The big story of Day 3 turned out to be Jordan Spieth, the remarkable 20-year-old from Dallas who is trying to become the youngest player ever to win the Masters, and the first rookie to win the Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller did so in 1979. But Spieth was only part of the drama, as the leaderboard featured wild swings back and forth that reminded us of the sort of drama we normally see on a Sunday at Augusta. On Friday, we were complaining that the leaderboard seemed boring, but it certainly wasn't boring yesterday.
Here's where things stand with one round to go. I can rarely remember a more crowded leaderboard:
T1. J. Spieth: -5 (71+70+70=211)
T1. B. Watson: -5 (69+68+74=211)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (73+71+68=212)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (70+71+71=212)
T5. M.A. Jimenez (ESP): -3 (71+76+66=213)
T5. R. Fowler: -3 (71+75+67=213)
T7. L. Westwood (ENG): -2 (73+71+70=214)
T7. J. Furyk: -2 (74+68+72=214)
T7. T. Bjorn (DEN): -2 (73+68+73=214)
T10. J. Senden (AUS): -1 (72+68+75+215)
T10. J. Rose (ENG): -1 (76+70+69=215)
T10. K. Stadler: -1 (70+73+72=215)
T10. F. Couples: -1 (71+71+73=215)
Jim Nantz points out that in 1963, Jack Nicklaus became the youngest player ever to win the Masters.
ReplyDeleteThen, 17 years later, in 1980, Seve Ballesteros became the youngest player ever to win the Masters.
Seventeen years later, in 1997, Tiger Woods became the youngest player ever to win the Masters.
It has now been 17 years since Tiger set the new record. Is this a sign that Jordan Spieth is destined to prevail?
Meanwhile, Fred Couples (who went to college with Nantz), has birdied the first hole to move to 1 under par. He, of course, would be the oldest player to win the Masters.
ReplyDeleteJohn Senden birdies the second hole, and he also moves to two under.
ReplyDeleteNow Nantz is pointing out that in each of the last four years, the winner at the Masters was not leading going into the last round. So maybe it's not Speith's year after all.
ReplyDeleteCouples birdies the second hole, and he is now 3 under par -- only two shots off the lead.
ReplyDeleteThis is a funny tournament. With Tiger and Phil out of it, we seem to be getting a surprising amount of great play from golfers from the generation older than those guys (Couples, Jimenez) and golfers from the generation that came after them (Spieth, Fowler). I can't remember another tournament with so much action from both 50-somethings and 20-somethings.
Senden bogeys the third hole and falls back to one under.
ReplyDeleteSpieth is set to wear a green jacket later today; he's wearing a light green shirt and dark blue pants. He's wearing a white Under Armor cap. Bubba is going with Ping -- white visor, white patterned shirt, and black pants. They both look sharp.
ReplyDeleteBlixt prepares to tee off. Nantz tells us (once again) that no Swedish man has ever won a major golf tournament.
ReplyDeleteRickie Fowler, who has supplemented his usual orange hat and shirt for Sunday with some white checked pants from a Dick Schaap book on golf in the mid-1970's, knocks in a 10-foot birdie putt on the first hole, and he moves to four under par.
ReplyDeleteJimenez bogeys the first hole and falls back to 2 under.
ReplyDeleteFuryk birdies the second hole, and he moves to three under.
ReplyDeleteRory McIlroy has birdied 7, 8, and 9, and he is now one over par.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's the last pairing of the day. Spieth gets a big cheer from the crowd. and then pulls his drive off into the trees down the left hand side of the fairway. Bubba gets, if anything, an even bigger cheer, and pulls his drive far off into the trees on the right hand side of the fairway. He and Spieth set off in opposite directions.
ReplyDeleteBlixt failed to reach the first green in two, but he gets up and down (he has been great at that all week), and he stays at 4 under. As does Kuchar.
ReplyDeleteBjorn birdies the third hole, and he is now 3 under par.
Spieth goes through the trees and puts his second shot on the first green.
ReplyDeleteBubba's drive actually ended up in a fairway bunker 143 yards from the green. He whacks his second shot to within about 15 feet of the hole.
Those were two very good approach shots.
Fowler's birdie putt on 2 looked good all the way, but it spins out and rolls about 3 feet from the hole. Then he misses the par putt coming back. He three-putts from about 12 feet and falls back to 3 under par.
ReplyDeleteJimenez birdies the 2d hole to move to 3 under.
