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By Brendan Quinn, Hugh Kellenberger, Gabby Herzig and Lukas Weese
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Golf’s mad scientist ended his round with a bang, but other than that, he didn’t do himself any favors at Augusta National on Saturday. Bryson DeChambeau — the co-leader with Max Homa and Scottie Scheffler headed into Moving Day at the Masters — nearly ejected himself from contention, posting a three-over 75 with one double bogey, five bogeys and four birdies on his card. He is now in fifth place, four strokes back of Scheffler with 18 holes to play.
DeChambeau’s round featured a handful of replay-worthy moments — good and bad — but No. 18 topped them all.
He stood on the 18th tee box, his Krank long-drive driver ready to go, but something felt off. “This isn’t right,” DeChambeau blurted out to his caddie, clearly distressed over the ball — a mood he seemed stuck in all day. He stormed over to his bag and pulled out a fairway wood, but perhaps he should have kept his original choice. DeChambeau’s tee shot sailed into the pine trees on the right, forcing him to punch out into the fairway, leaving a wedge into the green for his third. The 77-yard shot drew three yards, landed five feet right of the pin, and dropped to the bottom of the cup. The natural amphitheater around Augusta’s 18th green erupted. DeChambeau had salvaged his round in the most DeChambeau way possible.
“On the 18th hole, I just figured that was easier than putting,” DeChambeau said. “Jokingly, obviously.”
DeChambeau’s putter was the problem all day. He three-putted four times, causing him to drop from 6-under to 2-under in six holes on the back nine. DeChambeau hit his lowest low on the par-5 15th. The 2020 U.S. Open champion was blocked out by the trees on the left-hand side of the fairway. He decided to go for the hero shot anyway, air-mailing a long iron into the grandstand right of the green. It richhotted off the metal posts, leaving DeChambeau behind a TV stand. He got free relief due to the restricted sight line, but subsequently chunked his wedge shot into the water. He walked away with a double bogey.
“I was fortunate to get relief, and then ultimately I just dropped it in a fluffy little lie and thought it was hard when it was not,” DeChambeau said.
Our writers in Augusta give their thoughts on the day’s events.
Leaderboard report
Moving day at Augusta National provided all the excitement, setting the stage for an epic final round Sunday at the Masters.
Scheffler shot a third-round 71 to enter the clubhouse at 7-under-par. He will hold the 54-hole lead alone as he looks to win his second green jacket.
Looming behind Scheffler is Collin Morikawa, who shot a 3-under 69. Morikawa is searching for his third major championship.
Homa sits at 5-under-par, two off the lead after a third-round 73. Homa is looking for his first major championship.
DeChambeau had a rough back nine which included a double bogey on the par-5 15th. But he dazzled on the 18th hole with a hole out from the fairway for birdie to enter Sunday four off the lead.
Ludvig Åberg shot a third-round 70. He’s three off the lead and is looking to become the first since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979 to win the Masters in his major championship debut.
Tiger Woods, who made his 24th consecutive cut at the Masters, shot a 10-over 82 in his third round. It was the highest round for Woods at the Masters in his career.
Morikawa searching for his game
Morikawa did not come to Augusta National feeling like his game was ready to win the Masters. “I had to search,” said Morikawa, who made swing tweaks on the range and during practice sessions, and went so far as to switch putters before Friday’s second round.
But he’ll play Sunday afternoon in the final group, in solo second and one stroke behind Scheffler. Morikawa had a 3-under 69 on Saturday, the second-best round of the day. He birdied his first 3 holes to emerge from the pack to the front of the race, then kept himself in it during the wild couple of hours late Saturday afternoon where the lead changed hands so many times.
Morikawa has two major championships — the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship — but prolonged issues with his swing have hurt his ability to win on the PGA Tour or contend in majors over the last year. While Morikawa is not ready to reveal what exactly he’s done to fire 71, 70 and 69 rounds over the first three days at this Masters, it’s clearly working for him.
