Masters 2021 live updates: Hideki Matsuyama finishes bogey-free round with three-shot lead
Hideki #Hideki
Saturday is moving day at the Masters, where the field has been cut down and players will try to position themselves for their runs at a green jacket. Justin Rose, who looked dominant in Thursday’s first round en route to a four-shot lead, fell back to earth Friday but recovered in time to reach the weekend at 7 under. Rose birdied his first two holes Saturday, but gave them back with a pair of bogeys at Nos. 4 and 5.
With a line of storms bearing down on Augusta National, the players were hurried off the course just before 4 p.m Eastern before returning one hour and 17 minutes later. The course has changed significantly since the delay, with softer greens and fairways resulting in a good deal of scoring. As of 7:05 p.m., Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama led by three shots over Justin Rose and four over Xander Schauffele.
Follow along for live updates.
7:07 PM: Hideki Matsuyama finishes bogey-free third round with three-shot lead
Hideki Matsuyama hit his first shot on the par-4 18th into a bunker and then blasted his second shot well past the green. He managed to save par after a beautiful third shot, completing the first bogey-free round of this year’s tournament and taking a three-shot lead into the clubhouse.
Matsuyama was 5 under and tied for third, two shots back of Justin Rose, when play was suspended for a weather delay. The break seemed to serve him well. After returning to the course at 5:15 p.m. Eastern, Matsuyama made four birdies and an eagle to storm into the lead. If the 29-year-old remains atop the leader board when play concludes Saturday, he will be the first player from Japan to hold the lead after any round of the Masters.
By: Scott Allen
6:47 PM: Bryson DeChambeau finishes third round 2 over
Bryson DeChambeau played well down the stretch Friday, with four birdies over his final six holes, but on Saturday he failed to pick up where he left off. The 27-year-old made a double bogey and two bogeys before his first birdie of the day on the par-5 eighth hole. He had another double bogey on the par-3 12th and finished 3 over for the day and 2 over for the tournament. DeChambeau has only hit 50 percent of the fairways through three rounds.
By: Scott Allen
6:39 PM: Hideki Matsuyama stays hot, extends lead to two strokes through 16
Hideki Matsuyama became the first player at this year’s tournament to get to 10 under par and extended his lead to two strokes in the process with a birdie at the par-3 16th. Matsuyama is 6-under par over his last 10 holes, a scorching stretch that has included four birdies and an eagle.
No player from Japan has ever led or shared the lead after any round in Masters history.
By: Scott Allen
6:30 PM: Hideki Matsuyama takes the lead with an eagle
After hitting his second shot on the par-5 15th within six feet of the hole, Hideki Matsuyama drained his ensuing eagle putt to move to 9 under and into sole possession of the lead. Justin Rose, who had just birdied the par-3 12th, is one stroke back.
Matsuyama’s eagle came moments after his playing partner, Xander Schauffele, made a long eagle putt at 15 to briefly move into a four-way tie for first. Schauffele and Will Zalatoris are tied for third at 7 under.
By: Scott Allen
6:23 PM: Justin Thomas makes triple bogey at No. 13, is fading from contention
Four under through two rounds, American Justin Thomas got off to a promising start with birdies on two of his first three holes, but he’s unraveled since making par on the par-5 eighth. The 27-year-old, coming off a fourth-place finish at the Masters in November, bogeyed the ninth and 11th after missing a short putt for par on the latter.
Thomas bounced back to birdie 11, but then made triple bogey on the par-5 13th. The meltdown started when he mishit his third shot from roughly 80 yards out into the creek. After taking a penalty stroke, Thomas three-putted and walked off the green 1 under and six shots back of the leaders.
By: Scott Allen
6:06 PM: Will Zalatoris grabs a share of the lead
With a 23-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th hole, American Will Zalatoris joined Justin Rose and Hideki Matsuyama at 7 under and atop the leader board.
Matsuyama three-putted the par-5 13th and ended up with par, just missing a chance to move into sole possession of the lead. The greens have been noticeably slower since play resumed after a 77-minute rain delay. As CBS analyst Dottie Pepper said, “The fire has been taken out of the entire golf course.”
By: Scott Allen
5:51 PM: Jordan Spieth rebounds from double bogey with a pair of birdies
Jordan Spieth made a double bogey on the par-4 seventh hole and appeared to be in serious trouble after knocking his second shot on the par-5 eighth into the trees, but proceeded to make one of the more impressive birdies of the day. The magic continued for the 2015 Masters champion two holes later, when he chipped in from for birdie from 60 feet to move to 5 under and a share of fifth pace, two shots back of co-leaders Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Rose.
