HOT SHOTS
Tim Clark shot a front-nine 31 on his way to his best Masters round of 67, and Nick Watney went birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie from Nos. 11-16 to shoot a 68 despite making a bogey on 18 for the second consecutive day. The highlight of all those highlights was a 35-foot putt for eagle on 15.
Watney said this about the birdie that started the streak: “They give out crystal for eagles here and not for birdie, and my caddie said that they should probably give out crystal for birdies (there).”
Clark said: “(That today’s round was my best) surprises me. I thought I’d shot better rounds than that out there.”
FREE-FALLIN’
Phil Mickelson, who has three victories and six top 5s in the past nine Masters, matched his worst round in tourney history (77) and played some pedestrian golf in the process. After a double bogey on No. 11, he hit the bank with his tee shot on 12 near where Fred Couples famously got a ball to stop on the bank in 1992, but Mickelson’s ball trickled into the water. He took double bogey. Then he followed that with a second shot on 13 that found the creek that fronts the green as well. He managed to scramble to a par. That three-hole stretch led to a back-nine 40.
“You cannot get a more majestic day here at the Masters. I just played terrible. There’s no way around it. I’m just not hitting very good golf shots, missing it in bad spots and not really knowing which side I’m going to miss it on. So my play has been beyond terrible, and that’s certainly disappointing. But where else would you rather be than Augusta National with this kind of weather on a weekend?”
TWEET OF THE DAY
Jesper Parnevik, PGA Tour player:
“Another player gets penalized by a viewer. I demand a call-in hotline for every play at the Super Bowl. First Guan, now Tiger, don’t agree.”
BY THE NUMBERS
0
The number of Australians who have won the Masters (three are in position to win in the final round: Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marc Leishman)
9
The number of birdies in 12 par-5 holes for Matt Kuchar in the first three rounds.
SEEN
ESPN’s live telecast Friday was the highest-rated and most-viewed Friday coverage for the event on ESPN and the fourth-largest audience ever to watch golf on cable. It also had double-digit increases in younger demographics, no doubt for fans watching 14-year-old Tianlang Guan of China.
HE SAID IT
Fred Ridley, chairman of the Masters’ competition committee: “Tiger could not have been more candid. His candor was clear, and it helped us make a decision, and it helped us make the right decision.”
TEE TIMES OF NOTE
The leaders: Brandt Snedeker and Angel Cabrera, 2:40 p.m.
The star: Tiger Woods with Tim Clark, 2:10 p.m.
The kid: Tianlang Guan with Sandy Lyle, 9:30 a.m.
The champ: Defending champ Bubba Watson with Charl Schwartzel at 12:20 p.m.
IF YOU GO
Forecast for Sunday: High of 77 with 20 percent chance of p.m. showers, with wind at 12 mph.
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