On-Site Saturday 7:00 PM at the Masters (Holes 14,15,16)

Below is a chronological log of the exciting play on Holes Nos. 16 and 17 and the leader board changes for the third round of the 2009 Masters. Both holes were pivotal in the play on Saturday and promise to play a significant part in determining who will emerge as the winner of the 2009 Masters.

On No. 15 there was only one eagle today made by Nick Watney though the key shot was a chip-in birdie by Jim Furyk. With only one eagle on Thursday by Luke Donald and five on Friday, it will be interesting to see how this par-five and the par-five 13th hole impact the Sunday back nine charges amongst the leaders.

The par three 16th hole played as tough as ever with a back right shelf hole location. Invariably, almost everyone hit it to the left of the hole with the ball releasing down the slope leaving a 40 to 50-foot birdie putt. The players were only trying to make par on the 16th today.

Sergio Garcia’s tee shot was typical, but then his lag putt did not go far enough only to roll back down the slope and return to where it started. It was a worse fate for leader Chad Campbell who hit it where you cannot hit it—in the long right bunker. He left his first attempt in the bunker and walked away with a double bogey.

The final round of the Masters is always exciting and no doubt watching the play on Holes Nos. 15 and 16 will be the most interesting of the day.

Hole No. 14 (Par Four 440 Yards, Chinese Fir)

Thursday Stats:       Avg. 3.82, Rank 14th,  zero eagles, 33 birdies, 48 pars, 14 bogeys, one DB+

Friday Stats:           Avg. 4.24, Rank 4th,  zero eagles, six birdies, 63 pars, 25 bogeys, two DB+

Saturday Stats:       Avg. 3.82, Rank 14th,  zero eagles, 15 birdies, 29 pars, six bogeys, zero DB+

Tourn. Stats:           Avg. 3.99, Rank 13th,  zero eagles, 54 birdies, 140 pars, 45 bogeys, three DB+

Hole No. 15 (Par 5 530 Yards, Firethorn)

Thursday Stats:       Avg. 4.65, Rank 16th,  one eagles, 42 birdies, 44 pars, eight bogeys, one DB+

Friday Stats:           Avg. 4.57, Rank 18th,  five eagles, 43 birdies, 36 pars, 12 bogeys, zero DB+

Saturday Stats:       Avg. 4.68, Rank 16th,  one eagles, 17 birdies, 29 pars, three bogeys, zero DB+

Tourn. Stats:           Avg. 4.62, Rank 18th,   seven eagles, 102 birdies, 109 pars, 23 bogeys, one DB+

The weather front finally came through Augusta, Georgia last night dropping one inch of rain on the Augusta National golf course. Forecast for today are mostly sunny skies with temperatures rising to the mid 70s by mid afternoon and winds in the 10-20 MPH range. Ditto for Sunday, so look for Augusta National to utilize its high tech vacuum system to suck moisture out of the greens and more difficult hole locations.

The hole location on Saturday for Hole No. 15 is to the far left at the bottom of this heart shaped green on its side. It takes the right bunker out of play, but keeps the fronting pond and brings the back pond into play with the narrowest section of the green. Earlier locations were at about the same depth, but far right and center

1:46 First pairing of the day Ryuji Imada and Stuart Appleby tee off on No, 15. There are 50 golfers left in the field after surviving the plus one cut. The last twosome of the leaders at minus nine Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry are due off at 2:45 p.m.

1:55 Appleby lasers a pitch from across the pond for a tap-in birdie. He has birdied No. 15 all three days.

2:14 Rory McIlroy is the first to go for the green in two from 245 yards. His shot lands on the green, but sucks back rolls down the slope into the front pond. McIlroy is the only teenager left in the 2009 Masters as Japan’s Tiger Woods Ryo Ishikawa and US Amateur Champion Danny Lee did not make the cut.

Rory should have been DQ’d yesterday after leaving a bunker shot in the bunker greenside on No. 18 and kicking the sand in disgust. The proper interpretation for all other golfers would be testing the condition of the sand and disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. As it was he triple bogeyed the hole after four-putting the 16th for double bogey. Today he gets it up and down and saves par on No. 15.

2:24 Whereas D.J. Trahan has bogeyed No. 15 both days, he hits a long three-wood from 245 yards and reaches the green in distance, but slightly left down the slope. Trahan gets it up and down to break the bogey streak on this hole.

2:30 Allenby has birdied both holes 15 and 16 both days a nice part of the golf course to be four-under.  He misses a 15 footer for birdie on No. 15.

2:49 Luke Donald with the one and only eagle on No. 15 on Thursday. It was matched by five golfers on Friday. He lays up and misses his birdie putt today.

2:56 Sean O’Hair is four-under for the day birdying four of his last six holes tees off on No. 15.

2:59 Paul Casey winner last week in Houston is the third player to go for the green in two two-putts for par. He is having a great year also finishing second to Ogilvy at the WGC Accenture Match Play.

3:09 Co-leaders Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry both par No. 1—the third round of the 2009 Masters is underway.

