More Coverage: Not Enough for Tiger and Phil | Leaderboard
1:27 PM ET: Hello friends! It's Masters Sunday, which basically means I've been smiling since the little birdies woke me up outside my window. The weather in Augusta is perfect, which means players coming from behind will have to fire something very low to have a chance to win the green jacket. A few players already on the course are 2-under, which means the scores are there to be had.
Do I think Tiger or Phil could win this thing? Personally, no. It seems when Woods is this far behind he pushes too hard on the course. I'd love to eat my words though. The dynamic duo tees off at 1:35 PM ET, with the leaders going off an hour later at 2:35 PM. Happy Easters, all, and get settled for a great day of golf.
1:30 PM: I won't lie, I've been waiting for the Tiger-Phil pairing ever since Steve Williams made these comments about Mickelson this past December. Tiger, up first in his Sunday red, snapped his driver again left, just like yesterday when he made double-bogey on the first hole. Not to be outdone, Lefty snapped his driver wide right. They couldn't be further from each other on No. 1. Yikes.
1:35 PM: What is better than a tap-in birdie on the second hole in the final round of the Masters? Holing out the wedge shot for an eagle, of course. Steve Flesch just knocked one in from the fairway on No. 2 for an eagle and some crystal goblets for his trophy case. He's now 5-under for the tournament, just six shots back of the leaders.
1:40 PM: Somehow Mickelson, who was wide-right of the first fairway, hits his second shot to about 15 feet for birdie. The guy could get up and down out of a trash can. Tiger is so far left that he's on the fairway of No. 8! Nick Faldo, who should be politely tossed out of the announcer booth, commented that in all his years at Augusta, he's never seen someone this far left of the first hole. Tiger's second shot was pushed short and right of the green. He'll have a delicate pitch to get it close to save par.
1:43 PM: Well, a left-hander is charging from the middle of the pack, but it isn't Phil. Steve Flesch, following up his eagle on the second hole, has made birdie on No. 3 and is now 7-under for the tournament. Phil, who had a good look at birdie on No. 1, missed it by, ohhh, four feet left. He cleaned it up for par and Tiger did the same. As millions of people have annoyingly said in the past, "The scorecard doesn't ask how."
1:47 PM: Golf expert and handsome devil Ryan Wilson just messaged me this -- "Tiger needs to go out in 4-under and come in in 3-under to even have a chance. By the look of his first hole, it ain't happening."
I agree with Ryan. 65 is the absolute highest score either Tiger or Phil can shoot to have a chance, unless the leaders go '96 Greg Norman on us.
1:53 PM: I've decided the while the online coverage from Masters.org is good, it isn't great. I'm fairly certain they should change the name of "Masters Extra" to "Masters Foreplay." It is such a tease. The coverage has been late each day and goes off 15 minutes before it says it will. Awesome.
1:58 PM: While Flesch is the guy making a move right now, a couple of other names to watch are some of the Regular Joes I picked earlier this week -- Nick Watney and Hunter Mahan. Both are 1-under today, 5-under for the tournament.
2:00 PM: Phil and Tiger both make birdies on No. 2. That looked easy. Hey, maybe it was just first hole jitters for the both of them.
Also, something pretty interesting -- Angel Cabrera is wearing a yellow shirt today, the same color shirt he wore in the final round when he won the 2007 U.S. Open.
2:07 PM: Well, Tiger and Phil aren't holding anything back. Both smoked driver on No. 3, the short par-4 and both are in the left rough, not a bad spot.
Mickelson, just three yards behind Tiger's ball, hits a great pitch to about six feet for birdie. Tiger, who is playing the exact same shot from 55 yards, hits a pretty poor shot to about 20 feet for birdie. People can talk all they want about Tiger's inability to make a huge putt this week, but his wedge play has been horrible by Tiger's standards. I really can't think of a time Tiger has struggled this much from such great position in the fairway.
2:12 PM: Tiger strolls his birdie putt up to about two feet and taps in for par. Phil, who hit a great second shot, cashes his putt for birdie and is now 2-under through three holes. I wonder what a great round by Mickelson would do for his confidence? Maybe this could be the anti-Winged Foot experience for Phil.
2:15 PM: Just a reminder -- if you're near Augusta, don't forget to stop by and buy some stuff from John Daly!
2:19 PM: My buddy Mark just messaged me, "Mickelson is in the zone." Yes, yes he is. Phil hits his tee shot on No. 4 to about 18 feet for birdie, pawning Tiger once again (he's about 30 feet). If Phil makes this one, the putting green conversations might change a tough.
