7:25 p.m.: Winning majors is all about coming up big when it matters most. That’s exactly what Charl Schwartzel did on Sunday at Augusta. His birdie on 18 was memorable, obviously, but he also birdied 16 and 17 on his way in. It was impressive stuff for the South African who was relatively unknown coming into the tournament.
The guy you have to feel for is Rory McIlroy. He came in with a sizeable four-stroke lead, and quite frankly, he melted on the back nine starting with a 7 on the 10th. He took his medicine after his round of 80 and vowed to learn from it. He’ll be 22 in a couple of weeks, but you have to wonder what kind of effect this will have on his psyche moving forward.
6:51 p.m.: Technically, it’s not over. But it’s over. Charl Schwartzel just dropped in another big-time shot, this one a long birdie putt at 18 to push his score to 14-under.
Talk about a weird day for Schwartzel. He chipped in for birdie at the first, holed an eagle from the fairway a few holes later, before making things a little dicey around the turn. No worries, though, as he turned it on down the stretch with some incredible golf all the way through the 72nd hole capped by a solid second shot and a beautiful birdie putt for the 66 and the win.
6:42 p.m.: Incredible tournament for a pair of Aussies. Both Jason Day and Adam Scott walk off the 18th green at 12-under and assume the role of the clubhouse leader. Now, it’s all down to Schwartzel who is watching all of this happen from the 18th fairway as he holds a one-stroke lead.
6:36 p.m.: We’ve got a new leader and his name is Charl Schwartzel. The South African just holed an incredible birdie putt at 17. He’ll his 13-under to the 18th where Jason Day just hit a solid approach shot to the 18th green. He’ll have a very makeable birdie putt momentarily with a chance to go to 12-under.
6:28 p.m.: Jason Day seemed to be up and down all week, most notably catching fire on Friday. He just hit a lengthy birdie putt at 17 to move him to 11-under.
Just a few seconds later, though, Adam Scott made a par putt that major champions have to make. Scott hit his drive way left off the tee. From there, he found a greenside bunker. Naturally, he made a long par putt to keep his lead alive.
As it stands now, Scott is at 12-under. Charl Schwartzel is right there with him at 12-under as well. Day trails by just a shot.
6:22 p.m.: Rory McIlroy is now 8-over today and just 4-under for the tournament. To be honest, it’s been tough to watch seeing the 21-year-old just fall apart on Sunday at Augusta.
Interesting developments up ahead of McIlroy though. Schwartzel just knocked down his birdie putt, and now he seems like he’s in the driver’s seat — at least one of them.
He just moved to 12-under with a birdie on 16, while Adam Scott is trying to scramble one hole ahead after a disastrous tee shot.
There’s another guy at 10-under in the clubhouse now. Luke Donald hit his second on 18 with one foot practically in a fairway bunker. He hit a brilliant shot, but one that was almost too brilliant. The ball hit the green, took one hop, and then hit the flag before rolling off.
No problem, though. He then chipped in from just in front of the green to make birdie.
6:15 p.m.: Our chance at seeing a playoff with a bunch of guys at 10-under is slowly slipping away thanks to Adam Scott. He just knocked down his short birdie putt at 16 to move to 12-under.
So for Tiger Woods and the seemingly 20 other guys at 10-under, it’s going to take a monumental collapse on the last two holes by Scott to extend the Masters. Also, Charl Schwartzel would have to give a shot back as he is 11-under and just hit his tee shot to about 20-30 feet on 16.
As we update, Scott drills drive on 17 way left. Not over yet.
6:08 p.m.: Now this is definitely Adam Scott’s tournament to win or lose. He’s walking down the 16th right now after a beautiful tee shot that will leave him with a makeable birdie putt. If he hits on it, he’ll move to 12-under with two to play.
Geoff Ogilvy just finished and he joins Tiger in the clubhouse tied for the 72-hole lead at 10-under.
6:01 p.m.: Tiger just spoke with CBS and was noncommittal about speaking about his progress after this weekend. Of course, he still believes that he’s got a chance to win. He’s in the clubhouse as the leader at the moment, and while it’s unlikely the plethora of players still in contention all finish at 10-under, he’s got a chance.
He did commit to one thing. He’s starving. And he’s going to go eat.
Adam Scott just made par at the par-5 15th.
5:55 p.m.: Cabrera’s second shot at 14 gives him a great chance for birdie.
Tiger’s birdie putt on 18 is too long.He pars — going into the clubhouse at -10.
Van Pelt bogeys — falling back to -19 after 16.
5:50 p.m.: Tiger makes his climb up to the 18th green.
Schwartzel just misses his birdie at 14.
Van Pelt leaves himself a long par putt at 12.
Day gets his scramble shot out into the fairway on 15. His third shot is too long, just past the green.
Luke Donald gets a birdie, bringing himself back into the mix at -9.
5:45 p.m.: Tiger’s tee shot at 18 is good — barely avoiding a fairway bunker.
Bo Van Pelt makes an eagle at 15. He goes to -10.
