AUGUSTA, Georgia: Brooks Koepka will take a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm into the final round of a Masters Green Jacket showdown on a marathon day of high drama at Augusta National on Sunday (Apr 10) that could be a watershed moment in the LIV Golf and PGA Tour feud.
But what had appeared to be a two-horse race has turned into a threeway battle as Norway’s Viktor Hovland staged a back-nine charge to get within three of the leader.
After two days of interrupted play caused by lashing rains and ferocious winds that toppled trees, the field of 53 returned to the water-logged course to complete the third round with LIV Golf standard bearer Koepka four clear of Spaniard Rahm.
But just seconds after the horn sounded at 8:30 a.m ET (1230 GMT) to resume play Koepka saw that advantage chopped in half when he took a bogey at the seventh while Rahm rolled in a nine-footer for birdie.
Neither Rahm or Koepka would card a birdie on the back nine both finishing with one-over 73s injecting a jolt of suspense into the final round that is scheduled to get underway at 12:30 p.m. ET (1630).
Four-time major winner Koepka, who started the third round on Saturday two ahead, will go into the fourth round with the same advantage sitting top the leaderboard on 11-under.
“I started yesterday at two. I don’t know what else to say. I’m in the same spot,” said Koepka, who has held a share of the 54 hole lead at a major three-times and won all three. “It’s going to be an interesting afternoon.”
Hovland made it considerably more interesting.
When play was halted on Saturday, Koepka was four ahead of Rahm and seven clear of the next nearest threat leaving the field needing to produce something special to challenge the frontrunners.
Hovland did just that – trailing by 10 at the turn, the 25-year-old ran together five consecutive birdies from the 11th for a two-under 70.
World number four Patrick Cantlay moved into the fringe of contention with a 68 to sit five off the pace with Japan’s 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was one further adrift after returning a 70.
Critics of LIV Golf have branded the Saudi-bankrolled big-money venture as uncompetitive and little more than a sportwashing enterprise by a country eager to polish its human rights record.
A Koepka victory will not end the human rights questions but would give the breakaway circuit some of the credibility and legitimacy it craves.
If Koepka were to walk away wearing the Green Jacket it would be a major marketing coup for the rebel circuit which also has reigning British Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia among its members.
The final day at Augusta was played without golf’s biggest name after Tiger Wood’s withdrawal 75 minutes before third-round play resumed at 8:30am ET.
Woods, the last of 54 players to make the cut, was limping down the 17th fairway on six over par through seven holes when play was called off on Saturday due to bad weather.
The 47-year-old American has won the Masters five times, most recently in 2019, but he has struggled since his car crash in 2021.
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