2:21 PM: Oh my goodness, Rory Sabbatini's shirt. Nick Faldo said, "He looks like an Easter egg." Well played, Nick. The second there is a photo of what he's wearing, I will post it.
Wilson's take -- "Hey, Rory, Shane called: he wants his outfit back."
2:25 PM: After Tiger smashed his putt through the break, leaving him a good 5 feet for par, Mickelson did the exact same thing. Woods cleaned up his par putt as he usually does. Phil did the same. Really, those are pretty impressive par saving putts for both.
Steve Stricker and Mr. Easter Egg both can't convert their birdie putts on the first hole. To be fair to Stricker, it's hard to make any putts when your playing partner is dressed like a Swedish stripper.
2:32 PM: The leaders are on the first tee, and I'm going out on a limb and saying they play it a touch better than Mickelwoods. Also, I'm not loving Chad Campbell's chances today. The guy has yet to make a bogey on the front nine this week, but has struggled on the back when the pressure hits. Now, the pressure will be multipled by 40.
2:34 PM: If you were wondering if Mickelson would stop zoning, you were wrong. Lefty sticks a shot on No. 5 and has a great look at birdie.
On a seperate note, I found it pretty hilarious that in ESPN's Streak for Cash, you could pick Tiger or Phil to have a lower score today. 93.7 percent of the people that picked it took Tiger. The 6.3 percent that took Mickelson? I'm assuming it was probably his 48 kids.
2:35 PM: Mickelson birdie!!! The man is now 3-under through five holes. Look out for Lefty! Move over for Mickelson! Umm, Phil is on Phire?
Also, could someone make sure Tiger is awake? The guy has hit two really bad lag putts in a row and is now facing a tough putt for par on No. 5, which he of course makes. Phil is now just four back of the leaders, who both found the fairway on the first.
2:40 PM: This belt buckle thing has become ridiculous. Hunter Mahan, who just birdied No. 7 to move to 6-under for the tournament, is wearing a "H" belt buckle. Cabrera? He is rocking an "AC" belt buckle. Anthony Kim needs to start charging these people copyright fees.
2:43 PM: Umm, does "WOW" encompass what is going on right now with Phil Mickelson? The guy just stuck an 8-iron on No. 6 for a near kick-in birdie. Ryan Wilson said that they needed to turn at 3-under, but Phil is most likely going to be 4-under after six holes. If he turns at four or five under, with the par-5s on the back nine, this could get very, very interesting.
2:46 PM: Does the "V" on Tiger's hat stand for "Very poor putting exhibition?" Zinger! Tiger misses his birdie putt on No. 6. i'd say he is currently pissed to very, very pissed.
2:49 PM: Phil, who took about 90 minutes to putt his birdie on No. 6, knocks it in for a birdie and Phil is now just three shots back of the leaders. He said in his interview yesterday that he needed to fire a 64 or 65. I guess he wasn't joking.
2:54 PM: If you haven't had a chance to watch Jim Furyk putt this week, boy you're missing something fantastic. Here is the best way to describe it -- open your browser window to an article of your choice, and start reading it. But, after about every six or seven words, just close the window. Open back up, read some words and close it again. That is Furyk's putting stroke. Needeless to say, he missed his birdie putt on No. 2 after backing off 11 times. I still like his chances, though.
2:56 PM: Another poor short-iron shot by Tiger, lead to this comment -- "How about that gust? How about that gust? You've got to be kidding me!" I said it on Twitter and I'll say it now -- Tiger Woods hates Augusta right now.
Oh, and Phil Mickelson just hit probably the best shot I've ever seen in my entire life. In the rough, Mickelson hooked his shot around the trees and stuck it about a foot away. That will be another birdie, folks. Phil is now going to be 5-under through seven holes, with a par-5 coming up next that he birdied on Saturday.
3:01 PM: Perry and Cabrera went through the first par-5 without birdies. That has to be disappointing for the leaders with Mickelson charging like a semi. Speaking of Lefty, his tapped in his birdie on No. 7 and is just two shots back of the leaders. This is great stuff.
Mickelson lover Will Brinson adds this -- "Seriously -- he's pulling a Tiger right now while playing with Tiger, which is the single most unexpected thing in the history of everything." I'd say that about sums it up.
3:06 PM: Tiger just hits his tee shot on No. 8, with a couple of fans yelling "Get in the Hole." Yeah, it's a par-5. Nice job, guys. Ryan Wilson and I talked about this yesterday with him mentioning, "People that yell that should be shot on the spot."
