Masters 2015 Results: Biggest Winners and Losers from Day 3
Well, it's safe to say that moving day at Augusta did not disappoint.
Jordan Spieth remains at the top of the leaderboard with a four-stroke cushion, but he has the best in the game in his rear-view mirror.
On Saturday, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose all put on a birdie clinic, setting up a Sunday that is full of intrigue.
So finish your chores early Sunday and get ready for a great battle for the green jacket.
Here are all of your winners and losers from Saturday at the Masters.
Loser: The Defending Champion
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It was not a good day for Bubba Watson. While so many of the big names in golf charged up the leaderboard, he shot a measly one-over 73.
It was an unconventional one over, though, and one that will leave Watson wondering what might have been. After all, he made seven birdies. Unfortunately, a triple bogey on the first hole and five other bogeys derailed his chances of making a run toward the top of the leaderboard.
"So why didn't Watson make a run at his third green jacket? Putting," Chris Gay of Augusta.com wrote. "Watson has recorded four three-putt greens and has needed 94 putts so far."
Watson is now at one under par for the tournament and tied for 25th, 15 strokes behind Spieth. It's safe to say that he won't be getting his third green jacket on Sunday.
Winner: The Three-Time Masters Champion
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Phil Mickelson and the Masters is always a good match, and he proved that once again by making some moves on moving day.
On Saturday, Mickelson made seven birdies and two bogeys for five under par. He's currently in third place and will play with Charley Hoffman on Sunday in the second-to-last pairing.
It's just a typical showing for Lefty at Augusta. The American has 14 top 10s at the Masters, including eight top threes and three victories. He's now at least within shooting distance of his fourth green jacket.
His putt on the 16th green sent shock waves of excitement through the course.
"It was a good round," he said on CBS after he finished. "It's the best, to play late here on the weekends at Augusta. It was a fun day to play."
Loser: Rickie Fowler
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Rickie Fowler finished in the top five in all four majors last year, and for a while on Saturday it looked like he was going to muster up the magic once again.
After starting the day well behind at one over par, he made five birdies in the first 11 holes to surge up the leaderboard. It looked like the top five was within reach.
Unfortunately for the 26-year-old—who has never won a major and hasn't won a title of any kind since his lone PGA Tour win three years ago—he had a bogey on the 14th hole and a double bogey on the 18th to completely halt his momentum. He finished the day two under par and is currently tied for 25th.
If he's going to continue his streak of top fives at the majors, he's going to need a special round on Sunday.
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Winner: Tiger Woods
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It's hard to believe that just eight days ago we didn't know if Tiger Woods was going to be playing in the Masters. Then, once he announced he was going to play, everyone braced for another embarrassing outing.
But Woods has looked better each round, and that trend continued Saturday as he shot a four-under 68. He is currently six under par for the tournament and tied for fifth place.
Nothing was more impressive than his birdie on the 13th hole, which he salvaged after hitting one of the worst tee shots of his career.
"I'm starting to get my feel back—my distance control, my shots," he said on CBS after he finished his round.
Simply put, he's starting to look like Tiger.
Loser: Sergio Garcia
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Oh Sergio. The Spaniard was paired up with Tiger Woods on Saturday's day of play, and considering their complicated history, many were wondering how that pairing would play out.
Garcia joked about the pairing on Twitter, writing on Friday, "It was gonna happen at some point sooner or later! Paired with @TigerWoods tomorrow but don't you worry guys, I'm sure we'll both be fine."
Later he added, "@TigerWoods and I might not be best friends but we do respect each other and that respect will stay the same today! Enjoy some good golf."
Well, as we've already documented, Woods was certainly fine Saturday, shooting a 68 and climbing into the top five. But Garcia didn't fare as well, merely shooting a 71 and finishing the day tied for 18th. Once again, Woods had the advantage in this matchup.
Of course, Garcia wasn't too bummed. He took to Twitter once again after the round, tweeting, "Nice round of golf with @TigerWoods he played nicely, I was ok. I think we both proved what I said yesterday! Sorry to disappoint the haters!"
Winner: The Best Northern Irishman
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After his front nine on Friday, Rory McIlroy looked like he was in danger of not even making the cut. But he turned it around with a five-under back nine, and he kept the momentum going Saturday with a four-under day.
It looked for a while that he would play his way into contention, until those ahead of him widened the gap. Still, after unremarkable play through the first day-and-a-half, it was nice to see McIlroy get his swagger back.
There was a lot of pressure on the world No. 1 golfer heading into Augusta, as he aimed for his third straight major and a career Grand Slam. Well, unless there's a miracle on Sunday, he won't accomplish those things, but Saturday's showing was impressive nonetheless. Even without his best golf at the Masters this year, McIlroy has kept fighting.
He will pair with Tiger Woods in the third-to-last group Sunday. That should be fun.
Loser: The Other Northern Irishmen
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Rory McIlroy's countrymen didn't have much to write home about, however.
Darren Clarke started the day at one over but shot a five-over 77 Saturday to take himself all the way to 53rd out of the 55 players who made the cut. The 2011 British Open champ had eight bogies on the day.
Graeme McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open winner, didn't fare much better. He had six bogeys and only two birdies to finish the day at four over par. He's five over on the tournament, tied for 51st.
The only two players who are lower on the leaderboard than Clarke and McDowell are Vijay Singh and Thongchai Jaidee—Singh shot a 79 on Saturday, while Jaidee shot an 80. These guys moved the wrong way on moving day.
Winner: Justin Rose
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Justin Rose hasn't really been a threat at a major since winning the U.S. Open back in 2013, but he looks dangerous at Augusta.
The Englishman had seven birdies Saturday, including five in the last six holes, to finish the day at 12 under par, four strokes behind the leader. He will play in the final pairing on Sunday with Jordan Spieth.
"That's going to be a fantastic experience," he said on CBS after his round. "Jordan is playing great golf, but it will be good to keep an eye on him."
Rose's best finish at the Masters was a tie for fifth back in 2007, and since then his only other top-10 finish was a tie for eighth in 2012. He appears to be in complete control of his game this year, though, and certainly has a shot at winning his first green jacket.
Loser: Jordan Spieth
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It might sound weird to say that a guy who set the 54-hole Masters scoring record (with a combined 16-under 200) and has a four-stroke lead going into Sunday is a loser, but Spieth lost some ground Saturday.
He went into the day with a five-stroke lead over Charley Hoffman and a seven-stroke lead over everyone else. Now, he only has a four-stroke lead over Justin Rose and a five-stroke lead over three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson. No offense at all to Hoffman, but that's a bit more frightening.
Plus, there were signs of nerves from Spieth. He had three bogeys and then a double-bogey on the 17th hole that threatened to derail him. He did save par on 18 after an errant second shot, but still, it wasn't the final two holes he had in mind.
Those two strokes that he lost on 17 would have come in handy—not only are major winners Rose and Mickelson within striking distance, but Woods and McIlroy are paired up behind them. Who knows what could happen with the two of them together?
Now, Spieth has about 20 hours to sit and think about the double bogey and the players coming up behind him. That's a huge mental challenge, especially for a guy who is only playing in his second Masters.
This is still Spieth's tournament to lose, but he has less breathing room than he had after 36 holes. The best players in golf have found their games and are ready to pounce if the 21-year-old falters.
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