ReplyDeleteSpieth pars the first hole.
Now it's Bubba's turn. Sir Nick Faldo wants to know whether Bubba's putting woes from yesterday will continue. Bubba can't make his birdie putt, and he settles for a par.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDeleteT1. J. Spieth: -5 (55 holes)
T1. B. Watson: -5 (55)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (55)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (55)
T5. F. Couples: -3 (58)
T5. T. Bjorn (DEN): -3 (57)
T5. J. Furyk: -3 (56)
T5. M.A. Jimenez (ESP): -3 (56)
T5. R. Fowler: -3 (56)
On the second hole, Spieth again drives into the trees and Bubba again drives into a fairway bunker.
ReplyDeleteKuchar birdies the second hole and moves into a tie for the lead at 5 under par.
ReplyDeleteCouples saves par at the fifth hole and remains at 3 under.
Bubba misses the second green with his third shot, but he makes an excellent putt from off the green to set up a par.
ReplyDeleteNow Spieth had a birdie putt for the lead. From 20 feet out, he curls the putt STRAIGHT INTO THE HOLE. With 16 holes remaining, Jordan Spieth is all alone in first place at the Masters.
Meanwhile, Furyk has bogeyed the 4th hole, and he is now 2 under. Jimenez has bogeyed the third hole, and he is 2 under.
ReplyDeleteKuchar appeared to be in trouble on the third hole from he CHIPS IN to make a birdie. He is now tied with Spieth for the lead at 6 under par.
ReplyDeleteBlixt tries to match Kuchar's birdie on three, but his putt trickles just past the hole and he takes par.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard:
ReplyDeleteT1. M. Kuchar: -6 (57 holes)
T1. J. Spieth: -6 (56)
3. B. Watston: -5 (56)
4. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (57)
On the third hole, Bubba's drive is too long, so he is forced to try a bump-and-run second shot. He can't hold the green, and so his third shot is a chip back onto the green. He's got to make a 10-footer to save par.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Spieth has about 25-30 feet for birdie. His lag putt never threatens the hole, and comes up about 2 feet short.
Bubba can't make his par putt, and the resulting bogey drops him back to minus 4. He has played 14 shots so far today, and none of them has been very good.
ReplyDeleteSpieth pars the third hole, and he now leads Bubba by two shots.
ReplyDeleteOn the seventh hole, Couples just barely misses a birdie putt, and he remains at 3 under.
Kuchar has made a hash of the par-3 fourth. He missed the green. His chip shot came up about 12 feet short of the hole. His par putt ran four feet past the hole. His bogey putt goes two feet past the hole. He finally makes a double bogey and drops to four under.
ReplyDeleteJordan Spieth now leads by two shots.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. J. Spieth: -6 (57 holes)
T2. M. Kurchar: -4 (58)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (58)
T2. B. Watson: -4 (57)
Spieth, with a chance to grab control of the tournament, hits his tee shot on the par-3 fourth into a greenside bunker.
ReplyDeleteBubba then responds with a great tee shot that rolls to within about five feet of the hole.
From the greenside bunker on 4, Spieth carefully looks over his shot, hits it, and the ball ROLLS INTO THE HOLE FOR A BIRDIE. Spieth moves to seven under par and he now leads by three shots.
ReplyDeleteSir Nick urges Spieth to stay calm.
Bubba matches Spieth's birdie, rolling in his short putt, and Spieth's lead is once again two shots.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. J. Spieth: -7 (58 holes)
2. B. Watson: -5 (58)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (58)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (58)
Spieth and Watson each hit bad drives on the par-four fifth, and neither can make the green with their second shot. Spieth blasts out of a bunker to within about 10 feet of the hole. Sir Nick thinks that Bubba's chip shot is actually pretty easy, but Bubba leaves it about three feet short.
ReplyDeleteOn six, Kuchar has about 12 feet for birdie, but he can't make it and he remains at four under.
ReplyDeleteBubba makes his par on 5 to stay at five under.
Spieth cannot make his par putt, and that birdies drops him back to six under. He now leads by one shot over Watson, and by two over Kuchar and Blixt.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how Dan Jenkins, who began his career by covering Ben Hogan, would feel about seeing a great young golfer from Dallas. Yesterday he tweeted: "I'm counting on Jordan Spieth to be the next golf hero from Texas. It's our birthright."
ReplyDeleteSpieth reacts to his bogey on 5 by hitting a tremendous tee shot on the par-3 6th that stops about four feet from the hole. That is extremely impressive.