Also, Chad Campbell knocks in a birdie on the third hole to move just a shot back of the leaders.
3:12 PM: Remember when Phil said Tiger "hates that I can fly it by him?" Yeah, he flew it by him off the tee on No. 8 but Tiger's second shot might be the best swing of the week for Tiger. He has about 25 feet for eagle, which would basically bring the Augusta patrons to their knees. Mickelson's second shot nearly trickled on the green, but he's in position to make another birdie. It would be his sixth birdie in his last seven holes.
Also, Cabrera is the first leader to cash in on the conditions. He birdies No. 3 to take the outright lead.
3:18 PM: TIGER FOR EAGLE! Wow. Wow Wow Wow Wow. This is incredible stuff. I just tried to high five someone but nobody is at my apartment with me. Tiger, dead center, for eagle and is now 7-under for the tournament. That is the stuff we are used to from Woods.
Not to be outdone, Phil make birdie and is now 10-under for the tournament. A birdie on No. 9 for Mickelson would be the lowest nine hole score ever shot at Augusta National.
3:23 PM: What, you thought Mickelson would just keep hitting fairways all day long? Come on, you're smarter than that! On No. 9, Tiger hit his shot in an awkward position between the rough and the pine straw, while Phil hit his drive, ummm, somewhere far, far away from the fairway.
A check-in on the leaders. Cabrera looks like he will bogey No. 4 to drop back in a tie with Perry, who lipped out a birdie try on the par-3. Both are at 11-under now, with Phil and Chad Campbell just a shot back. Tiger is only four back, which isn't crazy to make up with the back nine at Augusta.
3:30 PM: Quick update on some FanHouse crew members thoughts on the winner. Ryan Wilson and Will Brinson think Phil is going to win it. Michael David Smith likes Chad Campbell and I'm going with Kenny Perry. See, we are geniuses!
3:33 PM: I guess I picked the wrong week to make fun of Mickelson's new "Secrets of the Short Game" DVD. The guy's short game is ridiculous right now, trumping anything Tiger is doing from around the greens. Phil dumbed his sand shot from the left side of the green on No. 9 to about three feet. If he makes par, he shoots 30 on the front nine at Augusta National on a Sunday.
Tiger, who Nick Faldo said "could make this chip," hit his chip about six feet by but made the tricky par putt to stay at 7-under for the tournament. The guy is 3-under today and getting absolutely dominated by his playing partner.
A par for Phil. That is a tie for the front nine record with a six-under 30. Absolutely incredible. Expect to watch that nine holes for a long, long time if Mickelson can come back and snag the green jacket.
3:41 PM: Tiger and Phil both in the fairway on the 10th hole.
What about The Duck? Well, Cabrera looks frustrated and has a short putt for his second straight bogey on No. 5.
Something to think about. Tiger and Phil are about four holes in front of the leaders, so, for fun lets say Mickelson fires a 34 on the back nine for a 64. He would be 12-under, and the leaders would be on about 15. That would give them their last good birdie chance before 16, 17 and 18. That is a pretty good spot for Mickelson. Oh, and Tiger would only have to shoot 31 on the back to tie Phil. It could happen.
3:42 PM: CBS knows what the viewers want -- a Nick Faldo monologue. Is it too early to start drinking? Sigh.
3:48 PM: Some good news for Tiger -- Rory McIlroy, who is only 19, shot a 31 on the back nine today, so it is out there. Also something interesting -- if Phil birdies both par-5s and snags one more birdie, he would tie the course record at Augusta. I guess that would be what you call, "rising to the occasion," no?
Also, check in on the leaders. Chad Campbell has gone all "Retief Goosen in '01" on us, making lengthy putts for pars like it is nothing. Perry cleaned up his par on No. 6, giving the 48-year-old six straight pars to open his round. Cabrera couldn't cash in on a birdie at 6, so he remains a shot back of Perry at 10-under. Whew. I need some water.
3:53 PM: Quick story update from Brinson -- he wrote about Phil and Tiger's front nine. Check it out.
4:00 PM: "Fore right" seems to be the choice word for Mickelson's bad shots. He snapped another tee shot on No. 11 and is in the trees while Tiger, who has been right on this hole all week, found the middle of the fairway.
The pin on No. 11 is probably in the easiest position possible on the green, so if they want to make a birdie here, this is the pin to do it at.