By: Scott Allen
5:38 PM: Hideki Matsuyama moves into a share of the lead with Justin Rose
With consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has jumped into a tie for the lead with Justin Rose at 7 under. The 29-year-old has three birdies on the day without a bogey.
Matsuyama, whose best finish at Augusta was fifth in 2015, is looking for his first major championship. He’s been in this position before; Matsuyama has entered the final round of a major in the top 10 eight times since 2015, the most of any player without winning one during that span.
By: Scott Allen
5:26 PM: Hideki Matsuyama moves into second after third round play resumes
Third round play has resumed after a 77-minute weather delay because of passing thunderstorms. Out of the break, Justin Thomas missed a short putt for par on No. 9, falling into a tie for sixth at 4 under after tapping in for bogey. Justin Rose two-putted on No. 7 for par to remain 7 under and then saw his lead briefly grow to two strokes when his playing partner, Will Zalatoris, made bogey.
Minutes later, Hideki Matsuyama birdied the par-4 third hole to move to 6 under and into sole possession of second place.
Zalatoris, Corey Conners and Marc Leishman are tied for third at 5 under.
By: Scott Allen
4:49 PM: After weather delay, play will resume at 5:15 p.m. Eastern
Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods isn’t playing in this year’s tournament, but with Saturday’s third round in a weather delay, CBS Sports is airing a replay of his 2019 title. Forty-five minutes in to the delay, which began at 3:57 p.m. Eastern, the PGA Tour announced that play will resume at 5:15 p.m.
The showers that passed through Augusta should make the greens more forgiving after they played firm and fast through the first two days of the tournament.
By: Scott Allen
4:09 PM: Weather delay pauses third round with Justin Rose atop the leader board
Shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern, the air horn sounded at Augusta signaling a weather delay. Scattered thunderstorms and potentially strong winds are in the forecast until 7 p.m.
At 7 under, Justin Rose maintained a one-shot lead over Will Zalatoris when play was paused. Corey Conners, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Marc Leishman are tied for third, two shots back.
Before play was stopped, Jordan Spieth made an incredible shot out of the trees on the par-5 eighth hole to set up a birdie that moved him to 4 under.
By: Scott Allen
3:52 PM: Justin Rose maintains one-shot lead; Jordan Spieth drops back
After playing his second shot on the par-4 fifth into a greenside bunker, Justin Rose made bogey to fall back to 7 under for the tournament. The Englishman rebounded to make par on the par-3 sixth and maintains a one-shot lead over Marc Leishman and Will Zalatoris for now.
Corey Conners, Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Thomas are lurking at 5 under. Jordan Spieth was at 5 under before hitting his third shot into the greenside bunker and double bogeying the par-4 seventh. The 2015 Masters champion is now tied for ninth with Tony Finau, Si Woo Kim and Bernd Wiesberger.
By: Scott Allen
3:33 PM: Marc Leishman and Will Zalatoris are two shots back of leader Justin Rose
Justin Rose’s three-shot lead was short-lived, as was Will Zalatoris’s solo claim to second place. Rose and Zalatoris both bogeyed the par-3 fourth hole, dropping the last players to tee off Saturday to 8 and 6 under, respectively.
Rose remains atop the leader board through four holes as he attempts to become the ninth player in Masters history to lead outright after each of the first three rounds. As Justin Ray of the 15th Club notes, only Greg Norman in 1996 and Jordan Spieth in 2015 and 2016 have done it in the last 30 years.
Spieth is one of four players tied for fourth at 5 under as of this writing. Australian Marc Leishman is tied with Zalatoris for second place. No player is better than 3 under on the day.
By: Scott Allen
3:16 PM: Will Zalatoris takes sole possession of second place
Will Zalatoris birdied the par-4 third hole to get to 7 under, two shots back of his playing partner and tournament leader Justin Rose. The 24-year-old Zalatoris is looking for his first PGA Tour victory and to become the first rookie to win the green jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.
Corey Conners and Marc Leishman are tied for third at 6 under, while Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth are all 5 under. Bernd Wiesberger, who entered the day 4 under, double bogeyed No. 5 to fall to 3 under and out of the top 5.
By: Scott Allen
3:01 PM: Justin Rose extends lead with second straight birdie
Justin Rose couldn’t have asked for a better start to his Saturday. The leader through two rounds followed up his birdie on No. 1 with another birdie on the par-5 second hole, moving to 9 under and extending his lead to three strokes.
Rose has one more birdie through two holes than Bryson DeChambeau has through eight. DeChambeau, who rallied to comfortably make the cut with four birdies on his final six holes Friday, has struggled in the third round. After a double bogey on the par-3 fourth, he bogeyed No. 5 and No. 7 before making his first and only birdie of the day on No. 8. The big-hitting American is 2 over for the tournament.
