It seemed like a monologue and has turned into an exciting battle for the green jacket. This Saturday, the Augusta Masters experienced one of those days that make golf great. The dominance of the second place, six strokes ahead of Patrick Reed and Sam Burns, after 36 holes, has given way to a sprint in which the Northern Irishman and current champion finds himself surrounded by sharks. McIlroy now shares the lead with Cameron Young, both with -11, compared to -10 for Sam Burns, -9 for Shane Lowry, -8 for Jason Day and Justin Rose and -7 for Scottie Scheffler and Haotong Li. From the greatest advantage to a very tight outcome. Under a scorching sun more typical of summer than spring, Augusta celebrated a great day of golf due to the quantity and quality of players who aspire to the crown. There is a big game for the green jacket.
The champion started with leg tremors. It is difficult to understand that McIlroy is fighting for victory when he is the second worst player of all those who have competed in this Masters in percentage of correct fairways, 50% (21 of 42), only behind Davis Riley, who did not make the cut. A putt short missed charged him with one stroke too many on the first hole and Patrick Reed turned the tournament upside down with three birdies consecutive to start their round. In a flash, that juicy difference of six shots that seemed like life insurance had slimmed down to just two shots. Reed’s bugle call was joined by all the cavalry present at Augusta: Cameron Young, Haotong Li, Shane Lowry (with a hole in one on 6), Sam Burns, Jason Day, Justin Rose… even the world number one, Scottie Scheffler, who returned from nowhere to record a card of seven strokes under par on the day (five birdies and a eagle) and make it clear that he has not yet said his last word.
The distance that McIlroy had opened with the rest of the universe disappeared when the Northern Irishman tried the Amen Corner guillotine. The ball into the water at 11 and a double bogey after failing a putt short, other bogey on the 12th after another bad start and barely par on the par-five 13th, condemned by a continuous detour from the teehis great sin in this Masters. The skid coincided with the birdie by Cameron Young, the best kicker on the American circuit, in the 16th, a bingo that also arranged his visit to the water in the 15th, and McIlroy then gave up the lead to the American contender.
The drama was chewed up for McIlroy in those second nine holes, as happened last year when he lost a good income and the most liberated version of the champion then emerged with birdies in the 14th and 15th to regain command… for a short time, bogey in the 17th, shared leadership with Young and everything to be decided.
McIlroy completed the Grand Slam last year, the collection of the four greats, to join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods on that golf Olympus as This Sunday he aspires to fill in another box in history and join Jack Nicklaus (1964-65), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger (2001-02) as the kings who have worn the green jacket two years in a row. Augusta promises a great movie ending.
Rahm and Sergio García, hand in hand
“Bad feelings,” Jon Rahm and Sergio García agree after their third round. The Basque and the Castellón native share a similar feeling about their game and also the same score, five strokes over par after a once again downhill Saturday.
Rahm gives a +1 card on the day despite a very promising start to the day with birdies on holes 1 and 3. But the option of 4 escaped and he was charged with a bogey in the 5th that gave him back his bad body. “A bad return, more of the same,” he analyzed; “I ended up frustrated. I have the talent, but I haven’t taken advantage of it.” For example, on par fives, without squeezing.
Sergio García looks better than the day before. “When you are not confident,” he said yesterday after closing the round with double bogey at 17 and the final +2. “Maybe my expectations are not correct. I’m 46 years old and we have to lower them. At 25 or 30 I was a much better player and the career may be going down now. When I look at it, it hurts me not to have won a British Open,” he lamented.