Both players find the green, but neither is relatively close to the hole. It appears it should be two pars for
Mickelwoods. While the boys are playing 11, Perry missed a very short birdie putt on 7, his best look at a birdie today. First mistake for Kenny. That could prove to be a huge missed putt in about an hour and a half. 4:03 PM: Ryan Wilson makes a good point -- "Dear CBS: you don't have to talk between EVERY shot. Thanks." I couldn't agree more. I really hope Faldo is not in the tower in the coming years. Maybe he could take this week to work on his Ryder Cup captain-ing? Ouch.
4:05 PM: Mickelson two putts for a great par on 11. Now comes 12, where Nick Watney just dumped it in the water. It is the traditional pin placement of front right on the par-3, but first comes Tiger's birdie try.
Also, from the "Things I don't want to know" department: Brinson's buddy Carr suggests Stevie Williams is definitely naked under his jumpsuit. Tiger and his nude caddie make par on 11. He is still four back.
4:10 PM: Chad Campbell, welcome to the party! His birdie on No. 8 ties him to the lead with Perry at 11-under.
4:12 PM: OH NO! After Tiger sticks his shot on No. 12 to about 18-feet, Mickelson dumps his in the water! Now he has a tricky up and down to save bogey. This will be at least one shot dropped for Phil. A costly mistake.
4:14 PM: Angel Cabrera is a really nice guy. See, all the bad-shot attention was on Phil, so Angel felt bad for him. That is why he just shanked his shot on No. 8. Yep, a cold shank. It was one of the uglier shots you'll ever see in the final round of a major championship. T.C. Chen disagrees.
4:15 PM: Some fireworks are going on in the back nine at Augusta. Dustin Johnson, best known for his inability to call a cab, just went eagle-eagle on 13 and 14. This guy has made four eagles this week. That is a ton of crystal goblets.
Also, John Merrick, who made a hole-in-one in the Par-3 Tournament, just birdied 16 to move to 8-under. If he could somehow birdie 17 and 18 and post 10-under, he'd have a good reason to hang around the Augusta clubhouse for a couple of hours.
Also, you know when those fireworks are duds and don't blow up like you expected? Yeah, that was Phil's 12th hole. He carded a double-bogey. Ryan Wilson, on Mickelson -- "Thanks for comin', Phil." Sadly, I think I agree.
4:21 PM: Dustin Johnson just birdied the 15th, going 5-under on his last thre holes. So far today he has four bogeys, a triple-bogey, two birdies and two eagles. This scorecard has more colors than Rory Sabbatini's outfit, which we now have a picture of. Make sure to turn your resolution down before you look to the right.
4:25 PM: Cabrera's shank was bad, but so was Jim Furyk's pitch on No. 9. He needed to carry the bunker, but dumped it directly in the sand that was about six feet in front of him. Granted, it is tough to play good golf with both hands wrapped firmly around your neck.
Tiger and Phil both hit it in the middle of the green on 13. Neither has a very realistic shot at eagle on the par-5.
4:31 PM: Wow! Both Tiger and Phil hit great eagle putts, but neither went in. Both made birdies, and now Phil sits at 9-under and Tiger is 8-under. Perry still leads at 11-under, having made eight straight pars to start his final round.
4:34 PM: Just a question for the masses -- Has Nick Faldo ever played at Augusta? I'd love to find that out before the day ends.
4:37 PM: Gutsy, gutsy par save by Perry. The guy makes the turn at 11-under, carding nine straight pars.
On 14, Tiger continues to struggle with whatever is going on with his short irons. He was in perfect position and spun it back off the green. Phil isn't struggling. On the hole that Mickelson nearly holed it out for a two on his way to his first Masters win in '04, Phil plops his second shot to about 10-feet. He'll have a great look at birdie here on 14.
Also, if you were wondering why CBS hasn't shown much of the Easter Egg, it isn't just because of that outfit. Sabbatini is 5-over today and has yet to card a birdie. I'd say I'm disappointed, but I'm trying not to lie anymore.
4:42 PM: LIPS! Woozers. Mickelson was already in "low fist pump" mode when that putt hit the lip and spun out. A disappointing par for Phil.
Like the last few years for Tiger, he is quickly running out of holes to make up ground. Tiger would have to make eagle on 15 and two more birdies on the way in to have a chance.
You think if someone offered Kenny Perry nine more pars right now, he'd take it? I think he would.
4:44 PM: Well, you'd have to sum up John Merrick's week as incredible, right? A final round 66 for the Masters rookie is the clubhouse leader at 8-under. It probably won't be enough to win, but it is a great finish for the UCLA alum. A hole-in-one in the Par-3 Tournament and a top-10 in the big tournament. Pretty impressive stuff by Merrick, who finished t-6 in the U.S. Open last year.
