Augusta, Georgia, United States: Cameron Smith will be seeking to capture a second Major title when the final round of the 88th Masters Tournament tees-off on Sunday.
Despite a frustrating day with the putter, Australian Smith carded a third-round even-par 72 at Augusta National, leaving him in a share of ninth place.
“I don’t think I hit bad putts. I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole,” said the 2022 Open champion who had top-10 finishes in his two Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) appearances in 2011 and 2012.
“It’s just kind of frustrating. I feel like my game’s in a really good spot and I’ve done everything right and not much has gone right,” said Smith, who trails pace-setting Scottie Scheffler by six strokes.
Smith said: “I think I’m still in the golf tournament. The way that the golf course is playing, I feel really confident with my ball-striking, probably the best I’ve felt in a while.
“I feel like I’m in the golf tournament. It’s only one or two their way and one or two my way, and it’s really close.”
One stroke better off than Smith is compatriot Cam Davis, who will play alongside Denmark’s Nicoli Hojgaard in the fourth last group on Sunday.
For much of the third round Davis, who is making only his second start at The Masters, featured on page one of the leaderboard. “I’m trying my hardest. It’s hard out there, but I’m giving it everything I’ve got,” said Davis, after signing for a 73, to go with earlier rounds of 69 and 72.
“I feel like today I wasn’t laying up, and I was giving it a good crack. Tomorrow hopefully we’ll make the right decisions in the moments and come away with a round that’s as good as we can make it. I’m trying, but it would be awesome to have a great day tomorrow,” he added.
Like Smith, Davis had two tilts at the AAC title. He tied for second in Hong Kong in 2015 when the final round was cancelled due to a typhoon and placed fourth the following year at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion and a two-time AAC winner, shot his week’s best 71 to rise to tied 28th on 221. He has finished inside the top-20 in eight of his nine appearances.
Other ex-AAC participants in the Augusta field include New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, Australian Min Woo Lee and Korean Kim Si-woo.
Fox raced up the leaderboard with birdies at his first three holes and was even-par for the day through 13. But he bogeyed 14 and 18 and suffered a disastrous four-putt triple-bogey seven at 17. He shot a 77 and dropped to joint 26th on four-over 220.
Heading into the final round, Lee and Kim are among a group in equal 41st on 223.
Bidding to reclaim the Green Jacket he won in 2022, Scheffler overcame a tough day which saw him mix his scorecard with an eagle, four birdies, three bogeys and a double-bogey as he remained on course for his second Major victory.
“I’m proud of how I played today. It was a good fight out there. The golf course was extremely challenging. The greens were very firm, very fast, and it was extremely difficult again. So probably looking for more of the same tomorrow,” he said.
One shot behind Scheffler in second is Collin Morikawa (210) followed by Max Homa (211), Ludvig Aberg (212) and Bryson DeChambeau (213).
Five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods carded his worst score at Augusta National, shooting an 82 as he slipped down the leaderboard.
