the tournament so far at 12, he showed minor signs of nerves, putting very averagely indeed, but he got round without any more drama to hold onto his advantage. Hopefully he’ll have regrouped, ready to attack (sensibly) today. Now then, it’s Moving Day today, when the serious contenders traditionally elbow their way into position, ready for the big push on Sunday. Tiger Woods, however, couldn’t be bothered to wait for it. Yesterday, languishing at level par after seven holes, he decided 18 months of being a laughing stock was more than enough for the greatest sports star on the planet, and got relentless. Eleven holes and seven birdies later, he’d carded a 66, and from a nondescript position in the pack, suddenly found himself three off the lead. Now, if any other golfer struggling with their game had done this, you’d put yesterday down as a blip, and expect the vagaries of form to send them crashing back into the pack today. But this is Tiger. And this is Augusta. He’s got to be the favourite to win this, hasn’t he? It’s Masters weekend! All together now: “Awww-gusta, it’s you that I love…” Masters 2011 The Masters Golf Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Posted by
on April 9, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News.
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You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.