ReplyDeleteBut Bubba also hit a great tee shot on six, and he curls in a 10 foot putt to move to six under par.
ReplyDeleteNow Spieth has to make his short putt to retake the undisputed lead. He rams it home, and he is at 7 under. Verne Lundquist -- another Texan -- is very excited.
Spieth and Bubba both birdied 4, and then they both birdied 6. This is amazing stuff.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. J. Spieth: -7 (60 holes)
2. B. Watson: -6 (60)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (60)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (60)
T5. F. Couples: -3 (63)
T5. T. Bjorn (DEN): -3 (62)
T5. R. Fowler: -3 (61)
Kuchar missed the green on 7, and he will have a difficult putt to save par. Blixt is in even more trouble -- he's got to make a putt of at least 20 feet for his par.
ReplyDeleteBlixt cannot save par, and he falls to three under.
ReplyDeleteBut Kuchar saves par, and he stays at four under.
On 7, Bubba can't judge the wind properly on his approach shot, and it goes into a bunker. But Spieth's shot is excellent, and he'll have about 12 feet for birdie.
ReplyDeleteSpieth spends a fair amount of time lining up his putt, and hits it very, very softly. It rolls, and rolls, and then Spieth does a little fist pump, and then THE BALL FALLS INTO THE HOLE and Spieth moves to 8 under par.
ReplyDeleteBubba gets a great up-and-down to save par, but he is now two shots behind.
Couples bogeys the 10th, ending a run of seven consecutive pars, and he falls back to two under.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. J. Spieth: -8 (61 holes)
2. B. Watson: -6 (61)
3. M. Kuchar: -4 (61)
T4. R. Fowler: -3 (62)
T4. J. Blixt (SWE): -3 (61)
Yesterday the press asked Spieth how he decides who to refer to as "Mr.," and Spieth said that he uses the term for "everyone older than me." So then the press told Bubba that Spieth would be referring to him as "Mr. Watson," and Bubba said that would be fine, "when I'm hitting it past him."
ReplyDeleteBubba hits it past Spieth on the par-five 8th, absolutely crushing a drive that goes past Spieth's own very good drive. My guess is that Bubba will be trying to reach that green in two.
Bubs can get a bit testy. Just a bit.
DeleteKuchar pars the 8th hole. But Blixt rolls in a birdie to move back to four under par.
ReplyDeleteSpieth hits his second shot to within a very nice pitching distance of the 8th green. Bubba goes for the green, and makes it, but can't hold it. His shot rolls through the green, and he will have to get up and down for birdie.
Couples goes into the water on 11, and his big to become the oldest man ever to win the Masters is probably finished.
ReplyDeleteSpieth's pitch shot on 8 lands on the green and stops dead, leaving him about 30 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, over on 9, Fowler makes an amazing putt from well off the green to save par -- that had to be about 50 feet. Fowler remains at 3 under.
Bubba spends a long time over his eagle chip, and then he ALMOST holes it, the ball trickling just past the hole.
ReplyDeleteThe folks on CBS keep telling me that Bubba wins with raw talent, but he seems to have thought that shot through pretty well.
Meanwhile, Kuchar has hit a terrible drive on nine, and his second shot is well short of the green.
ReplyDeleteEveryone (except for Blixt) has had trouble with putting the 8th green, and Spieth is no exception. He leaves his birdie putt about four feet short, and then misses the par putt. After making 2's on 4 and 6, he makes a 6 on 8, and falls back to seven under.
ReplyDeleteBubba takes advantage of Spieth's bogey, and strokes in his birdie putt to tie Spieth for the lead.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard:
ReplyDeleteT1. J. Spieth: -7 (62 holes)
T1. B. Watson: -7 (62)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (62)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (62)
5. R. Fowler: -3 (63)
Couples double bogeys 11, and falls back to even par for the tournament. The leaderboard that was so crowded a few hours ago now looks very different. Spieth, Watson, Kuchar, Blixt, and Fowler are the only players left with a good chance of victory.
