Star-studded leaderboard takes shape for Masters Sunday

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Justin Rose took a long gaze at the 54-hole Masters leaderboard. There was his name at the top, a one-time major winner whose most recent glory was an Olympic gold medal. Next was his friend and Ryder Cup teammate Sergio Garcia, searching for his first win in his 74th major start. Then the ever-popular Rickie Fowler, desperately wanting to take the next step in his ascension among the golf elites. Then Jordan Spieth, who remarkably has climbed out of the quadruple-bogey hole he fell in Thursday, and is now within striking distance to claim not only his second green jacket, but redemption for failing to do so last year. “Everybody has a storyline,” Rose said, “and I’m not even touching upon past champions who are right there as well.” Sunday at the Masters is always special. Sunday at this year’s Masters has the look of a classic. Rose and Garcia will enter the final round as the co-leaders at 6 under. Eight other players are within five shots of the lead, including Spieth and two other past Masters champs, Adam Scott and Charl Schwartzel. The storylines are indeed plentiful, but perhaps the easiest way to break them down is two categories: the Haves and the Have-nots. Garcia and Fowler lead the Have-nots, a group that includes Ryan Moore, Charley Hoffman, Lee Westwood and Thomas Pieters. None have ever won a major. Garcia, of course, has been trying for more than two decades. He was a precocious 19-year-old in 1999 when he bounded up the Medinah fairway while trying to chase down Tiger Woods at the PGA Championship. “I was very young – and very skinny,” Garcia recalled about those days. Now he’s older and grayer – and wiser and evidently, luckier. At least this week at Augusta National, a course that has not always treated him kindly. On Saturday, he got the kind of break that could win a major, his approach shot at the par-5 13th hanging up in the rough instead of drifting back into the Rae’s Creek tributary that guards the green. He took advantage by making birdie en route to a 2-under 70, his third consecutive round under par. Garcia acknowledged afterwards that his relationship with Augusta National has improved. He said a few years ago he would never win here. Now he’s 18 holes away from gladly eating his own words. “It’s the kind of place that if you are trying to fight against it, it’s going to get you down,” Garcia said. “So you’ve just got to roll with it and realize that sometimes you’re going to get good breaks, like has happened to me a few times this week, and sometimes you’re going to get not-so-good breaks. But at the end of the day, that’s part of the game.” In addition to having plenty of motivation Sunday, Garcia will have plenty of inspiration. His idol and fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros would’ve turned 60 on Sunday had he not passed away in 2011 due to brain cancer. Ballesteros won two Masters. So did Garcia’s other Spanish idol, Jose Maria Olazabal, who sent Garcia a note of inspiration on the eve of this week’s tournament. You have a feeling that if Garcia slips on the green jacket Sunday, tear ducts will be on full-blast. “I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Garcia said, “but … I don’t even know how much it would mean to be able to join both of my idols as a Masters winner.” Fowler, who is making his 29th major start, also has been inspired this week. On Thursday, he attended the ceremonial opening tee shot with Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that turned into a beautiful tribute to Arnold Palmer. Fowler would love nothing more than to join Arnie as a Masters champ. “It’s already been a special week,” Fowler said. “We’re going to give it our all tomorrow for him.” I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but … I don’t even know how much it would mean to be able to join both of my idols as a Masters winner. It won’t be easy. The Haves – the ones already major winners – are battle-tested in this kind of pressure-packed environment. The group includes Rose, 2013 Masters champ Scott (three shots back) and 2011 champ Schwartzel (four shots back). But no one seems more at ease at Augusta National than Spieth, who has one win and two runner-up finishes in his three Masters starts. For the first time in his Masters career, he will not be in the final group. Instead, he’ll join spring-break buddy Fowler in the penultimate group. Spieth won from behind in his first two TOUR wins, but in the last seven, he’s had at least a share of the lead entering the final round. This will be the first time he’s never held the lead here after 54 holes. So this is something new. No matter. Spieth plans to stay in the kind of aggressive mode that has carried him back into the tournament. “I’ve been on both sides of it now, and I like the winning side better,” Spieth said. “I’m certainly going to go for broke tomorrow.” As for Rose, while he does have that 2013 U.S. Open win to his credit, he’s been knocking on the Masters door for several years; in fact, he tied for second two years ago, playing in the final group with Spieth. This will be the first time Rose sleeps on the 54-hole Masters lead here. Not that he considers a share of the lead all that substantial. “Really, it starts on the back nine on Sunday,” Rose said. “A (share of the) lead starting the day doesn’t mean much. You’re going to have to go out and play a good round of golf. I think there are going to be four or five guys pretty much with the same mindset tomorrow. “I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. … It’s going to be a fun experience.” In fact, it’s already been fun this week.  On a scale from 1-to-10, Fowler was asked how much fun he’s having. “11 1/2,” he replied. Tomorrow, that number may seem low.

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