Masters 2016: Predictions, Live Stream and TV Coverage Hub for Sunday
So much of what happens Sunday at the Masters will depend on the wind.
Throughout the first three rounds, the wind at the Augusta, Georgia, course has not been howling. However, it has been gusting, and those bursts have impacted everything in the first major tournament of the year.
The wind affects the players' stance and setup, the mental approach to each shot, the flight of the ball and, perhaps most dramatically, the putting.
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Leader Jordan Spieth has done the best job of playing in the conditions, but he has had plenty of issues this week. He has had back-to-back rounds where he has failed to break par, and the only reason he's in the lead is that he shot 66 in the opening round.
Spieth could have been ahead by multiple shots entering the final round, but he bogeyed the 17th hole Saturday and closed with a double bogey on the 18th. Spieth will start his final round with a score of three-under par.
As a result, Smylie Kaufman is just one stroke back, while Hideki Matsuyama and 58-year-old Bernhard Langer are two strokes behind at one under.
The threesome of Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Danny Willett are all lurking at even par. Even Rory McIlroy, who blew up Saturday with a five-over 77 while playing with Spieth, is not out of it at two over. However, if McIlroy is going to make any kind of move, he's going to have to keep his drives in the fairway and make a few putts.
Spieth and Kaufman will tee off in the final pairing of the day at 2:45 p.m. ET, while Langer and Matsuyama will start their round 10 minutes earlier. Here's a look at Sunday's final-round tee times.
| 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. |
McIlroy believes that the final round could be wide open as a result of the trouble that Spieth had on Nos. 17 and 18.
"I think it's winnable from here. If Jordan hadn't had that finish, then I would probably say no," McIlroy said after the round, according to BBC Sport. "But the guys on two and three over like myself feel we have a chance now."
It's likely that McIlroy and many of the players who are starting the round with over-par scores are just kidding themselves. They probably have the false hope that Spieth will fall apart; the other problem is their own play.
They wouldn't be over par if they were handling the golf course and the conditions through the first 54 holes.
Despite his subpar finish, Spieth is a brilliant performer. He has had the lead for seven straight rounds at the Masters, which cannot be discounted.
He may shake or wobble, but he will not fall. When it comes to the end of the tournament, Spieth is not going to disappear from view.
He had two double bogeys Saturday. In addition to his troubles on the 18th, he three-putted on the 11th after running into trouble on his way to the green and also doubled on that hole.
Spieth's mental approach to the final round includes putting those poor holes behind him. “I’ve got to absolutely throw this away, throw the finish to this round away,” he said in a television interview (h/t Boston Globe). “Tomorrow’s a new round and everyone’s tied, and you have to shoot the best score to win.”
Langer is trying to become the oldest player in the history of the sport to win a major. Julius Boros won the 1968 PGA Championship at the age of 48, so Langer would blow past that record with a winning final round.
Day and Johnson may be the most dangerous challengers for Spieth. Day has not played anything close to his best game to this point. If he can make a minor adjustment with his putter, he could end up breathing down Spieth's neck.
Johnson, one of the most physically gifted players on the tour, has been unable to break through in any of the majors he has played. He has had nightmarish finishes in the past, including last year's U.S. Open, and finding a way to come through here would finally bring him some relief.
Prediction
Spieth has been on top of the Masters leaderboard for seven consecutive rounds, and the belief here is that he will make it eight.
It won't be easy, and it will likely require a playoff to get there, but he will be the last man standing.
We don't expect Kaufman or Langer to keep it together in the final round. However, Matsuyama has all the tools to stay with Spieth for nearly 18 holes.
The same goes for Day and Johnson. It would be great if Johnson could sand off all the scar tissue and find a way to get that major championship. However, the 17th and 18th holes will do him in.
Day knows how to play his best when the tournament is on the line. He will make a clutch putt on the 18th hole that makes him the clubhouse leader, and he will remain in that position until Spieth finishes the 72nd hole with the two superstars tied for the lead.
Spieth will take a deep breath and activate his best game. He will get the best of Day in the playoff to raise the championship trophy and wear the green jacket again.
All times ET. Online coverage available Sunday at Masters.com.
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