ReplyDeleteBlixt, looking like a guy playing on the world's greatest putt-putt course, actually turns his back on the 9th hole before stroking a weird, turning birdie putt that almost goes in. But it misses and he remains at 4 under. Kuchar has to make a ten-footer just to save bogey, and he falls back to 3 under.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know how the athleticism of today's top 20 or so golfers compares to the top 20 of previous generations. I remember reading a Jack Nicklaus book in the early 1980s, and he spent a lot of it talking about how he felt his frequently playing pickup basketball helped his golf game--almost as though it was a differentiator. And then when Tiger Woods came along, of course, one of the things that was talked about was his fitness level. Now most of these guys look like they could be defensive backs. Maybe that's always been true, but it doesn't seem like it to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's made a big difference compared to previous generations, which is why all of the old courses are being stretched to make them as long as possible. If you put today's guys, with today's equipment, out on Augusta National as it was in, say, 1986, the winning score would probably be more than 20 under par.
DeleteSpieth's approach shot on 9 lands on the false front of the green, and rolls off.
ReplyDeleteBubba, who is 30 yards closer, sends a dagger that stops about 15 feet from the pin.
CBS then runs a clip of Norman's shot rolling off the same false front back in 1996, when he was beaten by Sir Nick.
Speaking of Dan Jenkins, he's imagining a pool party hosted by Tiger Woods on Twitter right now. I think he's trying to keep himself from getting too excited and attached to Jordan Spieth.
ReplyDeleteWow. Good putt by Bubba.
ReplyDeleteIt's just raw talent.
DeleteLeft-handed Southerner.
DeleteFrom off the green, Spieth makes a nice chip shot that gives him a good chance to save par. But now Bubba can take the lead -- and he does, rolling in his birdie putt and moving to 8 under par. Bubba has gone out in 33, with birdies on 4, 6, 8, and 9.
ReplyDeleteNow Spieth needs to save par from about 4 feet. He can't do it, as the ball just rolls past the top lip of the hole. He then takes his time before making the bogey putt. Spieth is out in 35, and he trails Watson by two shots.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (63 holes)
2. J. Spieth: -6 (63)
3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (63)
4. M. Kuchar: -3 (63)
Rickie Fowler has bogeyed the 10th hole to fall back to 2 under, and his chance of winning the Masters is probably gone.
Two holes ago, Spieth led Watson by two shots. But he's gone bogey-bogey, and Bubba has gone birdie-birdie, and now their positions are reversed.
ReplyDeleteBoth men hit excellent drives down the long 10th fairway.
Blixt and Kuchar par the 10th. Nantz tells us that no male player from Sweden has won a major golf championship.
ReplyDeleteThis time, Spieth outdrove Bubba. So Watson goes first, from 205 yards, and his approach shot lands just in front of the gallery on the fringe of the green. That will not be an easy up-and-down. From 195 yards, Spieth swings, and immediately bangs his club into the ground. He knew it was bad, and he was right, as the ball lands in a greenside bunker.
ReplyDeleteRory McIlroy will be talking to himself about the poor round he shot on Friday. He finishes 71+77+71+69 = 288, and he's the leader in the clubhouse at even par.
ReplyDeleteSpieth, trying to avoid a third consecutive bogey, hits an excellent bunker shot that rolls to within a few feet of the hole.
ReplyDeleteNow Bubba has his chip shot, and it rolls well past the hole. He was chipping onto a downward slope, and he couldn't stop his shot at all.
Bubba almost saves par with his long putt, but he takes a bogey to fall back to 7 under.
ReplyDeleteSpieth, who was banging his club just a few minutes ago, knocks in his par putt, and he is now only one shot behind.
KuKu!
ReplyDeleteKuchar's drive on 11 banged into the trees, leaving him far from the green. But then he hits an almost perfect shot that rolls to within about five feet.
ReplyDeleteBlixt misses the 11th green, but his up-and-down doesn't seem too difficult.
Miguel Angel Jiminez is a great character in these majors shows. He's like Newman.
ReplyDeleteThe British press really love Jiminez; he's the only player who always gets favorable coverage from them.
DeleteNow Spieth has the honor, and he whacks an excellent drive into the 11th fairway.
ReplyDeleteNantz keeps telling us that Bubba doesn't like the tee shot on 11, and he does look nervous while the ball's in the air, but it also ends up in the fairway.
Meanwhile Bjorn has birdied 13 to move to 3 under par.
ReplyDeleteAs we expected, Blixt gets up and down on 11, while Kuchar makes birdie to move back to 4 under.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -7 (64 holes)
2. J. Spieth: -6 (64)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (65)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (65)
To cries of "Kooch," Kuchar lofts an excellent shot to the tiny 12th green. He will have about 15 feet for birdie.