3:11 Ian Poulter and Bubba Watson go for the green in two from 240 plus yards. Poulter makes it and has a 50 foot eagle putt. Bubba makes it too a little farther from the hole. Bubba three-putts for par. Poulter two-putts for birdie to get it to four-under.

3:14 Co-leaders Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry both birdie par-five second hole to take a three stroke lead over Angel Cabrera and Todd Hamilton. Cabrera then birdies No. 3 to get within two strokes.

3:39 Kenny Perry deuces the difficult 240-yard par-three fourth hole to take the lead for the first time in the 2009 Masters Tournament.

3:55 Camilo Villegas reaches No. 15 in two and has a 40-foot eagle putt to go to four-under. He misses and then misses again to settle disappointedly for par to remain at two-under. Playing partner Larry Mize, 1987 Masters Champion taps in for birdie after laying up and pitching to within inches of the hole.

4:03 Lee Westwood only the seventh player to attempt to reach the par-five 15th hole in two swings today. The first Rory McIlroy found water the rest were dry.  He is on the far right side of the green leaving an almost 100-foot putt over a ridge to the hole. Westwood leaves it well short outside of playing partner Harrington’s wedge shot. He three-putts and both leave the green with par. No penalty stroke for Padraig today.

4:10 Tim Clark birdies No. 8 to get to seven-under and is fourth place alone.

4:18 Tiger Woods tees off on No. 15 and is even for the day currently tied for 21^st place. He started with a double bogey on No. 1. His tee shot on No. 15 is far right in the pine trees. He is aptly named for the location of his tee shots today and is getting to know the galleries well here at Augusta National.

4:26 Tiger takes a drop from the patron crosswalk after chipping out of the woods. Tiger masterfully pitches onto the green and uses the dividing slope to get within 12 feet of the hole.  He drills the putt into the hole to get to three-under.

4:29 Baddeley hits a quick left shot off the tee what we would call a duck hook. Unlike us he recovers and pars the hole.

4:30 Chad Campbell birdies the par-five No. 8 to pull even at 11-under as Perry pars the hole. Cabrera is only two strokes back after birdieing the same hole in the twosome ahead.

4:51 Phil Mickelson makes a 30-footer for birdie on No. 15 to get it to five-under.

4:54 Angel Cabrera birdies the 10th hole to get into double digits at 10-under only one stroke behind Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry. Tied for fourth at six-under are Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk, and Tim Clark who bogeyed No.10.

5:02 Kenny Perry birdies No. 10 to get the lead and be the first player in the 2009 Masters Tournament to get to 12-under par. He is now three-under for the day.

5:08 Nick Watney reaches the green in two shots and the ball releases and rolls down the slop and stops approximately 35 feet from the hole. Watney chips with a putter trying to run it up the hill and down the putting surface into the hole for eagle. Yes it goes in the hole, the first player to eagle No. 15 today!

5:18 Jim Furyk birdies No. 13 to go to sevem-under and solo fourth place.

5:20 Kenny Perry bogeys No. 11 to fall into tie with Chad Campbell at 11-under.

5:28 Sergio Garcia, the reigning PLAYERS Champion is contemplating going for the green. He pulls the three-wood out of the bag and takes the head cover off still trying to get the feel for the shot. The trees are wavering around him almost waving to him to say come on go for it. He goes for it with a decisive full swing then hopefully waits and wonders if it will carry the water. It does barely landing on the front right side of the green.

5:31 Kenny Perry bogeys No. 12 his second hole in a row to give the lead back to Chad Campbell. Campbell remains at 11-under and Perry and Cabrera are 10-under par.

5:34 Jim Furyk four-under for the day with no bogeys on the scorecard has a wedge in his hand from 94 yards but carries the green long left and is left with a difficult bump chip up the hill to a tight flagstick. Masterfully he bumps it up the hill and into the hole to get to nine-under and fourth place alone.

5:37 Now Furyk’s playing partner Garcia for eagle from way across the green—nice lag and two-putt birdie. He goes to three-under and with a finish like yesterday, can really get back into the hunt for his first Major victory. This is provided that Padraig Harrington doesn’t do the same thing and snatch a third Major from Garcia’s grasp and continue the Paddy Slam.

5:43 Playing partners Shingo Katayama and Rory Sabbatini reach the 15th green in two swings. Shingo has a 40-footer down over the ridge. Both two putt and birdie keeping birdie streaks alive—three for Katayama and two for Sabbatini.

5:51 Par-three Champion Tim Clark wedges to within 12 feet of the hole on No. 15 and makes the putt to get to three-under.

5:53 Perry birdies No. 13 to get back into the lead with Campbell at 11-under. Furyk and Cabrera are two strokes back.

6:01 There are 17 players within seven strokes of the lead including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson as the third round of the 2009 Masters is winding down. Padraig Harrington shot 73, so it is unlikely a Paddy Slam will occur this year.

6:02 Angel Cabrera hits an iron onto the right side of the green at No. 15. It releases and rolls over the green leaving a difficult chip up and over a ridge in the green. The Argentinean flops it masterfully to within four feet.

6:08 Furyk bogeys No. 17 to slip back into fourth place at eight-under as Cabrera converts his birdie to get to 10-under alone in third place.

