LIVE | Ice-cool on course, Rahm submits to 'wave of emotion'

Ice-cool on course, Rahm submits to 'wave of emotion'

Masters champion Jon Rahm said he had felt a "wave of emotion" after securing the green jacket with a four-stroke victory at Augusta National on Sunday.

Rahm had been ice-cool on the course as he overtook third-round leader Brooks Koepka and then held onto his lead on the back nine, where so many Masters dreams have been dashed.

But once victory was secured on the 18th green, the steely determination gave way to the inevitable feelings of joy and pride -- both personal and national.

"Obviously we all dream of things like this as players, and you try to visualize what it's going to be like and what it's going to feel like," Rahm said.

"And when I hit that third shot onto the green, and I could tell it was close by the crowd's reaction, just the wave of emotion of so many things just overtook me. Never thought I was going to cry by winning a golf tournament, but I got very close on that 18th hole.

"A lot of it was because of what it means to me, and to Spanish golf. It's Spain's 10th major, I'm the fourth (Spanish) player to win the Masters, and it is my second major win, right, it's pretty incredible," added the 2021 US Open winner.

"To play the way I did on Sunday, only one bogey in difficult conditions and coming in with a margin of (four shots) is hard to explain. A lot of pride, and I am really proud of myself and what I did."

Adding to the emotion was the knowledge that his victory had come on what would have been the late Spanish great Seve Ballesteros's 66th birthday and the 40th anniversary of his second Masters triumph.

"This one was for Seve. He was up there helping, and help he did," said Rahm.

But on the immaculate fairways and greens of a course which had dried out after two days of rain interruptions, there was little sign of feelings bubbling inside the 28-year-old.

For those in awe of his steely demeanor, Rahm said his heart certainly had been pounding.

"What is going on on the outside is not always a reflection of the inside," he said.

"I was calm. I never got frustrated. I never really felt like anything was out of control. But obviously, you're nervous. There's tension out there."

A bogey on the ninth hole, just as Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson were making a charge, certainly sent his pulse racing.

"(That) made those 10, 11, and 12 holes harder. Again, I might have looked calm, but I was definitely, nervous out there. I'm glad that's the way it looked. That's what you strive for, right? You don't want to panic, and I never panicked. I felt comfortable with my game, and I had a plan to execute, and that's all I can do," he said.

'Humbling feeling'

On the tour, Rahm has a reputation as a battler, as a player whose head won't drop even when things go against him and he didn't dispute that description.

"We put in a lot of effort to try to beat the best guys in the world. So maybe that level of intensity and that determination is what you see, and that's why I'm characterized as a fighter. I'm never going to give up," he said.

Rahm became the first European to win both the US Open and the Masters, an achievement he wasn't aware of until it was put to him in his news conference.

"Out of all the accomplishments and the many great players that have come before me, to be the first to do something like that, it's a very humbling feeling," he said.

"I still can't believe I'm the first. That is a pretty good duo of majors."

Final scores on Sunday after the final round of the 87th Masters at Augusta National (par 72):

276 - Jon Rahm (ESP) 65-69-73-69

280 - Phil Mickelson (USA) 71-69-75-65, Brooks Koepka (USA) 65-67-73-75

281 - Jordan Spieth (USA) 69-70-76-66, Russell Henley (USA) 73-67-71-70, Patrick Reed (USA) 71-70-72-68

282 - Cameron Young (USA) 67-72-75-68, Viktor Hovland (NOR) 65-73-70-74

283 - Sahith Theegala (USA) 73-70-73-67

284 - Scottie Scheffler (USA) 68-75-71-70, Xander Schauffele (USA) 68-74-71-71, Collin Morikawa (USA) 69-69-74-72, Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 70-72-72-70

285 - Gary Woodland (USA) 68-72-73-72, Patrick Cantlay (USA) 71-71-68-75

286 - Sam Bennett (USA) 68-68-76-74, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 71-70-70-75, Im Sung-Jae (KOR) 71-76-67-72, Joohyung Kim (KOR) 70-72-74-70, Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 71-69-74-72, Shane Lowry (IRL) 68-72-73-73, Justin Rose (ENG) 69-71-73-73

287 - Lee Kyung-Hoon (KOR) 74-67-74-72, Chris Kirk (USA) 70-74-72-71, Keegan Bradley (USA) 70-72-74-71288 - Tony Finau (USA) 69-74-73-72, Scott Stallings (USA) 70-77-69-72, Ryan Fox (NZL) 70-71-74-73