ReplyDeleteBlixt's shot on 12 appears to land in the bunker, but bounces onto the green, about 25 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteSpieth hits a superb approach shot on 11, that rolls to within about 10 feet.
ReplyDeleteNow the pressure is on Bubba, from 173 yards. He also hits a good shot, but doesn't get quite as much roll as Spieth. He's probably 20-25 feet away from the hole.
Bjorn bogeys 14, and falls back to two under. Watson, Spieth, Kuchar, and Blixt are now the only players more than two shots under par.
ReplyDeleteOn 12, Blixt leaves his birdie attempt about thee feet short.
ReplyDeleteKuchar runs his birdie putt on 12 about a foot past the hole. He stays at four under.
ReplyDeleteOn 11, Bubba goes first and his birdie putt comes up just short.
Now Spieth can tie for the lead. He strokes it and immediately knows he has missed, standing up straight. The putt dies on the edge of the hole, and he taps in for par. Bubba also makes par.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -7 (65 holes)
2. J. Spieth: -6 (65)
T3. M. Kuchar: -4 (66)
T3. J. Blixt (SWE): -4 (66)
It seems like someone always goes into the water on 12 on Sunday. This time it is Spieth. His ball lands on the slope just short of the green, and then plunges, sickeningly, into Rae's Creek.
ReplyDeleteBubba then overcompensates, hitting his shot over the 12th green.
Dan Jenkins asks a great question: "How is it that the 12th hole hasn't changed but seems to get harder and harder?"
ReplyDeleteBlixt, now with a great chance to gain ground, hit his second shot onto the fringe of the 13th green. He should get up and down for a birdie.
ReplyDeleteFrom off the 12th green, Bubba putts his ball up the slope and it rolls to within a few feet.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Kuchar is struggling on 13. He is still on the edge of the green after 3 shots, and he will have to get up and down just to save par.
Wow! Great putt by Spieth.
ReplyDeleteSpieth, who could have easily given up after going into Rae's Creek, lofts a pitch to within 15 feet, and then holes the putt to save bogey. He goes to 5 under.
ReplyDeleteBubba knocks in his par putt and remains at 7 under.
Bubba. holding the honors on 13, absolutely crushes his tee shot around the corner. He will have a pitching wedge to the green.
ReplyDeleteUp at the green, Kuchar saves par ("KOOOCH" says the crowd), and Blixt makes birdie.
And then Spieth's drive on 13 goes off to the right and ends up on the pine straw under the trees.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -7 (66 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (67)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (66)
4. M. Kuchar: -4 (67)
Jiminez birdies the 14th hole and he is now 3 under par.
ReplyDeleteSpieth pitches out onto the fairway, and he'll have another pitch shot to reach the green.
ReplyDeleteBubba hit his drive 366 yards, and he pitches his second shot onto the back of the green. He can two-putt for a birdie, but he probably wishes he could have gotten it even closer.
Ooh.
DeleteArgh!
DeleteThere you go.
DeleteAs he did yesterday, Bubba misreads the speed on the 13th green, and he leaves his eagle putt well short. He's got about five feet left for birdie.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Spieth has left himself a 10-footer for birdie. He hits it just a little to softly, and it drifts offline. He takes a par and remains at 5 under.
Now Bubba has a chance for a three-shot lead. He lines up the birdie putt, and STROKES IT HOME. He moves to three-under for the day, and 8-under for the tournament.
Kuchar has a very long birdie putt on 14 that he desperately needs to make. He makes an excellent effort, but misses by a few feet.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, Bubba crushes a drive down the 14th fairway.
Now Blixt has a 15-footer for birdie that would put him in second place. His putting has been excellent all weekend, but he just barely misses this one, and he stays at 5 under.
Meanwhile, Spieth crushes his drive down the 14th fairway.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (67 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (68)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (67)
4. M. Kuchar: -4 (68)
From the 14th fairway, Spieth hits his approach shot from 145 yards and immediately drops his club. We soon see why; Spieth was aiming for the right side of the green, but his ball lands far on the left side, about 50 feet from the hole.
ReplyDeleteThen Bubba hits his approach shot from 137 yards and begins walking toward the hole. He loves it, and he's right, as his ball lands in the appropriate portion of the green and rolls to within about 10 feet.
On 15, Kuchar is going for the par 5 green with his second shot. He misses, landing in the bunker on the right side, and he will need to get up and down for birdie.