By: Scott Allen
2:41 PM: Leader Justin Rose opens with a birdie
After struggling on the front nine and playing well down the stretch to claim and then maintain his lead on the first two days of the tournament, Justin Rose opened Saturday’s third round with a birdie. The short putt, which had just enough speed to find the cup, moved the Englishman to 8 under.
Rose, seeking his first Masters title after two runner-up finishes, is two shots ahead of a foursome that includes Corey Conners, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris. Conners, who aced the sixth hole, is 4 under for the round through seven holes. Justin Thomas has birdied two of his first three holes, while Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, birdied the par-5 No. 2.
By: Scott Allen
2:30 PM: Corey Conners continues his charge with an ace on No. 6
After making bogey on the par-4 fifth hole, Corey Conners aced the par-3 sixth, moving him into a tie for third place at 5 under, two shots off the lead. The Canadian birdied two of his first three holes Saturday after shooting 3 under in the second round.
Conners has one career win on the PGA Tour, at the 2019 Valero Texas Open. His best finish in three previous appearances at the Masters was 10th in November.
By: Scott Allen
2:23 PM: José María Olazábal is one of the great stories at this year’s tournament
Two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal had the fewest putts (22) on Friday en route to making his first worldwide cut since 2015. The 55-year-old Spaniard dedicated his achievement to his friend and former Ryder Cup partner Seve Ballesteros, who died in 2011 and would’ve turned 64 on Friday.
“I think Seve would be happy,” said Olazábal, who wore Ballesteros favorite colors, blue and white, while shooting 1 under in the second round. “I miss not having him here for a big hug. I’m a little emotional. I have to say wholeheartedly that making the cut has been a primary goal in recent years. When you see the years going by and you don’t get it, it gets tough.”
Olazábal, who won the Masters in 1994 and 1999, had missed the cut at Augusta five consecutive times since finishing 34th in 2014. He’s continued his surprising run Saturday, at 1 under for the day through 14 holes. At 1 over for the tournament, he’s tied for 30th with nine others.
By: Scott Allen
1:56 PM: Matt Jones and Corey Conners start strong
Several players in the top 10 through two rounds have teed off and the last group of the day featuring leader Justin Rose and Will Zalatoris, who is tied for second and one stroke back, will join them at 2:20 p.m. Eastern.
Australian Matt Jones birdied two of his first three holes before bogeying the par-3 fourth to move into a tie for 14th at 2 under. His playing partner, Bryson DeChambeau, is 2 over through four holes and 1 over for the tournament. Corey Conners has started strong, with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3, putting him in a tie for sixth at 4 under.
Adam Scott finished a brutal day on a positive note, with a birdie on the par-4 18th to finish 7 over for the day. The Australian will be 10 over heading into Sunday.
By: Scott Allen
1:33 PM: Through 15 holes, Phil Mickelson has Saturday’s best round
Phil Mickelson is a Saturday-best 3 under through 15 holes and even par for the tournament. Lefty, a three-time Masters champion who finished 55th at Augusta in November, has four birdies and one bogey in the third round.
After sending his second shot on the par-5 15th into the water short of the green, he did well to save par and remain in a tie for 24th.
By: Scott Allen
1:08 PM: Shoeless Billy Horschel slips before saving par after shot out of Rae’s Creek
Already 2 over for the round, Billy Horschel sent his second shot on the par-5 13th left of the green and into Rae’s Creek. The 34-year-old American rolled up his white pants and removed his shoes as he prepared to hit out of the water, then slipped on the hill as he made his way toward his ball.
Unfazed, Horschel redeemed himself with a fine shot out of the creek and then two-putted to save par, leaving him 5 over for the tournament.
By: Scott Allen
12:57 PM: Si Woo Kim’s putter has been fixed
Si Woo Kim, who had to play the final four holes of Friday’s second round with his 3-wood after breaking his putter in frustration on the par-5 15th, will have a full set of clubs at his disposal when he tees off at 1:40 p.m. Eastern.
Todd Lewis of the Golf Channel reports that Kim’s broken putter was re-shafted after Friday’s round. His manufacturer also sent him a replacement overnight, just in case. Kim, who is 4 under for the tournament and three shots back of leader Justin Rose, putted just fine with his 3-wood, making par on the final four holes.
By: Scott Allen
12:41 PM: Saturday’s forecast: Scattered thunderstorms possible in the afternoon
After a dry first two days at the Masters, the forecast for Saturday calls for scattered thunderstorms developing in the afternoon, most likely after 4 p.m., with highs in the low 80s. As the storm front approaches from the west, winds will pick up, with potential gusts of 20 to 25 mph. More scattered thunderstorms are possible Sunday morning, with the chance of rain 40 percent.
