Scottie Scheffler, top three with 18 holes left after a difficult 3rd day

they can win Masters players want Cameron Smith, Sungjae Im, Charl Schwartzel either Shane Lowry as they were three, five and seven shots away from a solid and unopposed leader? It all depends on whether the 25-year-old and world number 1 scottie scheffler He opened the door for a comeback for them this Sunday (yesterday he opened it a bit) because so far the strongest player on the circuit has finished leading its first Grand Slam of the year with 71 shots for 207 (- 9).

So far his main rival is still the same, and the second is the person who will take part in this Sunday’s main match, the Australian. cameron smithwinner of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in January and of The Players Championship, considered the fifth ‘excellent’, a month ago, to make 68 strokes, the best card of the third round, for 210 (-6).

Scottie maintained the five stroke advantage where he started this Saturday for the good part of the round (he even reached six), played in frigid, gusty and fast greens, but three bogeys in a row of 4 holes (12, 14). , 15) and, most importantly, the left hook at 18, on the ‘bushes’ (unplayable ball), where he had to fall with a penalty and end up with bogey-5, showed a bit of nervousness and lethargy. of the American, it could not otherwise have considered the massive destruction of the two days, Friday and Saturday. Pressure is pressure.

Two days of great wear

But his rivals also noticed the effort, mental and physical, and missed shots and putts that gave life and a certain silence to a Scheffler who also had the strokes of luck necessary when seeking a great victory. For example, the second shot on the 17th hole goes into the bunker and ends up on the ball one meter from the hole. Birdie, four ahead and 18 to play …

The American, who on Friday became the sixth player in Masters history to lead his pursuers by 5 shots played the first 36 holes (and four ended up winning the Masters: Spieth, Floyd, Nicklaus and Keizer), will face off on the final day in Augusta as number 1 in the world, a weight on the shoulders of any player, importantly. It’s not easy to carry that backpack but this 25-year-old, who has been competing like a dream for two months, with three wins in Phoenix, Orlando and Austin, is capable of anything. Etc. For the winner, a check of 2.7 million dollars is expected for a total amount of 15 million.

Scheffler’s isn’t the case of that player who has long been on the list of clear contenders to win a Grand Slam who hasn’t yet achieved it, or of someone who was among the clear favorites to win its Masters recently. week. This Saturday is Scottie’s 11th card in the Masters, with an accumulated partial -16. Only pressure can play him on the last day.

Classification day 3:

207 Scottie Scheffler (USA)

210 Cameron Smith (Aus)

212 Sungjae Im (CDs)

214 Shane Lowry (Irl)

Charl Schwartzel (SAF)

215 Justin Thomas (USA)

Corey Conners (Can)

216 Danny Willett (GBR)

217 Dustin Johnson (USA)

Collin Morikawa (USA)

Rory McIlroy (GBR)

Tommy Fleetwood (GBR)

…

219 Viktor Hovland (Nor)

220 SERGIO GARCIA (ESP/26th)

223 JON RAHM (ESP/41st)

Tiger Woods (USA)