Masters Leaderboard 2015: Updates on Golf's Top Scorers on Sunday
There's something fitting about HBO's Game of Thrones having its season premiere on Sunday night, on the same day that the Masters will conclude. After all, the top of the leaderboard at the Masters could easily be turned into a plot on HBO's hit show.
There's Jordan Spieth, the young prince looking to prove he has the mettle of a king. There's Phil Mickelson, the crafty political figure who lurks in the shadows before he strikes, swinging the balance of power in his favor. We can't forget about Rory McIlroy, the young king of the sport who is losing this battle but has the power to somehow still win the war. Or Tiger Woods, the disgraced king looking to regain his throne. Justin Rose has ascended to the summit of power before but hasn't showed he belongs on the throne. And Charley Hoffman has surprised everyone by worming his way into the king's court for this final round.
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Out on the golf course there won't be any slayings, political betrayals or, you know, dragons. There will be bunkers to avoid, clutch putts and nerves to soothe, however, and if you want to see how all of the top contenders are handling them on Sunday, you need go no further than the automatically updating leaderboard below.
When you play the Masters, you win the green jacket or you lose. There is no middle ground. Let's take a closer look at the contenders.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth held a comfortable lead coming into the day and has been nothing short of brilliant. And he could set a bit of history in the process, per the Golf Channel on Twitter:
And then there is the following from John Buccigross of ESPN:
Never mind the fact that he would be winning his first major. Or that he would be making up for last year's inability to win the Masters after going into the final day in the lead. What happens on Sunday is either going to be remembered as one of the more dominant performances in majors history or go down among the bigger collapses, akin to McIlroy's collapse at Augusta in 2011.
That pressure alone would cause more than a few 21-year-olds to crumble. But Spieth is not your normal 21-year-old. As he's proven thus far, he's not your normal golfer, either. He's something special.
Justin Rose
For Rose, everything will hinge on whether he can carry the momentum from his epic close to his round on Saturday, when he posted birdies on five of the last six holes to at least put himself within striking distance of Spieth.
Rose is no stranger to this type of stage, having won the 2013 U.S. Open. And he seems excited to have the chance to be playing next to Spieth.
“You want to be in the last group. You want to be seeing what you're up against; you want to feel the atmosphere," Rose told Rex Hoggard of GolfChannel.com. “You want to get a look at how the guys play next to you, especially when you get to [Nos.] 12, 13, 14, 15 on the back nine.”
What he may be looking at is a Spieth who simply won't be caught on the day. Recovering from a four-stroke deficit will be no easy task. Rose has the ability to catch him, but he'll likely need to be flawless.
Phil Mickelson
Lefty, as always, is the wild card. Nobody would blink if he shot a 64 or a 65 and won this tournament. Nobody would be shocked if he shot a 75 out of nowhere and drifted down the leaderboard.
But this is the man who has won this tournament three times, remember. And he's also shown in the past that a large deficit at a major doesn't bother him, per SportsCenter on Twitter:
If there is a player Spieth is worried about—other than himself, obviously—you have to think it's Lefty. Don't be surprised if everybody's favorite wild card makes things quite interesting on Sunday.
Charley Hoffman
Who?
Near the top of a leaderboard that includes names like Spieth, Mickelson, McIlroy and Woods, Hoffman sticks out. After all, he's only won three PGA events and has never finished higher than 27th at a major.
Ah, but the past is the past, and Hoffman has shot well all tournament long. His 71 on Saturday was a disappointment in his quest to catch Spieth, but he's shown the poise thus far to post another 67 or 68 on Sunday. If he does, he'll certainly be in the running.
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