289 - Harold Varner III (USA) 72-71-76-70, Kim Si-Woo (KOR) 73-72-72-72, Mackenzie Hughes (CAN) 76-69-74-70, Sam Burns (USA) 68-71-78-72

291 - Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 72-71-74-74292 - Tyrrell Hatton (ENG) 71-73-72-76, Zach Johnson (USA) 75-70-74-73, Talor Gooch (USA) 72-74-73-73, Cameron Smith (AUS) 70-72-75-75, JT Poston (USA) 74-72-76-70

293 - Taylor Moore (USA) 73-72-70-78, Abraham Ancer (MEX) 72-71-74-76, Adam Scott (AUS) 68-74-77-74, Jason Day (AUS) 67-72-74-80

294 - Guillermo Pereira (CHI) 74-70-77-73, Harris English (USA) 71-71-77-75, Max Homa (USA) 71-73-72-78295 - Seamus Power (IRL) 73-72-73-77, Sepp Straka (AUT) 70-73-74-78296 - Thomas Pieters (BEL) 74-73-72-77, Dustin Johnson (USA) 71-72-78-75297 - Fred Couples (USA) 71-74-76-76, Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 74-73-73-77

300 - Billy Horschel (USA) 73-74-74-79302 - Keith Mitchell (USA) 75-71-77-79

DNF: Tiger Woods (USA), Kevin Na (USA), Will Zalatoris (USA), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA)

Spain's Rahm follows Ballesteros with Masters glory

Jon Rahm was nearly in tears after winning an emotional triumph at the Masters on Sunday, what would have been the 66th birthday of his idol Seve Ballesteros.

Rahm overcame a four-stroke deficit at the start of a marathon 40-hole final day at Augusta National to defeat Americans Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson by four shots for his second major title, a victory that returns him to world number one.

"This one was for Seve," Rahm said.

"He was up there helping, and help he did."

The 28-year-old Spaniard said he felt bolstered by the spirit of the late Ballesteros, who won his second Masters title 40 years ago.

"For me to get it done on the 40th anniversary of his win, his birthday, on Easter Sunday, it's incredibly meaningful," Rahm said.

Rahm achieved what he called a "true honor" in becoming the fourth Spaniard to grab the green jacket after Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Ballesteros, who died of brain cancer in 2011 at age 54.

"Rest in peace Seve," Rahm said to close his victory ceremony.

Rahm won the green jacket and took a record top prize of $3.24 million from a record $18 million purse.

Olazabal greeted Rahm with an emotional embrace just off the 18th green moments after the triumph was complete.

"He said he hopes it's the first of many more," Rahm said.

"We both mentioned something about Seve, and if he had given us 10 more seconds, I think we would have both ended up crying."

Rahm's methodical precision shotmaking down the bogey-free back nine delivered the triumph, a contrast to his emotional mood after the victory.

"I might have looked calm, but I was definitely nervous out there," Rahm said.

"I never panicked. I felt comfortable with my game. I never got frustrated. I never felt like anything was out of control. But there was tension out there."

Rahm rescued a poor shot off the 18th tee for a closing par in much the same manner Ballesteros was known for doing.

"To finish it off the way I did -- an unusual par, very much a Seve par -- it was in a non-purposeful way a testament to him," Rahm said.

"He was pulling for me."Rahm held firm with a final-round three-under par 69 to finish on 12-under par 276 with four-time major winner Koepka and six-time major winner Mickelson sharing second on 280 and fellow Americans Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed and Russell Henley on 281.

Rahm, who also won the 2021 US Open, became the first European golfer to own that title and a Masters.

"To be the first to do something like that, it's a very humbling feeling," Rahm said.

Rahm, who won three prior PGA Tour titles this year, overtook 2022 Masters champion Scottie Scheffler atop the rankings after the American shared 10th on 284.

Koepka, whose lead was trimmed from four shots to two just after the third-round restart Sunday morning, fired a closing 75. He surrendered the lead to Rahm with a bogey at the sixth -- part of a 6-over 19-hole stretch -- and never recovered.

"Some days you have it, some days you don't, and today wasn't one of those," Koepka said.

"Tried to give it a run there at the end, but just wasn't good enough."

Rahm's five-foot birdie at the par-5 13th, four-foot birdie at 14 and four closing pars foiled 52-year-old Mickelson's bid to break his own mark as the oldest major champion.

Mickelson encouraged

Three-time Masters champion Mickelson birdied five of the last seven holes to shoot 65, the lowest Masters round ever for a player over 50.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, but it was really a lot of fun for me to play at this level again," said Mickelson. "

It's encouraging for me going forward the rest of the year."