ReplyDeleteNow here's Blixt, who needs to draw his approach shot around some trees. He hoists a five iron, but its a bit too hot, and it skitters through the green and down the slope behind the green.
Very good production, going fuzzy on Spieth's face after he missed that very long birdie putt.
ReplyDeleteCBS is the best.
DeleteSpieth makes a great putt on 14, but he can't hole it, and the ball rolls a few feet past.
ReplyDeleteNow Bubba has a chance to extend his lead. He just misses, the ball rolling past the lip of the cup.
Both men make par, and Bubba retains his three-shot lead.
Kuchar is not going to be able to get up and down for birdie on 15, as his bunker shot rolls well past the cup.
ReplyDeleteCouples finishes with a 75 that leaves him at 2 over par, and I will never understand why he didn't win more tournaments.
Bubba's drive on 15 drifts well off to the left, and there will be a bunch of trees between him and the green.
ReplyDeleteSpieth's shot ends up closer to where Blixt was.
Meanwhile, Blixt is facing a 10-footer for birdie on 15, and I thought it was good all the way. But he didn't hit it quite right, and it slides past on the right side. He is forced to settle for par.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (68 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (69)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (68)
T4. M.A. Jiminez (ESP): -4 (70)
T4. M. Kuchar: -4 (69)
On 16, Blixt leaves his tee shot about 35 feet short.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, Spieth is 207 yards from the hole. He spends a lot of time trying to figure out the wind and whether he's got the right club. Finally, he hits -- and ball goes way right, landing near the bunker that gave Kuchar so much trouble.
Bubba is in the trees on 15, and David Feherty expects him to layup. But he slams the ball through the trees, onto the green, and down the slope. He's close to where Blixt was.
ReplyDeleteThe folk at CBS are stunned at Bubba's audaciousness. But Augusta National seems to reward audaciousness, as Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, and Phil Mickelson can attest.
Blixt leaves his birdie putt on 16 about six feet short, and Kuchar misses his short birdie putt, jumping up in frustration.
ReplyDeleteOn 15, Bubba hits a very weak chip shot that dies at the edge of the green, and his chance of birdieing this hole is pretty much gone.
Blixt's putt was really only about three feet short, and he has no problem making par.
ReplyDeleteNow here's Bubba for birdie. He strokes a putt to within about two feet of the hole.
Spieth made a good chip shot, and now he's got about six feet for birdie. He lines it up, and hits the putt he wanted, but it wasn't online, and it just slides past.
ReplyDeleteHe and Bubba both make par.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (69 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (70)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (69)
Bubba and Spieth both hit their shots to the middle of the 16th green, Spieth groaning as he realizes that he hasn't hit the ball quite hard enough to catch the downslope that would put his ball closer to the hole.
ReplyDeleteVerne Lundquist after Spieth's very audible groan: "Obviously not the shot he wanted."
DeleteBlixt hits a poor drive on 17, and his second shot lands near the edge of the green. He is looking at another up-and-down to save par.
ReplyDeleteTo his credit, Spieth has really tried to win this thing -- and he tries to make the putt on 16, waving his putter in frustration as the ball slides by.
ReplyDeleteThen Bubba lags to within a few inches, and taps in for another par.
Leaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (70 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (70)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (70)
On 17, Bubba's tee shot goes far off to the left -- Bubba stands there, watching it and waving his left hand.
ReplyDeleteAnd then Spieth's drive goes into the left rough.
Jiminez finishes at four under par, which is extraordinary for a 50-year-old man.
ReplyDeleteRickie Fowler shoots a 73, and finishes at 2 under.
Kuchar, looking very tired, bogeys the 17th hole to fall to three under. Blixt leaves his chip shot about 10 feet short, but as usual he rolls in the par putt to remain at 5 under.
ReplyDeleteBlixt hits a very solid drive down the middle of 18.
ReplyDeleteIt turns out that Bubba and Spieth are very close to each other in the left-side rough on the 17th fairway. Spieth goes first. He tries to hook a shot around the trees and onto the green, but it sails off and lands in the gallery to the right of the green.
Now it's Bubba's turn. He lofts a fine shot that bounces onto the corner of the green. CBS tells us that Bubba has an "amazing physical talent."
Sorry, Bubba didn't make the green. He's down in that little slope near the green, where Blixt was a few minutes ago.
ReplyDeleteFrom in the gallery, Spieth hits a glorious pitch shot that almost goes in. He will have a tap-in for par.