Adam Scott finds the fairway with his tee shot on 15. Jason Day’s tee shot goes awry. He’s in the woods.
Cabrera misses his birdie putt at 13. He stays at -9.
Schwartzel and Choi find the green in two on the 14th, but both have tough birdie putts.
Ogilvy makes another great shot — from a bunker this time, to give himself an easy par putt at 17.
5:40 p.m.: Scott Birdies at 14 and goes to -11. He his now alone in the lead.
Jason Day misses a short birdie putt at 14, and he stays at -10.
Cabrera’s second shot at 13 rolls off the back end of the green. He’ll chip for eagle.
Woods gets his par at 17.
5:35 p.m.: Schwartzel’s third shot at 13 spins all the way back to give him a makeable birdie chance — but he’s well farther than Choi.
Schwartzel makes par. K.J.’s birdie putt is well off. He settles for par and stays at -9.
Tiger’s second shot at 17 is short and right, leaving him a long putt or chip for birdie. He leaves himself work for par thereafter.
Rory’s next tee shot hits a brook. Cabrera’s is fine.
Ogilvy gets his fifth birdie in a row. He’s now at -10, tied for the lead.
Day and Scott both leave themselves good birdie chances at 14.
5:30 p.m.: Mickelson finishes his Masters at -1.
Cabrera taps in for bogey at 12, dropping him off the lead.
Geoff Ogilvy’s tee shot at 16 is a great one, giving him a very makeable birdie opportunity that would give him a share of the lead.
Rory misses his par and bogey at 12. He’s in a full-fledged free fall.
Choi’s third shot at 13 is a great one. He’ll have a great chance to get back to -10.
5:25 p.m.: Adam Scott’s third shot at 13 is a good one, leaving him with a very makeable birdie opportunity. His birdie putt at 13 is just a little off, he settles for par. Jason Day, though, birdies 13 and is back to -10.
Tiger’s birdie putt at 16 is again centimeters away — it had a chance. He settles for par with just two more holes to go.
Geoff Ogilvy has now made four birdies in a row to go to -9.
Rory’s tee shot at 12 is a good one, right on the green.
5:20 p.m.: K.J.’s chip leaves him a lengthy putt for par, which he can’t quite convert. He falls to -9.
McIlroy’s second shot at 11 is great, giving him a birdie chance that would put him just one shot off the lead. He can’t quite hit it, however. Thereafter, he misses the short par putt to fall to -7.
Schwartzel chooses to putt from the light rough at 12, and he leaves himself a makeable par putt. He sinks it.
Woods’ tee shot at 16 nearly hits the flag, but it runs a little past to give himself a makeable, but tough birdie putt.
Adam Scott lays up at 13, giving himself a manageable up and down.
5:15 p.m.: Jason Day gets back into the conversation, birdieing the 12th to go to -9.
K.J. Choi finally hits a shot that isn’t great, giving himself a long chip for birdie on 12.
Schwartzel too is a little bit long on 12, leaving a chip but avoiding the bunker.
Woods lips out his eagle putt at 15 — he’s not happy about it. He ends up with a birdie, making him co-leader at -10.
McIlroy’s tee shot on 11 is fine.
5:10 p.m.: Cabrera’s birdie putt at 10 goes far too long, leaving work to do for par, but he gets it.
Adam Scott can’t quite nail the birdie putt at 12, but he taps in for par to stay at -10.
McIlroy can’t get up and down. He ends up with a seven, falling two back.
Schwartzel misses a birdie putt, but both he and K.J. tap in for easy pars.
Tiger crushes his second shot at 15, setting up about an eight-foot eagle putt.
5:05 p.m.: Rory’s third shot at 10 appears to get lost way to the left of the course again. He’s behind a tree, which he hits with his fourth shot. He finally gets onto the green in five.
Angel Cabrera, unlike McIlroy, gets right onto the 10th green in regulation.
Adam Scott gets onto the 12th green off the tee, setting up a reasonable birdie putt.
Schwartzel gets right onto the green in two on 11.
Woods hits a great drive on 15.
5 p.m.: McIlroy’s initial salvage shot gets him back on the edge of the fairway.
Both Schwartzel and Choi take solid tee shots at 11.
Woods’ birdie putt at 14 misses by mere millimeters. He taps in for par, still at -9.
Adam Scott, who is also still in the mix, gets himself to -10 with a long birdie putt.
4:55 p.m.: K.J. continues his steady round with a par at 10, which Schwartzel matches — both are still one back.
Woods’ second shot on 14 is a beauty, giving himself a reasonable birdie put to get back to -10.
Rory’s tee shot at 10 goes awry — he’s way off the course, in between a couple of cabins.
4:50 p.m.: Things couldn’t be tighter as the entire field has now made the turn to the back nine at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy is clinging to a one-shot lead at -11 with Angel Cabrera, Charl Schwartzel and and K.J. Choi just one shot back.
Tiger Woods, who momentarily tied the leaders, is two off the pace at -9.
