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Masters 2016: Rory McIlroy targets Green Jacket after Jordan Spieth slip

Last updated on .From the section Golfcomments183

Masters third-round leaderboard (US unless stated)
-3 J Spieth; -2 S Kaufman; -1 B Langer (Ger), H Matsuyama (Jpn); Level J Day (Aus), D Johnson, D Willett (Eng)
Selected others: +1 L Westwood (Eng), B Snedeker, S Kjeldsen (Den); +2 R McIlroy (NI); +3 J Rose (Eng);+4 C Wood (Eng), P Casey (Eng)
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Rory McIlroy says he still has a chance to win the Masters after defending champion Jordan Spieth's late stumble threw the tournament wide open.

Spieth dropped three shots on the last two holes to finish on three under par, just a shot ahead of compatriot Smylie Kaufman, with McIlroy on two over.

"I think it's winnable from here. If Jordan hadn't had that finish then I would probably say no," said McIlroy.

"But the guys on two and three over like myself feel we have a chance now."

Sunday's tee-off times

Relive Saturday's third round at Augusta

McIlroy, who failed to record a single birdie for the first time in 81 major championship rounds, shot 77 in testing conditions at Augusta.

The Northern Irishman, bidding to become only the sixth man to secure a career Grand Slam of golf's four majors, tees off at 18:55 BST on Sunday alongside American Daniel Berger.

"I just have to make sure that I get off to a fast start, put some red numbers on the board and make a bit of noise to put a bit of pressure on the guys playing behind me," he said.

"I'm only five back and I can't believe I am standing here saying that because I was eight behind standing on the 17th tee. I need to regroup and stay positive and go out and attack."

Rory McIlroy failed to register a birdie in his third round

Willett and Westwood seek to take chances

England's Danny Willett carded a third-round 72 to finish level par - three behind Spieth - while Westwood shot a 71 and is one over.

"You're going to have to do something special," said Willett.

"The golf course has firmed up day by day so hopefully if the wind does die on Sunday, we can still keep the control of the ball flight and hopefully roll a few in."

Westwood, who was never outside the top 10 at Augusta from 2010 to 2014, looked out of contention after a front nine of 39, but stormed back in 32 with four birdies.

He was one of only five players to break par in the strong winds.

"It's possible to shoot four or five under on the back nine, so it's a case of not losing your patience and not being too aggressive when you don't need to be, and then taking the chances when they present themselves," he said.

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183 comments

  • Comment posted by Grommydog, at 08:11 10 Apr 2016

    Speith sliced his ball 25 yards into the trees way behind the crowd. Miraculously when they get there he is not even on the pine straw? Is that what they call a 'fan assisted lie'?

  • Comment posted by Serpukhovian-Bashkirian, at 09:46 10 Apr 2016

    Golf seems a strange game. Speith plays a wayward shot but benefits from someone kicking his ball into a more favourable position. Horschel plays onto the green, the ball stops momentarily but then is blown into the water and he has to take a penalty!

  • Comment posted by User0791000814, at 11:12 10 Apr 2016

    The Open Championship can only be watched live on the Sky Sports subscription channel. Unfortunately it will not be uninterrupted coverage, with 146 scheduled commercial breaks guaranteed over the 4 days. Mugs can sign up for £47.50 a month. From a national event watched by millions to a satellite side show, that's the Sky Open, folks.

  • Comment posted by darlo50, at 08:18 10 Apr 2016

    I thought Danny Willett played superbly yesterday, and with a little more luck could have been higher up the leaderboard. Same again today Danny please and you could hit a 66.
    Spieth scrambled from poor play with solid putting...but he'll find those 4 to 7 footers much more difficult under final day pressure.
    As for McIlroy, he needs to learn course management, his shot selection was laughable.

  • Comment posted by DBF, at 08:20 10 Apr 2016

    Spieth did seem to have some incredible luck with all his wayward drives leaving him a shot back to the green. If only Rory could have holed a few putts it would be different final round.

  • Comment posted by Bill Walker, at 12:21 10 Apr 2016

    As an Ulsterman (and hopefully not too partisan), I will probably be rooting for the German. Langer has graced the game for 30 years and has always let his clubs do the talking, not his mouth.

