Sunday, April 09, 2017

Masters Timeline

Will this be a classic final round of the Masters? Or will be a runaway? Here's how it all went down:

2.12 Rory almost eagles two. Earlier Maconite Henley slam dunked his ball for an eagle of his own, damaging the 5th hole enough for it to be replaced. CBS says Henley was born in Macon, when in fact he was born in Lexington Kentucky.

2.23 Paul Casey just misses an eagle. He's one under.

2.37 Make that two under for Casey, as he birdies the tough third hole. Both Fowler and Spieth hit their tee shots on one into the fairway bunker. Neither reach the green.

2.54 Both Ryan Moore (above) and Hoffman birdie two. Both are a shot back at 5 under. Martin Kaymer birdies four straight: 9, 10, 11, and now 12. Adam Scott misses a short birdie putt.

2.59 Sergio birdies one, to take the lead. Ryan Moore getting lots of air time. Hits his second shot on 3 into the bunker. Could be worse. Couples birdies. He's 2 under, with 4 birdies in his first 8 holes. Like Moore, Spieth hits a nice long bunker shot close on two. Better than Fowler. Better than Moore's bunker shot on three. Kaymer birdies 13 - his 5th straight.

3.09. Moore double bogeys three. Always a tough hole. He's at four under. Splendid approach by Rose on two. Spieth gets lucky on three. His shot lands between two bunkers. He yells at himself. Good chip by Sergio on two. Fowler hits it close on three. Kaymer won't make it 6 straight birdies. Spieth's shot goes through the green. Sergio misses his putt.

3.20. Spieth bogeys three. Fowler birdies it. Jordan back to three under. Scott misses - he's 2 under.

3.28 Sergio extends his lead to 2 shots with a birdie on three. He's confident. Can he hold his lead and win his first major? Spieth just misses a birdie on four. Long putt. Adam Scott birdie at 6 - he's 3 under. Fowler hit into a bunker on 4 and bogeys the hole. Rory birdies 8 to get to one under.

3.44 Casey birdies eight. He's 3 under. Hoffman misses a bird on six. he's 4 under. Fowler misses another par putt.

3.55 Ryan Moore was at 2 under, but hit it close on seven and made the birdie. Another good long putt from Sergio. Rose misses a long par putt, stretching Garcia's lead to three. Another bird for Casey on nine, matching Fowler at 4 under. Spieth bogeys six. Hoffman drops to 2 under. This may turn into a one man show (I write this in the hopes to jinx Sergio). 

4.02 Phil just missed another eagle, on 15. He's 3 over. Rose hits it close on six. His birdie cuts the lead to two. Spieth continues to fade. Phil hits his tee shot on 16 within inches of the cup. He's dropped three shots.

4.14 Spieth saves par on seven. Kaymer bogies 18 to finish at even par. Hoffman birdies eight. I take a break to pop some corn.

4.50 Rose continues to charge. Birdies on 7 and 8, coupled with bogeys by Sergio, give them a tie for the lead. Moore's approach on 10 is close, but he misses the tough birdie putt. Hoffman's bogie drops him to 2 under. Phil phinishes at 2 over for the tourney. Casey misses a birdie putt. Schwartzel birdies 11 to go to 4 under.

5.00. Kuchar birdies 14, his third straight, lowering his score to 3 under. Thomas Pieters is also at 3 under, and in eagle position on 15. Pieters called Augusta National "just another golf course." Should he win he might have some 'splaining to do.

5.04 Another poor shot by Sergio. His body language says he's defeated. Pieters rolls his eagle putt way past the hole, but he holes the birdie putt, putting him into contention at 4 under. Garcia is able to bogey the hole. Rose has a tester for par, and the lead is his alone. 

5.14 Spieth hits it in the water on 12 for the second straight year. Fowler's shot isn't much better. Schwartzel birdies 13. He's 3 shots back. Pieters great approach on 14. Sergio hits into the left rough on 11.

5.17 Kuchar aces 16, then hands the ball to a kid. The Yellow Jacket is 5 under, all alone in fourth place. Fowler misses his par putt on 12.

5.26 Couples finishes at one over. Schwartzel's charge is slowed by a bogey on 14. Pieters in eagle position again. Rose misses a birdie putt on 11. Garcia loses more ground.

5.33 Pieters taps in for birdie to go to 6 under. He's tied with Garcia for second place. After two bogeys, Fowler birdies 13. Pieters in the bunker on 16.

5.46 Nice sand wedge by Pieters, but he misses his par putt to fall back to 5 under. Sergio is in the azaleas on 13, and takes an unplayable. Still a tough shot out of the pine straw. CBS puts the mic down by the babbling brook. Schwartzel birdies 15 to get to 5 under. Kuchar finishes with a 67 to tie for low round of the day.

5.58 Sergio saves par on 13. Rose misses a tester for birdie, a putt that could come back to haunt him.

6.10 Pieters finishes at 5 under. Spieth birdies 16. Sergio hits it close and birdies 14. Rose sinks another tester for par. Garcia is one back. Schwartzel drives into the bunker on 18. Two straight birdies after a double bogey bring him back to even par.

6.21 On 15 Rose's approach is ok. Sergio hit the flagstick, then sinks the eagle putt. Rose's short birdie putt ties Garcia at 9 under.

6.40 Both hit their tee shots on 16 close. Rose is away and sinks his for a birdie. Sergio misses his, and drops a stroke behind. Fowler and Spieth both birdie 18 to finish one under.

6.50 On 17 Sergio hits a better drive, but his approach is in the bunker. Garcia makes par but Rose misses his. All tied with one hole to go.

7.00 On 18 both tee shots are in the fairway. Rose's approach kicks toward the hole. Garcia's stops even closer. Rose's birdie try slips past. He can't believe it.

7:06 With a chance to win, Garica misses his right. A playoff!

7.23 Rose's tee shot is right, into the trees. Garcia hits it down the middle. Rose has to punch out. Garcia hits his approach close. Rose hits his third shot on the green, but must make his longer par putt to have a chance.

7.30 Rose misses. Garcia has two putts for the win. Ten feet. He only needs one.

A partial list of Augusta National members. What the numbers on the caddies mean. Photos of Thursday's ceremonial first tee shots.

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