He had a chance to match the greatest last-round comeback in major history -- Paul Lawrie's 1999 British Open rally from 10 adrift.

But the US left-hander settled for being the oldest player to finish in the top-five at a Masters.

- AFP            

Spain's Jon Rahm wins 2023 Masters

Spain's Jon Rahm won the Masters on Sunday by four strokes after shooting a three-under-par final round 69 at Augusta National to end 12 under-par overall.

Americans Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson tied for second place ending eight-under overall as Rahm clinched a victory that returns him to golf's world number-one ranking.

Rahm began the final round two strokes behind Koepka but took the lead on the sixth hole when Koepka bogeyed, and he never looked back while his rival faded out of contention.

The victory was the 28-year-old Rahm's second in a major following his triumph at the US Open in 2021, and he became the fourth Spaniard to win the Masters, following in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.

His win came on what would have been the 66th birthday of his idol Ballesteros, who won the Masters 40 years ago.

- AFP

Past 10 winners of the Masters after this year's tournament at Augusta National:

2023: Jon Rahm (ESP)

2022: Scottie Scheffler (USA)

2021: Hideki Matsuyama (JPN)

2020: Dustin Johnson (USA)

2019: Tiger Woods (USA)

2018: Patrick Reed (USA)

2017: Sergio Garcia (ESP)

2016: Danny Willett (ENG)

2015: Jordan Spieth (USA)

2014: Bubba Watson (USA)

Rahm grabs two-stroke Masters lead as back-nine battle begins

Jon Rahm seized a two-stroke lead over US stars Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka midway into Sunday's final round of the Masters as a dramatic back-nine shootout loomed at Augusta National.

Rahm birdied the par-4 third and par-5 eighth holes but made bogey at nine to reach the turn at 10-under for the tournament while Koepka made bogeys at the par-3 fourth and sixth and the ninth to stumble two back after leading by two through 54 holes.

When Rahm missed a six-foot par putt at the ninth, the stage was set for a dramatic fight down the stretch for the green jacket in windy conditions under the Georgia pines as leaders stumbled while challengers caught fire.

The Masters champion will pocket a record top prize of $3.24 million from a record $18 million purse.

Spain's Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion with three PGA Tour titles this year, chased his first Masters win on what would have been the 66th birthday of his idol, the late Seve Ballesteros, who won the Masters 40 years ago.

"I'd like to think he's up there watching and pulling for me," Rahm said.

"If there's somebody who would have enough charisma to give me any help, it would be him."

World number three Rahm could become the fourth Spaniard to grab the green jacket after Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.

Rahm also would overtake defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler as world number one with a victory if the American finishes outside the top four. Scheffler was 4-under overall with four holes to play in a share of 14th.

Koepka, a four-time major winner, led on 11-under 205 after 54 holes with Rahm two back after both concluded one-over 73 third rounds Sunday morning. Heavy rains Saturday had halted play due to puddling on greens.

In the final round, Rahm sank a 10-foot birdie putt at the third to reach 10-under and Koepka found a bunker at the par-3 fourth then missed a nine-foot par putt, leaving the two level for the lead.

Koepka missed the green at the par-3 sixth and a poor chip 22 feet beyond the hole led to a bogey that put Rahm into the lead and the Spaniard dropped his approach inches from the hole at the par-5 eighth to set up a birdie that lifted him to 11-under.On the day, Koepka had gone 19 holes without a birdie after sitting on a four-stroke edge overnight.

Koepka, coming off a LIV Golf victory last week in Orlando, has won all three prior times when leading a major after 54 holes.

A marathon 30-hole Sunday was on tap for the final duo. Neither Rahm nor Koepka, who played 12 morning holes, had a back-nine birdie on the first try, giving hope to a world-class field in pursuit.

The greatest last-round Masters comeback to win was eight strokes by Jack Burke in 1956, but several were in contention to break that mark.

Three-time major winner Spieth, who began the round 10 off the pace, reeled off three straight birdies starting at eight, two more at 14 and 15 and another at 17 to share second with Koepka on 8-under.

Six-time major winner and three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson, trying to break his own major age win mark at 52, birdied the par-3 12th, par-5 13th and 15th and 17 to reach 7-under and share fourth with US countryman Russell Henley.On 6-under were Americans Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Reed.

Koepka, Reed and Mickelson gave Saudi-backed upstart series LIV Golf three top contenders.

They were among top PGA Tour stars lured last year with record $25 million purses from 54-hole events, sparking the PGA to ban LIV players from its tournaments even as majors allow LIV golfers to compete.

Injured Tiger withdraws

Tiger Woods, limping on a soggy layout Saturday, withdrew Sunday from the Masters with a foot injury.

