On Sunday we need to complete the third round of the 2023 Masters and the entire fourth round. Here we go with live third round updates for the first major of the year. The fourth round this afternoon will be in a separate post.
8:30 AM ET–Brooks Koepka began the day at -13, and a four stroke lead over Jon Rahm.
8:30 AM ET–Rain is not expected to be a factor after the course was saturated the last two days.
8:31 AM ET–Koepka misses par putt on the seventh to begin the day.
8:32 AM ET–Rahm birdies the seventh to go to -10.
8:34 AM ET–American amateur Sam Bennett bogeys the seventh to drop to -5.
8:34 AM ET–Koepka bogeys the seventh hole to drop to -12.
8:35 AM ET–Tiger Woods withdraws from the tournament due to “reaggravating” his plantar fasciitis.
8:35 AM ET–When Woods made the cut, he tied the record set by Fred Couples of the United States and Bernard Langer of Germany for the most consecutive cuts at the Masters at 23, Woods posted a score of +3 after 36 holes, but struggled mightily on Saturday and was +6 after eight holes on his round and fell from +3 to +9. With Woods’s leg problems, it is a major challenge for him to walk.
8:53 AM ET–Rahm birdies the eighth to move to -11. It was an impressive long birdie
8:53 AM ET–Koepka birdies the eighth to move to -13. Looking for his fifth major title after previously winning the 2017 and 2018 United States Open, and the 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship. Rahm has one major himself, and that came at the 2021 United States Open.
9:21 AM ET–Remember the battle we are seeing is also one of the PGA Tour versus LIV Tour. Rahm represents the PGA and Koepka represents LIV.
9:22 AM ET–Patrick Cantlay of Long Beach, California records his third birdie in four holes on the 16th hole, to move to -7 and into third place all alone. He is still out of contention, and six strokes back of Koepka.
9:28 AM ET–With the Kentucky Derby just around the corner, it is safe to say this is now a “two-horse race.”
9:30 AM ET–Rahm pars the 10th hole to remain at -11. Koepka also had a par on the 11th hole.
9:37 AM ET–Norway’s Viktor Hovland and American Collin Morikawa seen wearing large toques. Hovland has two straight birdies to improve to -5.
9:46 AM ET–Even though there is no rain in the forecast, the temperature is still quite cold.
9:50 AM ET–Rahm pars the 11th. The Spaniard now has three straight pars.
10:00 AM ET–Conditions appear to be a little warmer.
10:01 AM ET–Koepka bogeys the 12th to drop to -12. Rahm posted a par on the 12th.
10:03 AM ET–Three straight birdies for Hovland and he is now -6. Three-way tie for third as Cantlay and Bennett are also six strokes back of Koepka.
10:06 AM ET–Cantlay finished his round at -6.
10:15 AM ET–As Koepka, Rahm and Bennett approach the green on the 13th hole to finish Amen Corner, all three golfers play cautious.
10:21 AM ET–Bennett bogeys the 13th to drop to -5.
10:22 AM ET–Rahm also bogeys the 13th to drop to -10 and two strokes back of Koepka.
10:24 AM ET–Hovland moves into third with a fourth straight birdie to improve to -7.
10:47 AM ET–Hovland now has five straight birdies and improves to -8 with three holes remaining to his round.
10:52 AM ET–Koepka takes relief on the crosswalk on the 15th hole.
10:53 AM ET–Koepka’s approach shot appeared to roll down the bank and into the pond, but got stuck in the rough.
11:09 AM ET–Koepka has great shot from the bunker on the 16th hole.
11:12 AM ET–Rahm bogeys the 16th hole to drop to -9.
11:24 AM ET–Great run by Hovland….has moved from 10 strokes back to four strokes back so far on Sunday…Hovland was at -3 before his remarkable run from the 11th to 15th to go to -8…
11:30 AM ET–Rahm pars the 17th to remain at -9…
11:31 AM ET–Koepka bogeys the 17th due to a misread on a putt…drops to -11, and a two stroke lead on Rahm (-9) and three stroke lead on Hovland (-8)…
11:33 AM ET–Hovland is now in contention…looking to be the first Norwegian male to be a major champion…Suzann Pettersen won the 2007 Women’s PGA Championship and 2013 Evian Masters…
11:37 AM ET–Hovland finishes his third round at -8…
11:46 AM ET–Rahm’s birdie putt did not have enough power behind it…
11:49 AM ET–Rahm and Koepka both par 18th holes….Koepka finishes third round at -11 and Rahm finishes at -9…
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