Also, Tiger and Phil both hit the fairway on 15, which is extra important. Mickelson might be 25 yards further down the fairway than Tiger. I wonder which driver Tiger will switch to next week?
4:52 PM: Is this not the best sporting event ever? Tiger, who knocked his second shot well within eagle range, is outdone by Mickelson, who may have five feet for a three on the par-5. If they both make these putts, we will have Phil as a co-leader and Tiger a shot back of the leaders. Wow.
4:54 PM: Cabrera drops another shot, and what a lot of people are forgetting is the leaders still have to play 11 and 12. Tiger hasn't been able to convert these putts in the past three years. A must make for Tiger.
4:55 PM: OHHHHHHH! I thought he had it! Tiger hit a good putt, it just didn't break back. That might be the most disappointing birdie in the history of golf. Also, CBS just showed their favorite dumb stat ever -- Tiger is now 100-under par in his career on the par-5s at Augusta.
4:57 PM: Check that, Phil just made the most disappointing birdie ever. Wow. That didn't even come close to going in. Also, nice job announcers. They said you basically had to give that putt to Mickelson, forgetting that he is, in fact, Phil Mickelson. Birdie for Phil. That will have him shaking his head. Lefty is now a shot back of Kenny Perry, tied with Chad Campbell.
5:00 PM: Did you hear that? It was Tiger telling everyone to shut up. Woods just knocked down the stick on 16 with a 7-iron, leaving himself about five feet for birdie. If Tiger makes this, he will be a shot back of Perry.
Phil, on the same hole, left it about 18-feet for birdie on 16. It's still a very good look at birdie, but I would have said the same thing about his eagle putt on the last hole. I guarantee you this -- if he doesn't win this thing, that putt will be on his mind as much, if not more, than his tee shot at Winged Foot.
5:03 PM: I'm going to go out and say it -- Kenny Perry wins this thing. He has made ten straight pars, and if he can go 4-3 on 11 and 12, I think he wins this thing by a couple of shots. Sorry for spoiling your afternoon.
5:05 PM: HOW DOES THAT NOT GO IN? Are you kidding me? You don't see Perry emotional very often, but the putter slam on 11 was well worth it. Perry hit a brilliant putt there but it just hung out on the high side, sitting on the lip. That is a par on 11 for Perry.
At the same time, MIckelson couldn't recreate what happened in '04 at 16. The birdie there made everyone believe Phil could really win that Masters, but not this time. Phil made par. Tiger, in typical Tiger fashion, made a birdie. Wow. Woods is a shot back. I think my goosebumps just got goosebumps.
5:09 PM: I would like to know the percentage of the fans at Augusta that are watching Tiger and Phil. It has to be 80 percent of all the patrons.
With that said, you can't forget about Campbell. He just made a birdie on 12 to move to 10-under, a shot back of Perry, who placed his ball just on the back of the green on 12. Safe shot for Perry. The guy has ice water in his veins, and the only reason I had to use that cliche is because I too amped to think of anything more creative.
This is awesome.
5:11 PM: I'm going to go ahead and say it -- the only way for this Masters to end right is with a playoff. Perry, Mickelson and Tiger? I might have to stop watching golf after this if that occurs. I'm giddy just thinking about it. Lets move on.
5:12 PM: Also, if Tiger wins, I will be giving out Ryan Wilson's e-mail address after he wrote this column.
5:13 PM: KENN PERRY MAKES A BIRDIE! Wow. Perry bombs one in on 12 to move to 12-under, two shots clear of Mickelwoods. At the same time, Phil sticks one on 17 and has a great look at birdie.
During "Tin Cup," the announcers start laughing and say, "This is the stuff of legends." I'm thinking the exact same thing while watching this Masters.
5:17 PM: I just got this text from my uncle -- "Is he running out of holes?" The "he" is Tiger, and the answer is yes. Tiger's pitch on 17 runs past the cup a good 10 feet and now he will be putting for par outside of Mickelson's birdie attempt.
The eagle putt on 15 for Tiger was the tournament, but this par putt on 17 is a must. Wait, it isn't just a must, it is the must. He misses, he loses. He makes it, he can still birdie 18 for a chance.
5:19 PM: Well, you can't say he didn't give it his best shot, but Tiger's first bogey of the day came on 17 and that will basically do it for Tiger. Barring some sort of miracle eagle on 18, Tiger's best possible finish will be 10-under and that just won't be enough for Woods.
