Masters 2015: Live Updates for Leaderboard Scores on Sunday

Jordan Spieth. I could do the whole subject, predicate, etc. thing to describe how Spieth has done through his first 54 holes, but that's probably not necessary. The words Jordan Spieth are more than good enough to imply excellence.

Spieth enters Sunday's final round at Augusta with a four-stroke lead over Justin Rose, setting a course record by shooting 200 over the first three days. He'll need to go two-under over his final 18 holes to match Tiger Woods' all-time course record, which was set in 1997—before the whole "Tiger-proofing" thing became all the rage.

Taking advantage of ideal weather and even better course conditions, Spieth has hit marvelous shot after marvelous shot without any of it looking out of the ordinary. He's does not lead the field in driving distance, driving accuracy or greens in regulation; he doesn't really stand out as head and shoulders above the pack in any major statistic.

With, of course, the exception being birdies. Spieth has carded 22 of those, by far the most in the event, and he has done so against only a handful of bogeys. The only time he's even looked remotely out of control came Saturday, when he doubled No. 17 to bring himself back to the field—at least a little bit.

"It was on the downslope, and it’s into the grain, which means that it’s hard to judge exactly how it’s going to come out,” Spieth said of a chip that cost him a stroke, per Jay Coffin of Golf Channel. "I just barely caught the ground right at the ball and it had to be struck perfectly to be a good shot. It was harder than 18 probably, or about the same.”

That double bogey took a six-stroke lead and made it four, as Justin Rose shot a third-round 67 to put himself right on the edge of contention. Rose, who has never finished any higher than fifth at Augusta, birdied five of his last six holes in the third round to nudge his way into the final group.

“It was nice to stay patient and get rewarded with a hot finish," Rose said, per Ewan Murray of The Guardian. "It’s amazing and it put me in with a great opportunity tomorrow now. It’s a great lesson, as well, to stay patient, because you never know when you’re going to get your run.”

Phil Mickelson knows a thing or two about Augusta runs. He also hasn't quite had his yet this weekend. Lefty has played his best golf of 2015 this week, carding three under-par rounds to sit alone in third place at 11-under. But the closest thing he's had to a Rose-like run was his three straight birdies on Nos. 2-4 on Saturday—meaning there could be another burst coming in the final round.

One thing's for certain: You'll be hearing the roars if Mickelson is giving Spieth a run for his money. A favorite of nearly every crowd he plays, Mickelson has become one of Augusta's most beloved sons over the years. His gallery matches or exceeds the size of every player this side of Woods and Rory McIlroy, and it's certainly the loudest amid a typically subdued Augusta crowd.

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

"Everyone loves Phil, why wouldn't you love Phil?" Spieth said, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times. "He's going to make some noise and he's going to make a run."

Mickelson is paired with Charley Hoffman, the 38-year-old late bloomer who is in his second Masters appearance. Hoffman has stayed strong despite being shorter and less accurate off the tee than the other leaders. Then, on Saturday, Hoffman's putter started to show signs of fraying, as he left a number of putts short before scrambling his way to 71.

“Speed of the putts, I never had it down,” Hoffman said, per Tod Leonard of U-T San Diego. “I had a lot of good opportunities out there and didn't make any of them, really, and so all in all pretty happy with 1 under."

Viewed by very few as a contender, Hoffman nonetheless looks destined for his best-ever major finish. In his 14 previous major appearances, Hoffman never placed higher than 27th and was cut seven times. Now, a decade and a half after turning pro, he is one of four players with a (semi) reasonable chance at wearing the green jacket.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press

The names get bigger after Hoffman, but the chances of winning evaporate. Woods and McIlroy lead a group of golfers at six-under that also includes Dustin Johnson. The high-profile pair had the gallery in an uproar Saturday, each turning in the best round of their weekends and at one point seemingly putting themselves in contention.

Ten strokes is far too many for them to realistically make up, but their sheer presence near the top of the leaderboard should help goose the interest of the casual fan. Woods' presence should especially help given the fact his best major finish last season was 69th.

That said, Woods, like the rest of us, is probably preparing for a day in which his name gets eradicated from the record books by the new face of USA Golf. With Mickelson and Woods both on the leaderboard, it's only right that Spieth takes the baton and runs all the way to a green jacket with it.

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