Day keeps hopes alive as Lowry makes Masters history with rousing ace
Priest of the House
Jason Day returned to Masters contention thanks to a birdie brace via Amen Corner that saved his hopes of staying within reach of the stalling Rory McIlroy.
After a bogey on the first, Australia’s former world No. 1 Day produced birdies at the second and eighth to launch a run at Augusta National’s famed par-3 12th and par-5 13th.
Day went through 13 holes in the third round to improve to eight-under par for the tournament. The 38-year-old Queensland player added another point at the tough par-4 14th to move to eight under.
That left the 2015 PGA Championship winner five shots behind leader McIlroy, who made an even-par front nine and a birdie from the 10th to the 13th. But a double bogey at the 11th left him sharing the lead with American Cameron Young at 11 under.
The reigning Masters champion was breaking half-distance records at Augusta National but abandoned his bid to become the fourth golfer to win consecutive Masters.
Starting the third round with a six-shot lead, the Northern Irishman’s advantage was completely erased by the attacking Young and a poor slide in the 11th.
Young, the recent Players Champion at TPC Sawgrass, demolished the first 14 holes of Augusta National with seven birdies and no bogeys to climb to 11.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry set the crowd on fire by hitting a putt on the par-3 sixth. With his ace at Augusta on the par-3 16th in 2016, Lowry became the first golfer in the 90-year history of the Masters to record two aces in his career.
Lowry, the 2019 British Open winner, sat under nine of the 17 holes and Day sat above China’s Li Haotong and Sam Burns.
Adam Scott, meanwhile, was the only other Australian to close the gap after Day after Day, finishing the third round with an even-par score of two-under 70. Two-time Masters winner Scottie Scheffler shot 65 to finish at seven under par.
More to come
