1 certainty after a chaotic Masters Saturday? You may not want to know
Rory McIlroy on Saturday on the 18th hole at Augusta National.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — It’s glory for Rory!
Jim Nantz, on a recent appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, said his call is all cued up, should the man at the end of his rhyme, Rory McIlroy, finds, yes, glory, glory, hallelujah at the Masters. If the patrons here at Augusta National are any barometer, Nantz isn’t alone in his anticipation, though. McIlroy’s Militia were hootin’ and hollerin’ on Saturday, as their man laid waste early to ANGC behind a barrage of 3s that would make Steph Curry jealous.
A McIlroy win, after years of also-rans, would warm hearts. But a curious thing unraveled during the third round: Any of the golfers with a reasonable shot would do the same. The leaderboard is as welcoming as a hot dog at the turn. It’s a cold beer for the golfing soul, so to say.
Besides McIlroy, who leads after 54 holes, there’s Bryson DeChambeau, two back, to whom you’ve likely clicked, liked and subscribed. There’s Shane Lowry, McIlroy’s mate. There are vets. There’s an underdog. There’s the defending champ.
Thankfully, they give out a dozen green jackets on Sunday, and everyone can drive down Magnolia Drive, turn onto Washington Road and go home feeling Georgia peachy.
LOL.
This is gonna hurt, we’re afraid to report. In seven ways, the heartwarming leaderboard is going to lead to heartbreak. Seemingly no one will be spared.
Here, we’ll go from the pokes on the shoulders, to the total gut punches. We’ll try to rationalize the agonies of the defeats, too.
7. The phenom loses
Ludvig Aberg shot a three-under 69 on Saturday, and he’ll start six back of the lead. He has more plusses than a calculator. Swing. Charm. Youth.
“I can’t get too ahead of myself,” Aberg said. “All I can do is try to stay disciplined, and at some point maybe on the back nine tomorrow, we have to put the pedal down a little bit.
“But other than that, it’s hard to play this golf course any different, and I think that will be my method going into tomorrow, as well.”
He’ll win here one day. So he’s seventh today.
6. The ’dog loses
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Corey Conners shot two under and he’ll start four back of the lead. The Masters has a history of underdog champions, and Conners (50-1, according to golfodds.com) would be that. Cinderella sells.
But sexiness perhaps more so. He’s sixth on the list.
“It’s a cool position to be in, in the mix in a major championship,” Conners said. “But yeah, just doing my thing, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
5. The vets lose
Justin Rose shot three-over and he’ll start seven back of the lead. Jason Day shot one-under and he’ll start seven back. The Masters also has a history of veterans winning, and Rose (age 44) and Day (age 37) would be that. There’s a certain charm here. It’s maybe the reason why the thought has so many cliches. Turning back the clock. Forever young. On and on.
But they’ve had their moment in the sun. They’re fifth.
“Sunday at Augusta,” Day said, “is unlike any other tournament. You just never know what potentially could happen. I know that if you shoot a low one, you can use the crowd as momentum, and it also works against you, as well, if you can start hearing the crowd through the golf course.
“All I can do is just try and give myself the best chances tomorrow and hopefully I capitalize on some of the putts.”
4. The defending champ loses (and another former winner loses)
Scottie Scheffler shot even par, and he’ll start seven back of the lead. Three times, a Masters winner has slipped on the green jacket the next year — Jack Nicklaus (1965-’66), Nick Faldo (1989-’90) and Tiger Woods (2001-’02) — and Scheffler is deserving. This website, in fact, meticulously laid out his approach as a method to winning at Augusta. Patrick Reed, meanwhile, has been a weekend mainstay since his win in 2018, and after a 69 on Saturday, he’ll start six back of the top.
But they’ve won before. They’re fourth.
“’I’m going to go hit a few balls tonight, see if I can get a good feel going into tomorrow, and then you never know,” Scheffler said.
3. Bryson DeChambeau loses
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DeChambeau shot three-under, and he’ll start two back of the lead. His transformation, from fan heel to fan babyface, has been one of golf’s most mesmerizing stories. Through YouTube, he’s also everywhere. Bryson’s Brigade is a real thing. He’s a modern-day Arnold Palmer, and his popularity would reach mega-star status with a victory.
“It will be the grandest stage that we’ve had in a long time, and I’m excited for it,” DeChambeau said. “We both want to win really, really badly, and it’s — you know, shoot, there’s a lot of great players behind us, too. Got to be mindful of that and focus on — it’s about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best.
“In regard to the patrons, it’s going to be an electric atmosphere.”
But he won a major last year. On that note, you undoubtedly know what’s coming.
2. Shane Lowry wins the Masters over Rory McIlroy
Good lord.
Shane Lowry shot even par, and he’ll start seven back of the lead. Lowry and McIlroy are buds. And if the former were to rally past the latter, you’d figure there’d be joy from the McIlroy camp.
But only the coldest of souls would want to see a friend block a friend from finally winning another major, from finally winning the Masters and from finally finishing the career grand slam.
Notably, Lowry was in no mood to talk about McIlroy after his third round.
“No, I’m not going to stand here and talk about Rory for 10 minutes,” Lowry said. “I’m trying to win the tournament, as well. I know that’s what y’all want me to talk about, but I’ve just had a s**t finish, I’ve got a chance to win the Masters tomorrow, and I’m going to go hit some balls.”
1. Rory McIlroy, with a two-shot lead, does not win the Masters
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McIlroy shot six-under, and he leads by two. Why would this be so painful? Because it’s happened so often. Love him or loathe him, most of us are sympathetic folks. At some point, you wanted the Buffalo Bills to win. At some point, you want Charlie Brown to kick the football.
“It’s amazing to have the support,” McIlroy said. “You know, these patrons and these galleries are a pleasure to play in front of, each and every year we come back. They are some of the most knowledgeable golf patrons or spectators that we play in front of.
“Yeah, look, it’s a pleasure to play in front of them and to have that atmosphere and that support. Tomorrow in that final group is going to be — it’s going to be a little rowdy and a little loud. I’m just going to have to settle in and really try to keep myself in my own little bubble and keep my head down and, you know, sort of approach tomorrow with the same attitude that I have tried to approach the last three days with.”
But yeah, should he not? We’ve seen this before.
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