"I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis," Woods tweeted.

The 15-time major winner, still nagged by severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, withdrew from his Bahamas invitational last December with the foot injury.

- AFP

Five Facts for the Final Round

1. One Man To Beat: Everyone is chasing Brooks Koepka. Koepka holds a two-stroke lead heading into the final round. He will play in the final pairing alongside Spaniard Jon Rahm.

2. Making A Move: Norway’s Viktor Hovland had the hottest stretch of the day in the third-round play Sunday to climb into contention. He made five straight birdies beginning at the 11th hole on his way to a 2-under 70. It’s just the third time since WWII that someone has birdied Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15. Hovland is three strokes behind Koepka.

3. Big Comebacks Do Happen: The Masters has had some remarkable comebacks over the final 18 holes. Jack Burke Jr. was eight shots back to start the final round in 1956 before winning. Nick Faldo famously wiped out Greg Norman’s six-stroke lead in 1996. If history is any guide, Patrick Cantlay (five behind), 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley (six behind) still have a chance.

4. Figuring Out The Renovated 13th: Both Rahm and Koepka have played the par-5 13th hole, which was lengthened this year by 35 yards, in even par for three rounds. Only two Masters winners have played the hole in even or worse in the year they won – Danny Willett (1-over in 2016) and Sergio Garcia (even par in 2017).

5. What Happened To Tiger?: Woods officially withdrew before play resumed Sunday morning. In a Twitter post, Woods said he aggravated the plantar fasciitis that had bothered him before.

- Courtesy of the official Masters website

Koepka clings to Masters lead over Rahm as Hovland charges

Brooks Koepka clung to a two-stroke lead over Jon Rahm after Sunday's completion of the storm-hit third round of the Masters, setting the stage for a closing drama at rain-softened Augusta National.

Koepka and Rahm each fired a one-over par 73 in the third round to leave American Koepka on 11-under 205 after 54 holes and Rahm two back on 207 -- neither managing a back-nine birdie.

Adding to the tension was a run by ninth-ranked Viktor Hovland, five consecutive birdies starting at the par-4 11th lifting the Norwegian to third on 208 and in the hunt for his first major crown after shooting 70.

A marathon last-day battle was poised to unfold under the towering Georgia pines with Koepka chasing his fifth major title, Spain's third-ranked Rahm seeking his second and Hovland his first -- all hunting a first green jacket.

An additional sub-plot to the final day duel is that Koepka plays in the Saudi-backed upstart LIV Golf League while Rahm and Hovland have stayed loyal to the PGA Tour.

Heavy rain forced a suspension of play Saturday, water puddling on the famed undulating greens, with Koepka in the overnight lead on 13-under and Rahm four adrift.

Rahm began Sunday morning by sinking a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-4 seventh hole while Koepka curled an 11-foot par putt beyond the hole, his first stumble after 29 holes in a row without a bogey.

The two-shot swing halved Koepka's overnight edge to two shots. Both birdied the par-5 eighth, but Koepka missed an eight-foot par putt to bogey the par-3 12th, and Rahm lipped out on a six-foot par putt at the par-5 13th, falling two adrift again.

Rahm missed a 10-foot par putt at the par-3 16th, but Koepka lipped out from three feet at 17 for his first three-putt bogey of the week and each parred 18.

Koepka, who has won all three prior times when leading a major after 54 holes, appeared set for a 30-hole last-day duel with Rahm and Hovland."Drier out there but windier and colder," fourth-ranked American Patrick Cantlay said after a third-round 68 to stand on 210. "It's still pretty hard."Clear conditions with gusty winds were expected, with final-round twosomes planned off split tees in order to complete the year's first major tournament before sundown.

Koepka, a winner of last week's Orlando LIV event, has battled back from 2021 knee surgery to again threaten in majors after winning the 2017 and 2018 US Opens and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championships.  Breakaway LIV Golf lured several big names from the PGA Tour last year with a record $25 million purses from 54-hole events, sparking the PGA to ban LIV players from its events. The PGA-LIV fight is set for a court date early next year.

Major tournaments allow LIV players who qualify to compete, setting up PGA-LIV showdowns this year on golf's grandest stages.

In the meantime, LIV events do not bring players Official World Golf Rankings points. That's part of why Koepka has fallen to 118th in the world and would be the lowest-rated Masters champion since the system began in 1986.

The Masters champion will pocket a record top prize of $3.24 million from a record $18 million purse, less than the $4 million Koepka won in Orlando.

Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion who already has three PGA triumphs this year, is trying to win his first Masters exactly 40 years after his idol, Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros, won his second Masters.

Injured Tiger withdraws

Tiger Woods, who was limping as he made back-to-back double bogeys before play was halted Saturday, withdrew from the Masters on Sunday morning with a foot injury.

"I am disappointed to have to WD this morning due to reaggravating my plantar fasciitis," Woods tweeted.

The 15-time major winner, still nagged by pain from severe leg injuries in a 2021 car crash, had been forced to withdraw from his Hero World Challenge event in the Bahamas last December due to the foot injury, but returned to share 45th in his PGA event at Riviera in February.

Woods matched the Masters record of Fred Couples and Gary Player with 23 consecutive made cuts.

- AFP          

Facing marathon, Woods withdraws from Masters

Five-time winner Tiger Woods, who limped through the start of a rain-halted third round of the Masters, pulled out of the tournament with a fitness issue, organizers said on Sunday.

"Due to injury, Tiger Woods has officially withdrawn from the Masters after completing seven holes of his third round," a statement from Augusta National said.

The tournament is aiming to finish the rain-impacted third round on Sunday morning before proceeding to the decisive final round at Augusta National.

Woods is still recovering from severe leg injuries suffered in a 2021 car crash.

He made his return at last year's Masters, where he shared 47th and spoke of walking 72 holes on the hilly layout as a victory of sorts.

For Woods, who has talked about playing in pain and who operates a minimal tournament schedule, the weather enforced changes meant he would have attempted to play 29 holes on Sunday in order to finish.

Woods had battled to make the cut on Saturday morning, playing in cold and wet conditions and limping at times. He eventually made it into the final two rounds after the cut-line rose to three-over par 147.

By making the cut, Woods matched the Masters record of Fred Couples and Gary Player with 23 consecutive made cuts.

But Woods, who hasn't missed a Masters cut since 1996 when he was playing as an amateur, made a dreadful start to his third round.

Starting on the 10th hole, Woods made two bogeys before double bogeys on the par-5 15th and par-3 16th left him bottom of the leaderboard on nine over overall.

Woods had shared 45th at his PGA event at Riviera in February in his most recent prior start. - AFP

Koepka has eyes on Masters prize as hectic, marathon Sunday looms

American Brooks Koepka has his fifth major title in his sights as he heads into what will be a hectic final day showdown with Spain's Jon Rahm at the rain-affected Masters.

Koepka has a four-stroke lead over Rahm but has a marathon day ahead of him with the leading pair still having 30 holes to complete after Saturday's third round was cut short due to rain.

Should the Floridian triumph it will be his first major since the PGA Championship at Bethpage in 2019 and since he left the PGA Tour for the breakaway, Saudi-backed, LIV Golf series.

The prospect of a LIV player putting on the green jacket is an uncomfortable one for the American golf establishment but creates a fascinating subplot to what is so often a day of drama.

The third round will resume Sunday at 8:30 a.m. with the final 18 holes expected to begin four hours later off the first and 10th tees in pairings.

With puddles forming on the greens and players battling hard against weather more akin to a British Open, organizers had little choice but to end Saturday's action early.

In wet, cold and windy conditions, players huddled under umbrellas in between shots and Tiger Woods wore a woollen hat over the top of his baseball cap.

The weather forecast for Sunday is positive, however, with temperatures expected to rise to above 15.5 C and much less chance of rain.

In round three, Rahm and Koepka both made birdies on the par-5 second but bogeys on the par-3 fourth and par-four fifth from the Spaniard left Koepka with his four-shot gap.

Koepka, at 13-under-par, was on the green at the seventh hole with an 11-foot par putt when play was halted while Rahm, on 9-under, had a nine-foot birdie putt.

With the 32-year-old's performances in the LIV Golf League, including last week's win at Orlando, not counting towards the Official World Golf Rankings, he is placed at 118th in the world.

That ranking more reflects the bitter nature of the conflict between LIV and the PGA Tour, who unlike the rebels have places on the board of the rankings body.

Koepka's formal ranking would make him the lowest-ranked player to win the Masters since the rankings system was introduced in 1986.

The current holder of that distinction is Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who was ranked 69th when he won the green jacket in 2009.

The winner on Sunday will collect a Masters record prize of $3.24 million unless it is amateur Sam Bennett, who plays on the college circuit for Texas A&M.

Bennett will start on Sunday in third place on the leaderboard, having bogeyed the par-5 second, seven strokes off the lead as he bids to become the first amateur to win the Masters.