By: Scott Allen
12:27 PM: Webb Simpson looking to move back into contention
The biggest early movers Saturday morning included American Webb Simpson, who is 3 under through eight holes to get to 1 under for the tournament. Simpson was 2 under before double bogeying No. 7 on Friday, and he made five bogeys on his final 11 holes to enter the weekend 2 over. Simpson, who won the U.S. Open in 2012, finished 10th at the Masters in November and a career-best fifth the year before.
Phil Mickelson and Francesco Molinari are also 2 under on the day, leaving them two shots behind Simpson at 1 over. Molinari has the shot of the third round thus far, a chip in for eagle on the par-5 eighth hole. Adam Scott is moving in the wrong direction; the Australian is 3 over on Saturday through 10 and 6 over for the tournament.
By: Scott Allen
12:14 PM: Streaming coverage of Saturday’s third round
CBS’s television coverage of Saturday’s third round doesn’t start until 3 p.m. Eastern, but streaming coverage of featured groups and select holes is already available on the ESPN app and at Masters.com.
Saturday’s featured groups:
9:50 a.m.: Adam Scott and Sebastian Munoz
10 a.m.: Phil Mickelson and Billy Horschel
2 p.m.: Jordan Spieth and Bernd Wiesberger
2:20 p.m.: Justin Rose and Will Zalatoris
Separate streams for holes No. 4, 5 and 6 and Amen Corner are already available. A stream of holes No. 15 and 16 will be available at 12:30 p.m. ET.
By: Scott Allen
11:49 AM: Lee Elder made history at the Masters. He made an impact in Washington.
When Lee Elder stepped to the first tee at Augusta National on Thursday morning as one of the honorary starters, it served in part to remind golf fans that people who looked like him couldn’t always play in the Masters. It might spur Washingtonians to travel out to the old public track he used to manage. Elder represents golf’s struggle for inclusivity — at Augusta and beyond.
Elder’s connection to the nation’s capital, to Langston, is long and deep. The first Black man to compete at the Masters taught golf to Washington’s youth at Langston in D.C. He played annually at the old Capital City Classic there. He began pursuing the idea of managing the facility in the early 1970s and was granted the right to do so in 1978. He hosted iconic comedian Bob Hope. He hosted iconic basketball player Bill Russell. He saved Langston at a time when it might have wasted away into the Anacostia River.
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By: Barry Svrluga
11:08 AM: The decline — and resurgence — of Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth’s rise to the top of the golf world was sudden. His fall, on the other hand, lasted years.
At the John Deere Classic in 2013, the 19-year-old Texan outlasted Zach Johnson and David Hearn in a thrilling five-hole playoff to earn his first championship on the PGA Tour, making Spieth the youngest PGA winner in 82 years. After a rookie of the year season, he’d go on to win two majors in 2015, becoming the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world.
Although he remained a world-class player, a collapse at the Masters in 2016 and another final-day meltdown at Augusta in 2017 kicked off a stretch that would see Spieth sputter for several years. Skeptics sometimes doubted whether he would ever regain his dominance, but a resurgence this season peaked last weekend when he captured the Valero Texas Open by two shots to end a winless drought of more than 3½ years.
Now he’s in contention at the Masters, entering the third round at 5 under par.
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By: Neil Greenberg
10:37 AM: ‘Veep’ star Timothy Simons has a new campaign: Spreading the word about golf betting
Timothy Simons, who played Jonah Ryan on HBO’s “Veep” for seven seasons between 2012 and 2019, likes to golf, which hardly is unusual. But he’s also an avid golf bettor and daily fantasy sports player, so much that he is the occasional co-host of the Cut Maker podcast, which dispenses golf betting and DFS advice to other like-minded fans of the small but growing segment of the sports gambling community.
Simons calls golf betting “the niche of the niche” and said there aren’t many other people in his profession who have such a specific-minded gambling pursuit.
“I don’t not only see a lot of actors into it, you don’t see a lot of people into it,” he said in a telephone interview this week. “It’s just a niche thing.”
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By: Matt Bonesteel
10:05 AM: Recapping Friday at the Masters: Justin Rose maintains his lead, but a mob of challengers is bearing down
Were Justin Rose to gaze back over his shoulder at the dazzling cavalry charging behind him halfway through the Masters — okay, maybe he ought not gaze back over his shoulder at the dazzling cavalry. The view is a marvel but also a horror.
Among the two threats one shot behind and the two threats two shots behind and the six behind by three and the one behind by four and others within reach, there are enough viable winners and stirring story lines that it’s hard to process them all. With such fright back there, it’s small solace that the contenders lack defending champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, who flailed uncharacteristically, treaded water around the cut line and then bogeyed the last two holes to fall out of the weekend.
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By: Chuck Culpepper