ReplyDeleteOn 18, Blixt's second shot comes up just short of the green.
And then Bubba pitches his shot a few feet past the hole.
Bubba rolls in the three-footer for par, and gives a big fist-pump -- the most emotion he's shown all day. He has a three-shot lead with one hole left.
ReplyDeleteLeaderboard:
ReplyDelete1. B. Watson: -8 (71 holes)
T2. J. Blixt (SWE): -5 (71)
T2. J. Spieth: -5 (71)
Nantz reminds us that Bubba doesn't like the tee shot on 18, and then Bubba slams a perfect shot right down the middle.
ReplyDeleteSpieth hits one of his best drives of the back nine, going past Bubba, and the two men enjoy a huge ovation as they walk down the fairway.
Nantz thinks the key to Bubba's round was how he matched Spieth's birdies on 4 and 6. I think that's a very good point.
ReplyDeleteKuchar bogeys the last hole. He finishes with a 74, and ties for fifth at 2 under par.
ReplyDeleteBlixt, from off the green, gets up and down one more time. He shoots a 71, and finishes at five under par. He played very well.
And now Bubba has to make one more big swing. He hits it, and immediately twirls the club. The ball lands in a perfect position, just about 15 feet from the flag.
ReplyDeleteHe will now have one of the great walks in all of sports.
Spieth's last shot is also really good, finding the right slope and leaving him with a decent chance for birdie.
ReplyDeleteAnd now Watson and Spieth walk up the hill to a tremendous, and well-deserved, ovation, as CBS gives us the canonical shots of Watson's wife and son.
Spieth pars out to finish at 5 under par.
ReplyDeleteAnd that leaves it all for Gerry Lester ("Bubba") Watson, of Bagdad, Florida. He hits a great lag putt, and then taps in to CAPTURE THE MASTERS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST THREE YEARS.
Well that was very nice. Hugs and kisses all around.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bubba picks up his son and gives high fives to lots of folks in the gallery. Nantz tells us that Bubba is "a complicated man. A creative golfing genius."
ReplyDeleteSo I guess it's not just raw talent after all.
I had a cookout to get to late yesterday afternoon, and so I had to follow the last few holes on my "smart phone." I remember being in elementary school one day, and one of the other boys showed up from Christmas or his birthday with a giant black watch that had a radio in it. I just thought it was astounding, and I imagined a day when we all might be able to watch TV on our watches. And then they really would be "watches," I thought. Anyway, roughly, here we are.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I found this tournament to be totally satisfying.
ReplyDeleteI thought Bubba Watson played like the Masters champion that he already was--with the right balance of careful responsiveness to whatever the competition was doing at the moment and of confident aggressiveness to keep true to his own game and to stay poised for attacks.
Also, I thought it was totally impressive that Jordan Spieth, A, kept trying to land big punches on that back nine after Bubba had retaken the lead; B, consistently missed, but, C, held at 5-under and still finished T2. After No. 12 or 13 or so, he might've taken his pars in and simply accepted his totally laudable second place at age 20 to a second-time Masters champion at age 35. Instead, he kept trying to push Watson--but still managed to salvage pars and hold his position.
ReplyDeleteI haven't talked to Mom yet, but I can't imagine that Jordan Spieth is now her favorite golfer in the world after his post-tournament interview on CBS. My Lord, he was so impressive--gracious in defeat, articulate, interesting. He is a joy to root for, and I certainly hope he's around the top of leaderboards at major tournaments for some years.
ReplyDeleteCan't imagine that Jordan Spieth is not (not now) Mom's favorite, I should've typed.
DeleteFinally, as much as I did enjoy this tournament, and I really did, I also missed Tiger.
ReplyDeleteI didn't need for him to compete to have me enjoy the Masters, and I was glad to learn that once and for all. But it would've been nice to hear from him some. It would be great, for example, to one day hear his analysis and observations of tournaments in which he is not competing. He's not retired, so that's not in the cards any time soon, I understand--and it's pretty hard to imagine him in a blow-by-blow, Sir Nick role. But, at the least, I do hope we get some as-told-to-Charlie Rose moments from Tiger. I just hope he doesn't suddenly disappear--like Johnny Carson or Barry Sanders.
ReplyDeleteI can very much see Tiger pulling a Johnny Carson.
DeleteUnfortunately for me at least, I'm afraid that's the most likely scenario. But if that's best for Tiger and Lindsey Vonn, then that's just what I'll have to live with.
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