Not a lot of time could you say a round of 6-under is disappointing, but Phil Mickelson might never get over this. On 15 he missed a straight-in eagle putt and now he just missed a very short birdie putt on 17. Mickelson has to make a birdie on 18, and that still might not be enough. Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda.
5:23 PM: Ryan Wilson and I were laughing earlier this week about how Todd Hamilton was picked for steroid testing this week. Someone they might consider testing? Philly. The guy is bombing it off the tee this week and he just flew it in the bunker on 18. Tiger's drive is in the pine straw. Tournament hopes are over.
5:27 PM: My buddy Mark just made a very good point. "It's almost like there are two separate golf tournaments going on." So true. Also, my sister texted me this that I also agree on -- "Just not as exciting with Tiger out of it. Just isn't." I know. I'm sad this is the last hole.
5:28 PM: Do you think Tiger Woods is a fan of the 18th hole? Three great tee shots the first three days turned into two bogeys and a tough par and now Tiger just went to the lumber store. He tried to hit a punch shot around a tree but smoked the middle of the pine and now has a third shot from well over 100 yards.
Mickelson, who was in the fairway bunker, hit a short iron and ran out of the bunker like he liked the shot, only to have it come up a good 20 yards short of the green.
Also, I'd like to point this out -- Nick Faldo is ruining this experience. Nick, we know you've won the Masters. We get it. You were a great golfer. Stop talking about when you won it. The last time you won this tournament, Tiger was still an amateur and there was no rough on the golf course. If I had three wishes right now, they would go like this.
1.) A bug flies in Faldo's throat.
2.) Phil got to re-putt those on 15 and 17.
3.) Tiger was in the clubhouse at 11-under.
That is all. Sorry for the rant.
5:35 PM: While I was ranting, the following things happened -- Mickelson forgot his secrets of the short game (see what I did there), closing with a bogey and a 67. That will not be enough to win his third green jacket.
Tiger hit an incredible third shot to about eight feet but missed the par putt for a 68.
Oh, and our leader, Kenny Perry, three-putted 13 for a disappointing par.
Oh, and Shingo Katayama is wearing a cowboy hat.
5:37 PM: Well, I have to tell you, it was fun to watch Tiger and Phil. It is a lot to expect of those guys to keep up the type of play we saw on the front nine. The problem is, the leaders are falling back a little and if Tiger or Phil had just done something at the end of their rounds, they would have seriously had a chance.
5:39 PM: Tiger -- "one of the worst warm-up sessions I've ever had and one of the worst opening tee shots I've ever hit."
Also, nice question about Tiger's knee. When will those questions stop coming? 2014? Maybe Tiger should tattoo "My Knee is Fine" right over the surgical scar? Think that would help?
5:45 PM: A fun update about Mr. Easter Egg ... Sabbatini is 5-over, and has yet to make a par on the back nine. I think he would have played better if he had decided to wear purple pants today. Oh wait ...
5:49 PM: Ryan Wilson's post on Tiger and Phil. Highlight from the story -- "Phil bogeyed the 18th, and after a red-hot 30 on the front, he limped in with a 37. Suddenly, it's all very familiar-seeming."
Oh, and Easter Eggs nearly just made an ace on 16. I'm actually not sure how it didn't go in.
5:56 PM: Kenny Perry's second shot on 15 finds the green, which means unless he pulls a "Kenny Perry on 13" and three-putts, Perry will take the lead outright over Campbell. Also, in the jinx of all jinxes, Will Brinson has a post in pending titled, "Kenny Perry Wins the 2009 Masters."
Blame him if anything bad happens.
5:57 PM: Hey Will, might want to hold off on that post. Campbell, after making a birdie on 15, just nearly aced the 16th. Lundquist just said he will have a smiliar putt to Tiger's birdie on 16 a little bit earlier.
5:59 PM: Just going to toss this out there ... it looks like No. 17 is the "make or break" hole in this year's Masters. Tiger made bogey, Phil missed an easy birdie putt and now Shingo Katayama's Cowboy Hat might drop a shot there after he got to 9-under with that birdie on 16.
6:03 PM: That's a birdie for Kenny Perry, who is now a shot up on Campbell. Chad couldn't convert on 16 and now Perry has a full shot advantage with three holes to play.
Phil, I think you can go ahead and make your way down Magnolia Lane, because 13-under is just too much. Perry could bogey in and still be a shot up on Phil.
6:08 PM: Shingo saves par on 17, which brings up the obvious question, what is the most awkward thing you could wear while playing in a major championship? I think a cowboy is still behind a snorkel and flippers, but not by much.