“Scottie is the No. 1 player in the world for a reason, and what he’s done over the past few years is incredible,” Morikawa said. “But at the end of the day, it doesn’t scare me. I still know that at my best and at what I truly believe I can do. I saw a little glimpse of that early on today. And just didn’t hit the shots I needed to. Didn’t really make the putts on the back nine, or else I would be even with him or 1-up.”
Morikawa began 2024 working with a TaylorMade TP Soto blade-style putter but abandoned it for a Logon Olson prototype model for two events last month. When he arrived in Augusta he was using a mallet-style putter that was very similar to what Scheffler has been using. But Morikawa said he spent the first round completely uncomfortable with it, and luckily had a backup. He gained 1.07 strokes on the field putting in Round 3, and 2.98 during the second round. He lost 0.39 strokes putting in the first round. — Hugh Kellenberger, golf managing editor
Woods never finds rhythm
Woods’ face said it all coming off the course. He exited Augusta through the traditional tunnel of patrons clapping and cheering, some extending fists. Woods was stone faced the whole way, barely blinking.
The 10-over 82 is a new record-high score in his major championship professional career — the worst of all 307 major rounds he’s played over the last 27 years.
Woods said afterward he began Saturday with a poor warmup session and never found rhythm throughout the round.
“Just hitting the ball in all the places that I know I shouldn’t hit it,” Woods said. “And I missed a lot of putts. Easy, makable putts. I missed a lot of them.”
The results: Woods found only four fairways in the third round, hit eight greens in regulation and tallied 34 putts.
Following Friday’s triumph of making his record 24th straight Masters cut as a professional, Saturday made you wonder if it was worth it. Woods limped more noticeably throughout Saturday, the result of Friday’s demanding 23-hole day stemming from opening round delays on Thursday.
Starting his third round at 1-over par for the tournament and tied for 27th on the leaderboard, Woods opened by striping the first fairway. A little over an hour later, he arrived at No. 6 still at even par. Then it all went wrong, quickly. A bogey-double bogey-double bogey-bogey stretch wrapped up a front-nine 42. On the back, he struggled with five bogeys buffered by only one bogey.
On 9, Woods finished a one-handed follow through in obvious pain, as his ball tumbled into the right pine straw. His next swing looked just as unbearable, as he again finished with one hand on the club.
Woods admitted to being warn out by Friday’s haul, but said he plans to continue Sunday. That very well could rely on his post-round physical therapy session. Woods has withdrawn from two of his last three major tournament appearances due to physical limitations.
“It will be a long night and a long warmup session, but we’ll be ready,” Woods said. — Brendan Quinn, golf senior writer
Masters asks Day to remove sweater vest
Every year at the Masters it seems like one player steals the show not for their play, but for their fashion. Looking back to 2022 and 2023, Viktor Hovland’s peculiar pink and green polo and Tony Finau’s vertical-striped Nike top come to mind.
This year it was Jason Day and his Malbon Golf graphic sweater vest, which featured the words “No. 313 Malbon Golf Championship” stitched in large black and red letters on its front side. The sleeveless layer caused a stir on social media and ultimately became so newsworthy that the green jackets decided to do something about it.
Day confirmed after his Saturday round at Augusta that the club did indeed ask him to remove the vest, substantiating a rumor that had been swirling on the property.
“Yeah, they asked me to take it off — the vest off — yesterday,” Day said. “Yeah, the busy one. Respectfully, you do that because it’s all about the tournament here, and I understand that. I respect the tournament. That’s what we’re here to do is try and play and win the green jacket.”
Day’s apparel has been making waves since he signed on with the streetwear-inspired golf lifestyle brand in replacement of his expired Nike contract. The Australian has mostly created buzz for his loose-fitting bottoms. He sported parachute pants at a windy Augusta National on Thursday, prompting one reporter to ask if the pant legs affect his “balance.”
“I don’t think so,” Day said. “Tiger had baggier stuff on in the early 2000s. He did pretty good. I think it’s fine.” — Gabby Herzig, golf staff writer
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
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