Patrick Cantlay handled the challenging conditions well as he rose up the leaderboard with three straight birdies from the second hole and he was five-under overall through the 13th hole.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick, the reigning US Open champion, was one of three players level with Cantlay on five under after making three birdies before play was stopped.

Veteran Phil Mickelson, also on the LIV tour, produced a superb long, curling putt on the par-3 sixth for his second birdie of the day to briefly reach six-under but followed that with successive bogeys.

Tiger Woods had to battle to avoid the cut but the 15-time major winner may have wished he had failed after a nightmare start to his third round.

Woods, starting on the 10th hole, made two bogeys before double bogeys on the par-5 15th and par-3 16th left him bottom of the leaderboard on six-over overall.

By making the cut, Woods matched the record of Fred Couples and Gary Player with 23 consecutive made cuts at the Masters.

Woods hasn't missed a Masters cut since 1996 when he was playing as an amateur. - AFP

THE LEADERBOARD AS IT STANDS:

-13: Koepka (6)

-9: Rahm (6)

-6: Bennett -a- (6)

-5: Cantlay (13), Fitzpatrick (11), Morikawa (7), Hovland (7)

-4: Rose (9), Henley (9), Mickelson (9), Niemann (9), Young (8), Day (7)

-3: Scheffler (12*), Fox (11), Woodland (9)

-2: Schauffele (12), Matsuyama (11), Reed (10), Lowry (9), Burns (9), Spieth (8)

PLAY SUSPENDED, KOEPKA EXTENDS LEAD

Brooks Koepka extended his lead at the Masters to four shots over Spain's world number three Jon Rahm on Saturday before third-round play at soggy Augusta National was suspended for the day due to heavy rain.

With puddles forming on the greens and players battling hard against conditions more akin to a British Open, organizers decided to leave the remainer of the contest for Sunday.

In wet, cold and windy conditions, players huddled under umbrellas in between shots and Tiger Woods wore a woollen hat over the top of his baseball cap.

"It's obviously super difficult. Ball's not going anywhere," said Koepka, who played his six holes of round three at one-under.

"You've got rain to deal with, and it's freezing cold. It doesn't make it easy. You've got to make some pressure putts. You know it was going to be a difficult day. You've just got to grind through it and try to salvage something."

The weather forecast for Sunday is positive with temperatures expected to rise to above 60 degrees F (15.5 C) and much less chance of rain.With the leading pair having completed six holes, there is confidence the tournament can finish as scheduled by completing the final 30 on Sunday.

A total of 39 players, Rahm among them, had returned Saturday morning to finish their second rounds, interrupted by stormy weather on Friday. The Spaniard cut Koepka's lead down to two strokes before third-round play got under way.

Rahm and Koepka both made birdies on the par-5 second but bogeys on the par-3 fourth and par-four fifth from the Spaniard left Koepka with his four-shot gap.

Koepka, at 13-under par, was on the green at the seventh hole with an 11-foot par putt when play was halted while Rahm, on 9-under, had a nine-foot birdie putt.

Koepka plays in the breakaway LIV Golf League and with his performances on that tour, including his win at Orlando last week, not counting towards the Official World Golf Rankings, he is placed at 118th in the world.

That ranking more reflects the bitter nature of the conflict between Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the established PGA Tour and DP World Tour, who unlike the rebels have places on the board of the rankings body.

Koepka is a four-time major winner but his formal ranking would make him the lowest-ranked player to win the Masters since the rankings system was introduced in 1986.

The current holder of that distinction is Angel Cabrera of Argentina, who was ranked 69th when he won the green jacket in 2009.

Amateur Sam Bennett was in third place on the leaderboard, having bogeyed the par-5 second, seven strokes behind Koepka as he bids to become the first amateur to win the Masters.- Tiger makes Masters cut -Patrick Cantlay handled the challenging conditions well as he rose up the leaderboard with three straight birdies from the second hole and he was five-under overall through the 13th hole.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick, the reigning US Open champion, was one of three players level with Cantlay on five under after making three birdies before play was stopped.

Veteran Phil Mickelson, also on the LIV tour, produced a superb long, curling putt on the par-3 sixth for his second birdie of the day to briefly reach six-under but he then followed that with successive bogeys.

Tiger Woods had to battle to avoid the cut but the 15-time major winner may have wished he had failed after a nightmare start to his third round.

Woods, starting on the 10th hole, made two bogeys before double bogeys on the par-5 15th and par-3 16th left him bottom of the leaderboard six over-par overall.

By making the cut, Woods equalled the record of Fred Couples and Gary Player with 23 consecutive made cuts at the Masters.