6:11 PM: Ladies and gentleman, get ready for some deer and pork chops next year at the Champions Dinner, because Kenny Perry will be serving something in that department. The club of the tournament is Perry's 8-iron, and it produced the best shot of the day on 16 to nearly six inches. Perry will kick that in for a birdie and be two shots up with two to play.
Also, you have to make the comparison on '86 with Jack, since Perry will surpass him as oldest Masters champion. Jack nearly made an ace then, Perry almost did now.
6:12 PM: Hey, CBS must read my blog, because they just showed the Nicklaus shot a minute after I posted about it.
6:13 PM: Birdie-birdie for both Cabrera and Perry on the 16th. As bad as it appears Angel played on the front nine, he's made three birdies in his last four holes.
Also, was just thinking about this ... Campbell has been done in by two near hole outs in his major championship runs. Shaun Micheel hit that second shot on the 18th at Oak Hill to beat Campbell and now Perry's near-ace basically did in Campbell here at Augusta.
6:16 PM: Alright, Chad Campbell looks like he will save par on 17. With Perry in the trees, Camp
bell could birdie 18 and possibly get in a playoff with Perry if he goes 5-4. 6:17 PM: I'm going to go ahead and say this -- Shingo Katayama is one of the best Japanese Cowboys I've ever seen play golf. I really believe that.
Do you think Shingo and Todd Hamilton have a lot in common? I'm sure they were just chatting it up like best buds all day long.
6:19 PM: My buddy Mark is on fire today -- "He would look hilarious with the green jacket and that hat. At least the rope would match the trim on the Augusta logo." The rope is my favorite part of the outfit.
6:23 PM: My mom just texted me and said, "I feel left out since you've mentioned both (my uncle) and my sister." So, here goes. Hey Mom!
6:24 PM: Want to know a good way to make the 18th hole a lot tougher? Chip your third shot on 17 over the green. Yikes, Kenny Perry basically has one arm in that new green jacket but isn't making it that easy. Also, how does CBS not have a camera on Mickelson or Tiger right now? Could you imagine the words coming out of Woods' mouth as he watches Perry make bogey here? Ouch.
6:26 PM: Nick Faldo -- "You need to start breathing from your stomach."
Weird, I usually breath from my feet. Maybe that's why I'm not in the field.
6:27 PM: Well, Mr. Perry has made this rather interesting with that bogey on 17. Chad Campbell, out of position off the tee on the last, hit a great second shot and has a rather quick putt for birdie, but a chance nonetheless. If Campbell cashes this, Perry would have to par the last to win this thing. Also, the 18th is the only hole at Augusta that requires the golfer to work the ball left-to-right. Perry hits a draw. Just saying ...
6:29 PM: Via Mr. Brinson -- "First bogey in 23 holes for Kenny."
6:30 PM: Well, this is it. The last hole for Kenny. His good buddy is up on the green trying to make a birdie to tie Perry, while Kenny is trying to find the fairway on this tricky last hole.
He's staring at it. It's in the fairway bunker.
6:31 PM: Wow. Campbell couldn't convert. His wife, who appears to be the back-up singer for the Dixie Chicks, applauds his effort.
6:33 PM: When I do my winners/losers list tomorrow, Jim Furyk will be placed near the top of the "Losers" portion.
Also, props to Mr. Brinson. Last night he made the point that a 65 for Mickelson might not be enough. He was right. A 65 would have left Phil at 11-under and a shot back of Campbell, who just posted.
6:34 PM: Percentage chance Faldo compares this bunker shot to his bunker shot in '96? 400 percent? 1 billion percent?
6:35 PM: Cabrera blocks that iron shot short and right. Similar position to Chris DiMarco when he had the chip to beat Tiger in '05 that he almost holed.
6:36 PM: Who wants more golf?!!? Perry hits his second shot left of the green, which Faldo and Nantz are saying "Is dreadful." I hope he gets it up and down, just so Faldo will not be right.
Could you imagine if Campbell had made that putt on 18?
6:38 PM: CBS, quit stealing my information!!!
6:39 PM: Message from my buddy who runs Bushwood Country Club blog -- "i smell a playoff!"
Yes, and it smells fantastic!
6:40 PM: More information for CBS to steal in about 15 seconds. This putt is pretty similar to the one he had at the FBR Open earlier this year that he made.
6:41 PM: Well, here it goes. Perry with a putt to win the green jacket. My goosebumps are hurting.
