Scottie Scheffler survived a back nine wobble at Augusta National on Saturday as the world No 1 takes a three-shot lead into the final round of the Masters.
The American, who has won three of his past five PGA Tour events including the first of his career, had been cruising in the third round but saw his six-shot advantage halved to just three as he stumbled to the finish with three bogeys over his final five holes for a one-under 71.
The damage could have been worse when Scheffler's tee shot on 18 disappeared into bushes and gave him little choice other than to take a one-shot penalty.
With the sun setting, Scheffler unleashed a brilliant approach that allowed him to happily walk away with a bogey, three shots clear of Australian Cameron Smith, who posted the round of the day of four-under 68.
South Korea's Sung-jae Im, runner-up at the 2020 Masters, also had a 71 to sit five back, while Irishman Shane Lowry (73), and South African Charl Schwartzel (73) are seven adrift of the leader.
"Fortunately, they found the ball," said Scheffler, about his adventures on the 18th. "All I was trying to do was figure out how I was going to get it on the green for my third shot.
"Fortunately, I was able to take an unplayable out of the bush and still have a swing. I hit a really good shot and had a nice up-and-down."
The green jacket is now shaping up as a battle between the planet's two hottest golfers, Scheffler and Smith, winner of golf's unofficial fifth major the Players Championship in March.
"Should be a great fight tomorrow," Scheffler said. "Obviously Cam is a tremendous player, and he's got a fantastic short game, and he's coming off a huge win at The Players.
"Both of us are in good form, so I'm definitely looking forward to the challenge of playing with him tomorrow."
Scheffler started the third round with a five-shot cushion and turned up the heat on a cold, wind-whipped afternoon with birdies at two and three and two more at six and eight with a single bogey sandwiched in-between.
But just as he looked poised to run off with the green jacket he lost his way with four bogeys offset by two birdies on his back nine.
Woods struggles with putter
Even as the battle at the top of the leaderboard heated up, much of the attention remained on Tiger Woods, who has made a remarkable return to professional golf 14 months after a serious car crash.
After his 1-under par opening round and battling 2-over par second, the 46-year-old American endured a tough third round, shooting six-over par as he struggled in particular on the greens.
Woods is never one to wave the white flag but after returning his worst round ever at the Masters, to fall 16 shots behind the leader, a record-equalling sixth green jacket would require a miracle even bigger than the one that allowed him to return to competitive golf after nearly having his leg amputated.
As always Woods battled to the end, the weary 15-time major champion finishing bogey, bogey, double-bogey and a roaring ovation from the adoring crowd for a brave effort.
"Never give up. Always chase after your dreams," said Woods. "And I fight each and every day.
"Each and every day is a challenge. Each and every day presents its own different challenges for all of us. I wake up and start the fight all over again."
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The%20specs
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Two products to make at home
Toilet cleaner
1 cup baking soda
1 cup castile soap
10-20 drops of lemon essential oil (or another oil of your choice)
Method:
1. Mix the baking soda and castile soap until you get a nice consistency.
2. Add the essential oil to the mix.
Air Freshener
100ml water
5 drops of the essential oil of your choice (note: lavender is a nice one for this)
Method:
1. Add water and oil to spray bottle to store.
2. Shake well before use.
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The five pillars of Islam
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
PLAY-OFF%20DRAW
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre V6
Power: 295hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 355Nm at 5,200rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
Price: Dh179,999-plus
On sale: now
