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Top-ranked Dustin Johnson seized command of the Masters on Saturday, matching the 54-hole report at Augusta National to seize a four-stroke lead in quest of a second main title. Pulling away from an elite subject at Augusta National, the 36-year-old American, who grew up solely an hour’s drive from the course, fired a seven-under-par 65 to face on 16-under-par 200 after three rounds. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in everything I’m doing,” Johnson stated. “Tomorrow I’m going to must exit and do the identical sort of factor.
“I’ve got a lot of of great players around me. I’m going to have to play a really good round if I want to put on that green jacket.”
Johnson went a profession main finest four-under within the first 4 holes, making a tap-in eagle on the par-5 second, curling in a six-footer for birdie on the third and sinking an extended birdie putt on the fourth.
He added tap-in birdies on the par-Four seventh, par-5 13th and par-5 15th to equal the 54-hole mark set in 2015 by Jordan Speith.
“It’s really tough to read these greens,” Johnson stated. “You get a lot of putts that break a lot. We’re reading them really well. Definitely pleased with the putting through three rounds.”
Johnson is the primary participant to shoot 65 or higher twice in the identical Masters after a first-round 65.
– Four-way chase –
Im Sung-jae, a 22-year-old South Korean who might turn into the primary debut Masters winner since 1979, closed with a birdie to shoot 68 and share second on 204 with Mexico’s Abraham Ancer, one other Augusta newcomer, and Australia’s Cameron Smith.
“I played my first practice round Monday. I felt immediately the course suits my game and I thought I would do a good job,” Im stated by a translator.
“I really feel I will stay composed. My putting has been really good the past three days and I will just keep doing what I’ve been doing.”
Im might turn into solely the second Asian man to win a significant after South Korean Yang Yong-eun on the 2009 PGA Championship.
Johnson, the 2016 US Open champion, is making an attempt to turn into the primary top-ranked golfer to win the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2002.
Defending champion Woods, who started 4 strokes off the tempo, battled by again ache to shoot 72 and stand on 211, answering bogeys on the par-5 eighth and par-4 11th with birdies on the par-3 12th and par-5 15th.
“Long days like this, I’m going to get a little bit sore,” Woods stated. “I can walk all day. The hard part is bending and twisting.”
Woods, a 15-time main winner who turns 45 subsequent month, seeks a sixth inexperienced jacket and an 83rd profession PGA Tour victory to interrupt the report he shares with Sam Snead.
– McIlroy fades –
Nine golfers shared the lead at one stage as Augusta National’s infamous undulating greens dried and quickened.
Smith, who closed with an eagle and three birdies to seize a share of the 36-hole lead, birdied 13, 14 and 15 to share second with Im and Ancer, who birdied 15 and 16 in a late cost.
South Africa’s 100th-ranked Dylan Frittelli shot a bogey-free 67 with birdies on all 4 par-5 holes to face fifth on 205.
“The putting is the big difference,” he stated. “I feel pretty comfortable out there on the greens.”
Another stroke adrift was third-ranked American Justin Thomas, who settled for 71 after a closing bogey.
Second-ranked Jon Rahm shared seventh on 207 with Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed.
Spaniard Rahm suffered a double-bogey catastrophe on the eighth, rallied with birdies on 14 and 15 however stumbled with a closing bogey.
Fifth-ranked Rory McIlroy, needing solely a inexperienced jacket to finish a profession Grand Slam, shot 67 to face on 208, however sees little hope of swiping the inexperienced jacket.
Promoted
“Being a realist here, I just need to go out and shoot a good one tomorrow and see where it puts me,” McIlroy stated. “But I have zero thoughts about winning this golf tournament right now.”
US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, who many feared would overwhelm Augusta National along with his power-driving recreation, examined unfavorable for Covid-19 Friday after feeling dizzy on the course. He shot 69 Saturday to face on 213.
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