6:42 PM: More golf, more golf, more golf, more golf!!! Perry misses, bogeying his last two holes. Campbell, Perry and possibly the Duck if he can make this putt.
6:44 PM: Cabrera with a fist pump! He made it. Three way playoff at Augusta.
As Wilson put it, "I wonder if Phil knows he can't win?"
6:46 PM: Alrighty. If I was a gambling man, I'd put my money on Angel. He's been there before, he is playing the best coming in right now and he didn't finish bogey-bogey. Perry needs to go regroup before they head out to 18.
6:48 PM: The day started all about Tiger and Phil but it's going to end with names like Kenny, Chad and Angel. I wonder if they'll use Shingo's cowboy hat to draw the tee order. I sure hope so.
6:51 PM: Should I say it? Okay, I'll say it. Kenny's daughter is pretty hot. I'm sure she is like 15 though and I'll get in trouble by my editors for saying it. Whatever. You know you were thinking it too.
6:53 PM: Campbell up first. That looked very good. Yep, right side of the fairway and perfect. Advantage, Campbell.
Angel Cabrera hits that tee shot somewhere around the Atlanta Airport. Yikes. Maybe he should text Tiger on how to play it from there.
Kenny Perry in the fairway as well. Alrighty Nice tee shot.
6:57 PM: I bet Perry really hopes he can use his 8-iron here. I mean, the guy hasn't missed a shot with that club since Nick Faldo was relevant.
Brinson's post on the playoff -- click it.
6:59 PM: Hey, it could have been worse for Cabrera. He hit the tree but it kicked back in the fairway and now he has just a pitch and a putt to save par. It could have been a lot worse.
Ha! Perry is hitting the 8-iron!
OUCH! Yikes. Wowzers! Onions! Perry -- block city! That was short and right and hot daughter shakes her head.
Campbell has this thing in his grasp if he can just find the green.
7:00 PM: These guys need to stop watching Tiger Woods highlights. Campbell and Perry were both in great position off the tee and both came out of the shot. Campbell just found the bunker and will have a quick bunker shot coming down the hill.
Cabrera STICKS his third shot to about seven feet to save par. At this point, you almost have to give him the advantage.
7:03 PM: Larry Mize, anyone? Kenny Perry nearly holes his third shot from off the green and taps in for par. Now, Campbell can knock this in from the bunker for the win, and if he doesn't, Perry will be, at worse, heading to the 10th tee.
7:06 PM: What. A. Par. Wow. Incredible putt by Cabrera after being in jail off the tee and hitting the tree with his second.
Ouch. Chad Campbell is done.
He looks pissed.
7:08 PM: Ryan Wilson: "YOU CAN'T KILL ANGEL!"
Alright, we're on the 10th tee. Cabrera with the 3-wood and he's leaning ... that isn't horrible, but it will leave a very long second shot in.
Just a little info -- Cabrera has played the 10th even par this week, with a birdie on Saturday and a bogey on Sunday. Perry has played it 2-under, with birdies on Thursday and Saturday.
7:11 PM: "And Chad, what time did you eat breakfast last Wednesday? Have you ever used Isotoners? What is your favorite "Eagles" song?"
Sigh. Leave the poor guy alone.
I'm not sure which is more impressive ... these two guys playing this well for so long or the fact that I'm approaching 7,000 words in the live blog.
7:14 PM: Well, if you look back, the putt for Angel was probably on 16, when he cashed that birdie. It kept him alive and allowed Perry to choke his way back to the field.
Perry's pull there and Cabrera's shot to nearly 15 feet basically means Kenny has to get it up and down or he is history.
7:16 PM: Alrighty. Here goes. This is Kenny's tournament. Yikes. Kenny will be putting first for par, outside of Cabrera's birdie try. I'd say Angel has about a 500 percent chance of winning this tournament at this point.
7:18 PM: Well, this was Kenny Perry's tournament to lose, and unless he can run this one in, he lost it. Bogey-bogey finish in regulation and possibly a bogey on the second playoff hole.
7:20 PM: Nope. Low side. Two putts for Cabrera and I will owe a certain someone dinner. Shoot!
Alright, a short putt here to win the 2009 Masters.
Angel Cabrera is your 2009 Masters champion. That will do it all from this side of things. Check in a little later for Brinson's take on the victory for Angel. Cabrera played his last 10 holes 3-under to win his second major championship in three years.
I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until Bethpage, this is FanHouse golf, signing off.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-12-2009 @ 3:12PM
Matt said...
Live Chat > Live Blog
What's the deal?
Reply