Woods hasn't missed a Masters cut since 1996 when he was playing as an amateur.

- AFP

2023 MASTERS PAYS HIGHEST EVER PURSE

This year's Masters will pay the winner a record $3.24 million from a highest ever $18 million prize money purse, Augusta National announced on Saturday.

The previous record prize money total was last year's $15 million, with current world number one Scottie Scheffler taking home the green jacket winner's prize of $2.7 million.

While historic by Augusta standards, it pales to the $25 million purses at stake in 54-hole events in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, which has caused a massive split in elite golf since its launch last June.

Brooks Koepka, one of the challengers at Augusta for the Masters title, pocketed $4 million last week for winning LIV's event in Orlando.

LIV's record prize money and shorter events lured away several big-name stars from the PGA Tour despite concerns over Saudi Arabian human rights issues.

The PGA Tour has banned LIV players from its events and their legal battle is set to reach a courtroom early next year.

The PGA has made changes to its schedule to create more events with larger purses and fewer players to combat LIV Golf.

This year's Masters runner-up will receive $1.944 million with third place good for $1.224 million -- all assuming that US amateur contender Sam Bennett doesn't finish in that spot, since he cannot take prize money.

- AFP

Rahm lurks as delayed Masters second round resumes

After a rainy night Georgia, the delayed second round of the 87th Masters got under way on Saturday with Spaniard Jon Rahm aiming to cut back the three-stroke advantage of early clubhouse leader Brooks Koepka.

Friday's play was cut short after stormy weather descended on Augusta National, with three of the course's trademark tall pine trees blowing over.

While organizers said that no spectators had been injured by the falling trees, the spectacular images will have injected some caution into tournament officials' plans for play during what is expected to be a wet and windy Saturday.

Temperatures have dropped sharply in the area, falling from 87 degrees F (30.5 C) in the bright sunshine of the opening round to 50 (10) for awaiting those returning to finish their second round.

While the rain, which continued during the night, will have further softened an already unusually forgiving course, those players who have completed their second round won't have to contend with any wind and rain until the third round, which is scheduled to begin later on Saturday.

Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa, who sits six strokes behind Koepka, is certainly glad to have his second-round work done.

"I think [Saturday] is going to be the worst, 51 high, really windy," he said. "[It's going to] be a very tough weekend. These first two days have been some of the easiest I've seen Augusta play... in my four times here. There hasn't been wind."We've gotten pretty lucky, but Mother Nature is not going to give up come Saturday and Sunday."

Four-time major winner Koepka, who plays on the breakaway LIV Golf series, is the man to catch after an outstanding opening two rounds.

Koepka blitzed the par-5 holes for an eagle and three birdies in a bogey-free second round. His superb shotmaking followed an opening 65, his lowest Masters round, and left him on 12-under 132 for 36 holes, three strokes in front of Rahm.

World number three Rahm was among 39 players still on the course when three trees were toppled by gusty winds near the 17th tee and officials stopped play.

The Spaniard had made three birdies on the front nine and will be looking to close in on the lead as he targets a second major tournament victory following his 2021 US Open win.Some big names face missing the cut when the second round is finally completed.

Rory McIlroy shot a five over-par 77 with seven bogeys on Friday leaving him 17 strokes behind pace-setter Brooks Koepka, and is facing his second missed Masters cut in three years.

Tiger Woods is right on the projected cutline at level for 50th, 2-over par overall with seven holes to complete.

- AFP.

Rahm seeks early push as LIV's Koepka leads storm-hit Masters

Jon Rahm looked to make a back-nine charge on Saturday morning in pursuit of Brooks Koepka, who surged to a three-stroke lead in Friday's storm-halted second round of the Masters.

Four-time major winner and LIV Golf rebel Koepka seized command with a sizzling five-under par 67 at Augusta National before a storm that uprooted three trees suspended play until Saturday.

Koepka torched the par-5 holes for an eagle and three birdies in a bogey-free tour. His superb shotmaking followed an opening 65, his lowest Masters round, and left him on 12-under 132 for 36 holes, three strokes in front of Rahm.

"It was really solid. Didn't really do too much wrong," Koepka said. "You've got to make birdies on these par 5s, take advantage of them, and did a good job of that."

After winning last week's LIV Golf event in Orlando, Koepka could produce the PGA Tour's nightmare scenario of a victory on one of golf's greatest stages by a player from the breakaway circuit.

But third-ranked Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion and a three-time PGA Tour winner this year, made a seven-foot birdie putt at the par-5 eighth and a 12-footer for birdie at the ninth before he was halted on the 10th green.