6:12 Perry wedges in from 94 yards leaving an uphill 20 footer for birdie. Now Chad Campbell from 84 yards carries slightly too far and ends up a few feet over the green. Both leaders par the par-five 15th

6:19 Play is concluded for the day on No. 15.

Hole No. 16 (Par 3 171 (Thurs.), 155  (Fri.), 173 (Sat.) Yards, Redbud)

Thursday Stats:       Avg. 3.04, Rank 10th,  zero aces, 24 birdies, 47 pars, 22 bogeys, three DB+

Friday Stats:           Avg. 3.21, Rank 5th,  zero aces, 13 birdies, 54 pars, 24 bogeys, five DB+

Saturday Stats:       Avg. 3.22, Rank 3th,  zero aces, four birdies, 35 pars, eight bogeys, three DB+

Tourn. Stats:           Avg. 3.15, Rank 8th,  zero aces, 41 birdies, 136 pars, 54 bogeys, 11 DB+

The Saturday hole location on No. 16 is back right still up on the ledge like Friday’s front right position. Long and right into the protecting bunker is an automatic bogey or worse due to being short sided and the huge slope immediately past the hole. Thursday it was middle green left down in the swale. Sunday’s location is likely to be back left enabling dramatic tee shots that release down towards the holes.

2:00 Appleby’s first to play the hole today. His five-iron lands right where the hole was yesterday and he is left with a 30 footer along the upper right ledge.

2:45 D.J. Trahan puts his tee shot in the back right bunker and makes a four footer for bogey.

2:55 Steve Flesch records the first deuce on No. 16 to make it four birdies in last five holes.

3:08 Dudley Hart knocks a twenty footer in for the second birdie of the day on No. 16.

3:17 Andres Romero from the long left bunker on No. 16 blades it into the back right bunker. Coming out of jail, it rolls well past the hole down the hill. Net result is a 60-footer for bogey.

3:20 Sean O’Hair makes a 10-footer for deuce.

3:22 Ian Poulter aced the 16th last year with an eight-iron. He hits six-iron today and putts it back left where Sunday’s hole location will be leaving a 50-footer for birdie. Poulter almost makes the bomb and taps in for par.

3:42 Both Mike Weir and Miguel Angel Jimenez playing in the same twosome put it in the water on the par-three 16th hole. Jimenez immediately re-tees from 173 yards and knocks it into the middle of the green leaving a 70 foot lag putt. Weir goes up to the drop zone and from 150 yards puts it within 10 feet.

Jimenez after leaving the lag putt 10 feet short hears those four ugly words from Weir- “you are still away.” He rims out the double bogey putt and makes triple. Weir then knocks in his putt for bogey. Two stroke differential.

3:49 Ken Duke hits his iron tee shot to the back hole location leaving a 10 footer for deuce, but misses the putt and settles for par.

4:13 Harrington’s iron shot covers the flagstick hitting the green and holding 12 feet beyond the hole on the fringe. Harrington’s putt slides by on the right leaving a three-footer coming back, which he makes.

4:25 Dustin Johnson leaves one hanging on the lip for birdie.

4:43 McDowell makes a bomb on No, 16 to record only the fourth birdie of the day. It is a very difficult hole location back right on the shelf. Players can’t risk going into the back right bogey-for-sure bunker. Playing partner Tiger two-putts for par. 

5:01 Mickelson gives the birdie on No. 15 right back after missing the green right on No. 16 and rimming out the 10-footer putt for par.

5:46 Sergio Garcia putts from 50 feet up the hill not far enough and it rolls all the way back down the hill. His second attempt goes past the hole leaving a difficult five footer to avoid a four-putt double bogey five. He makes it for bogey!

5:50 Furyk with a similar first putt as Garcia takes note, gets the speed right and two putts for par to end his birdie streak at three holes.

6:21 Co-leader Kenny Perry hits seven-iron on No. 16. It is a familiar shot today which hits into the side of the upper right shelf and releases down to the left leaving a 40-50 foot putt back up the hill. It is a difficult putt as Sergio Garcia can attest to having it come back down the slope to his feet.

6:23 Co-leader Chad Campbell makes a tactical mistake bunkering his six-iron long right of the hole. It is a death spot with bogey a good score. Campbell gets cute and leaves it in the bunker. No McIlroy kick of the sand in disgust. Good second recovery shot. Ensuing five footer for bogey is missed. Double bogey just like that.

6:29 Perry makes a four footer to save par. He is in the lead by one stroke over Angel Cabrera, two strokes over Chad Campbell and three strokes over Jim Furyk with two difficult holes remaining to be played in the third round. Play concludes for the day on No. 16.

Andy Reistetter is a freelance golf writer. He follows the PGA TOUR volunteering for the tournaments and working part time for NBC Sports, CBS Sports, and The Golf Channel. He resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida near the PGA TOUR headquarters and home of The PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach. He enjoys pursuing his passion for the game of golf and everything associated with it. He can be reached through his website www.MrHickoryGolf.net or by e-mailing him to [e-mail]