Masters Schedule 2016: Sunday Tee Times, TV Coverage, Live Stream, Predictions
Jordan Spieth is in his usual position at the top of the Masters leaderboard, but finishing the job and winning his second consecutive green jacket will be anything but easy for him.
Spieth had an up-and-down third round, firing a one-over 73. Despite his second consecutive failure to reach red figures, he is three under par for the tournament and has a one-shot lead over relative unknown Smylie Kaufman.
Bernhard Langer, the 58-year-old former champion, is two strokes behind, tied with Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama.
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No other players are under par, but Dustin Johnson, Jason Day and Danny Willett are three strokes behind at even par.
It's clear that Spieth will be staring down these six challengers and that he has a most difficult task in front of him. He closed out the third round with a bogey on the 17th hole and a double bogey on the 18th, and he's going to have to put that difficult finish behind him if he is going to be at his best over the final round.
"I think it will be tough, personally," Spieth said at the conclusion of his round, according to Kyle Porter of CBS Sports. "I think it will be tough to put it behind [me].
"It's not going to be fun tonight for a little while, and hopefully I just sleep it off and it's fine tomorrow. I imagine that will be the case."
Langer fired a 70 Saturday, and that was the best round on moving day. If he can repeat that performance, he will remain in contention throughout the final round.
Spieth and Kaufman will tee off at 2:45 p.m. ET, while Langer and Matsuyama will tee off 10 minutes earlier. Here's a look at Sunday's tee times.
Langer's performance cannot be overstated. While he is one of the best players on the PGA Champions Tour, no one anticipated that he could compete with the best players on the tour in the year's most prestigious tournament. He has a chance to become the oldest major winner in the game's history, a record that has been held by Julius Boros, who won the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48.
Day may be the most dangerous of the contenders. He is the No. 1 player in the world but has not played anything close to his best game in the Masters. Yet, he's still within three strokes of the lead. If he can upgrade his putting stroke Sunday and play the way he did when he shot 31 on the front nine of the opening round, he could earn his first green jacket.
| CBS | 2 - 7 p.m. |
| Live Stream (Masters.com) | April 10 |
| Featured Groups | 10:15 a.m. - 7 p.m. |
| Amen Corner | 11:45 a.m. - 6 p.m. |
| Masters - On the Range | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. |
| Holes No. 15 and No. 16 | 12:30 - 6:30 p.m. |
| Broadcast | 2 - 7 p.m. |
If Matsuyama had not three-putted on the 15th and 16th holes, he would have the lead going into the final round. He has all the elements to make an excellent run Sunday and catch Spieth and become the first Masters champion from Japan.
Perhaps justice will finally be done if Johnson catches fire in the final round. While he is one of the most physically gifted players on the tour, his past failures in the majors have left serious scar tissue. Johnson has an opportunity to find his way into Butler Cabin and take the title with a sensational final round.
Prediction
The majority of golf fans probably expect Spieth to come away with the Masters, land on all the magazine covers and do a guest spot with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show. It may not be quite so easy.
While Kaufman is right on his heels and Langer is authoring a brilliant story, the three most dangerous challengers are Matsuyama, Day and Johnson.
Look for Matsuyama to stay on Spieth's heels throughout the round, while Day and Johnson should both warm to the task and put on a late charge. Day will square the tournament on the 72nd hole, but Spieth will emerge from the playoff with his victory.
Expect Fallon's producers to get him on The Tonight Show Tuesday.
All times ET. Online coverage available Sunday at Masters.com.
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