  • Comment posted by TDF, at 11:06 10 Apr 2016

    It shows the value of a great caddy. Speiths caddy argued with him about a club and actually said "do you trust me"? Speith took the club offered and knocked it to 10 feet. Rory decides to hook it round trees to the toughest green on the course and his caddy doesn't say a word.

    Even the greatest players need help with decision making. Rory could also use help reading greens. Change caddy Rory!

  • Comment posted by User0707619471, at 11:30 10 Apr 2016

    Come on Bernhard! Show these young uns how to do it!!

  • Comment posted by JR Hartley, at 11:30 10 Apr 2016

    Agree fully with comments on better course management by JS and he plays it like it is a '72 hole race' not a do or die in the moment approach that Rory suffers from.
    Some sympathy for Rory though as I think his head just went after about 8 holes where JS had played awfully off the tee and had got very very lucky on occasions.

  • Comment posted by just a thought , at 09:22 10 Apr 2016

    @ 10
    Old head on young shoulders, hard to believe he's only 22 isn't it
    @14
    feel sorry for you being so bitter towards a young man making a fantastic living doing something he loves, good luck to him

  • Comment posted by User0791000814, at 13:49 10 Apr 2016

    As regards a ball being moved by a fan to a more favourable position, surely this calls into question the integrity of the event itself, when it is not being effectively marshalled.

  • Comment posted by SteveSDS, at 09:31 10 Apr 2016

    Speith hits two drives into the crowd (before the 18th) - and gets shots to the green BOTH times! Were these balls really given a helping hand? (We'll never know). The second of the two seemed REALLY suspicious (The commentator even says, "the ball was thrown back." - An odd thing to say - WAS IT.!?) It goes way in, but is then sitting on the first cut of grass!

  • Comment posted by Bill Walker, at 11:34 10 Apr 2016

    @59JmcInEden
    "If it is the case there is a ruling to disallow the score if he benefits."
    There have been more than a few instances of this at U.S. courses down the years when the local lad fires wide. The one ruling that was heartbreaking was the chap who marked his ball on the green, studied the line, then replaced the ball, only to have a wind gust blow it into the water for a penalty.

  • Comment posted by betty swollox, at 09:34 10 Apr 2016

    What happened to spieths drive on the 7th?. We saw it diving miles into the trees on the right , and the crowd looking away from the fairway into the deep , all of a sudden he has a shot from the light rough?! I hope this isn't going to happen.

  • Comment posted by User0752525317, at 11:58 10 Apr 2016

    Why this obsession with where golfers are born? They are not representing the country in these events - they are private individuals looking to make money.

    When I see Justin Rose or Dustin Johnson I don't care where their mothers gave birth. I want to see those in contention not a player 10 shots back just because he is British.

    Do you really get some jingoistic thrill out of this?

  • Comment posted by User0648818023, at 10:27 10 Apr 2016

    Golf may be soporific for some, but unlike Kevball ,(now provably corrupt from FIFA to institutional big team bias-see the PL penalty stats), cricket,athletics etc ,it has remained free of taint of any corruption and big betting rings. So, yesterdays suspicions of crowd participation in Jordans good fortune are worrying. Will certain areas have to be kept crowd free or patrolled by marshals?

  • Comment posted by twinbob2, at 11:31 10 Apr 2016

    It is possible that Rory will win but it is unlikely. Will be watching tonight on BBC , always love their coverage.

  • Comment posted by comfortably numb, at 08:03 10 Apr 2016

    Amazing how Spieth still had a shot to the green during several wayward tee shots. Very lucky. At 66/1 at the start of the Tournament, Danny Willett was the bet for me. Mcllroy's odds were too short. Come on Danny!

  • Comment posted by curlydave, at 10:14 10 Apr 2016

    Rory has the uncanny ability to hit shots others can't do, then mix them in with shots an 18 h'cap hacker would be disgusted in. He must be the worst putter in the top 100, a pity as he is a fabulous player.This is another major thrown away. Finally, he really needs a caddie strong enough to say no to him, to tell him not to go for the miracle shot when it's not on.

  • Comment posted by Dobby, at 14:35 10 Apr 2016

    It looked to me that the crowd were cheating on Spieth's behalf moving his wayward ball to more favourable places, not the first time this has happened in the Masters and Ryder cup too. If this continues the game's credibility will be shot to pieces. We may have an unworthy champion in Spieth unless he wins by a street.

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