Spieth keeps Watson company

bruced
April 13, 2014

The 2014 Masters is still anyone’s to win, but Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson are the men who will head into the final round with a slight advantage.

Augusta National saw five different leaders on Saturday, but Watson ultimately hung onto the lead with a two-over-par 74 for a total of five under 211 and youngster Spieth joined him at the top with a two under 70.

Having started the third round with a three-shot lead, Watson found himself five shots ahead at one stage, but he was hauled in by the 20-year-old Spieth and needed a four-foot par putt on the final hole to keep a share of the lead.

After a bogey at the first Watson made an eagle on the par-five second that gave him a five-stroke cushion, but it unravelled after that as he made three bogeys in four holes. He steadied the ship with a birdie at the 10th before dropping another shot at the 16th.

“If somebody told me I would have shot 2 over and still be tied for the lead, I would have taken it in a heartbeat,” Watson said. “So I got a shot on Sunday.”

Spieth went birdie, bogey, par, birdie from holes three to six to shoot up the leaderboard, but he dropped another shot at the 11th. However, two birdies at the 14th and 15th did the trick for him.

“Today was moving day,” Spieth said. “And tomorrow is about seeing how I can control my game and emotions out on the golf course against guys that have even won here recently. So they have been in the position I haven’t. Doesn’t necessarily mean – I don’t think – that they have an advantage in any way. I think that I’m very confident in the way things are going. And really looking forward to tomorrow.”

The pair have a narrow lead over Jonas Blixt (68) and Matt Kuchar (71) while Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rickie Fowler are another shot off the pace after excellent third rounds.

Veteran Jimenez produced the round of the day with as his 66 included seven birdies while Fowler had six birdies and one bogey.

Thomas Bjorn (73), Jim Furyk (72) and Lee Westwood (70) are also still in with a shout at two under with the latter carding four birdies to go with two birdies while US Open champion Justin Rose is tied for 10th at one under.

Adam Scott’s defence suffered a near fatal blow as a 40 on the front nine that included a double-bogey and three bogeys saw him card a 76 that leaves him six shots off the pace.