- World No 1 leads by three after fast start to third round
- Australian Smith hits 68; Tiger Woods struggles to 78
It felt for so much of day three that Augusta National yearned for something even resembling a contest. It was Scottie Scheffler’s job to ensure one did not ensue. For 17 holes, he was a man in complete control of all around him. What happened next offers hope. There may be a thrilling Masters denouement after all.
There will be no sixth Green Jacket for Tiger Woods. Not at this attempt, anyway. Those who flocked to Georgia in search of yet another Woods redemption tale have been left disappointed. Freakishly cold weather and Scheffler’s powerful frontrunning added to an unavoidable sense of Saturday deflation. Plenty of polite applause, precious little roaring. Until, that is, Scheffler pulled his drive at the last into bushes.
