AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Scottie Scheffler matched the lowest round of this year's Masters with a third-round 65 on Saturday as the field began the tall task of trying to chase down leader Rory McIlroy.
It could have been even better, although Scheffler didn't want to hear that when asked a question to that effect afterward.
“That’s just a terrible question,” he said. “Next question. Awful.”
Scheffler's 31 was the best front nine of his seven Masters appearances, which include two victories. After adding another birdie on No. 11, the world No. 1 had cut his 12-stroke deficit behind McIlroy in half. But he made only one birdie the rest of the way.
“I guess to answer your question — it wasn’t maybe that bad — but it definitely could have been lower,” Scheffler said. “But like I said, I did what I needed to do. Went out and executed to give myself some opportunities, and more of that tomorrow, and I think I’ll be in a good spot.”
McIlroy shot 65 on Friday to move to 12 under par, with a record six-shot lead through 36 holes over Patrick Reed and Sam Burns. Scheffler was 12 back at even par, but then he knocked his second shot to 6 feet on the par-5 second and eagled it.
His approach shots Saturday were clinical, even if he didn't always convert his opportunities on the green. Scheffler missed a 7-foot birdie putt on No. 3, then made par after hitting his tee shot into a bunker on the par-4 fifth.
He finished the front nine with birdies on Nos. 7, 8 and 9. His second shot on the par-4 ninth — from 160 yards — rolled off the lip of the hole.
Scheffler continued to give himself chances on the back. He had birdie putts from 8 feet on No. 11, 18 feet on the 12th hole, 15 feet on the 13th and 13 feet on the 14th — but only one of those went in. His birdie putt from just off the green on No. 15 stopped maybe one ball length from dropping.
“I hit it really nice today. I felt like I was very sharp with the irons,” he said. “Got it up there. Gave myself a lot of opportunities. I felt like I took advantage of those on the front nine, and then back nine I did a lot of good things. Was really, really close to seeing a lot go in.”
Finally, Scheffler made one more birdie on the par-3 16th before missing an 8-footer for birdie on the 17th. His tee shot on the final hole wound up near a tree and some bushes, but he still ended up with a tap-in par.
A great round — but perhaps not great enough. He was still five strokes back of McIlroy, with a handful of others in between.
Scheffler is 2 over on Nos. 13 and 15 — the two par 5s on the back nine. McIlroy, meanwhile, birdied both those holes in each of his first two rounds.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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