"I'm feeling confident," Rahm said after his first round. "Hopefully I can keep it going."

The Spaniard was among 39 players still on the course when three trees were toppled by gusty winds near the 17th tee and officials stopped play.

Augusta National said there were no injuries.

"The safety and well-being of everyone attending the Masters tournament will always be the top priority of the club," a statement from Augusta National said.

"We will continue to closely monitor weather today and through the tournament."

Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 US Open champion and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship winner, finished well before the storm.

"The biggest advantage I had was my tee time," Koepka said.

US Amateur champion Sam Bennett fired a 68 to stand third on 136. The 23-year-old Texan could be the first amateur in a Masters last pairing in 65 years and was confident he can defeat Koepka.

"I know that my good golf is good enough," Bennett said. Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa was fourth on 6-under 138 and Norway's ninth-rated Viktor Hovland was at 6-under through 10 holes.

Australia's Jason Day and Americans Sam Burns and Spieth, a three-time major winner, were on 139."The benefit we have, those of us chasing, is that it's going to be incredibly difficult conditions," Spieth said.

"It means a few under goes a long way."

Koepka birdied the par-5 second to grab the solo lead, then curled in a tricky 10-foot par putt at the third.

The 32-year-old American eagled the par-5 eighth to become the fastest Masters player to 10-under since Jordan Spieth on his way to a 2015 victory, then birdied 13 and 15 also.

"It was a clinic for 36 holes," said Koepka's playing partner Gary Woodland. "It was impressive to see."

Koepka is among 18 qualifiers from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League at Augusta National, where talk of the PGA-LIV split has been set aside by players so they can focus on winning the green jacket.

"I don't know if this is the place for healing those wounds," two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal said.

The PGA Tour banned players who jumped to the upstart series for record $25 million purses and 54-hole events and a court fight is set for early 2024, but LIV players can compete in majors.

Tiger on cut line

World number two Rory McIlroy, who needs a Masters victory to complete a career Grand Slam, fired a 77 to stand on 149, three strokes over the projected cut line.

Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler struggled to a 75 to stand on 143.

Tiger Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, was level par through 11 holes and on the projected 2-over cutline overall.

Woods, 47, has missed the cut only once in 24 prior Masters starts, as an amateur in 1996, a year before his record-shattering first major triumph at Augusta.

- AFP.

LIV's Koepka seizes command at Masters

Four-time major winner and LIV Golf rebel Brooks Koepka seized command of the Masters with a sizzling five-under-par 67 early in Friday's second round at Augusta National.

Koepka torched the famed course's par-5 holes for an eagle and three birdies in a bogey-free round. His superb shotmaking followed an opening 65, his lowest Masters round, and left him on 12-under 132 for 36 holes, four strokes in the lead.

"It was really solid. Didn't really do too much wrong," Koepka said. "You've got to make birdies on these par 5s, take advantage of them, and did a good job of that."

After winning last week's LIV Golf event in Orlando, Koepka could produce the PGA Tour's nightmare scenario of a victory on one of golf's greatest stages by a player from the breakaway circuit.

Koepka made a birdie at the par-5 second to grab the solo lead, then curled in a tricky 10-foot par putt at the third after chipping his approach over the green.

The 32-year-old American, a 2019 Masters runner-up behind Tiger Woods, eagled the par-5 eighth after a brilliant approach shot to reach 10-under, becoming the fastest to that mark at a Masters since Jordan Spieth on his way to victory in 2015.

Koepka cleared Rae's Creek in two at the extended par-5 13th on the way to a tap-in birdie and notched another at the 15th.

US amateur Sam Bennett had five birdies against one bogey to stand second on 8-under through 14 holes with Spain's third-ranked Jon Rahm, the 2021 US Open champion, and Norway's ninth-ranked Viktor Hovland, who had both just started their second rounds, on 7-under.

"I'm feeling confident. Hopefully I can keep it going," Rahm said.

"There's a long way to go."

Australia's Jason Day had two bogeys and a double bogey in the last four holes to stumble in on 72 and on 139 for 36 holes, seven off the lead.

Koepka is among 18 qualifiers from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League at Augusta National, where talk of the PGA-LIV split has been set aside by players so they can focus on winning the green jacket.

"I don't know if this is the place for healing those wounds," two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal said.

Six-time major winner Phil Mickelson of LIV shot 69 to share 11th on 140.

The PGA Tour banned players who jumped to the upstart series for record $25 million purses and 54-hole events and a court fight is set for early 2024, but majors allow LIV golfers who qualify to compete.

"You should still be in the top 50 if you play well enough in all the majors," said Koepka, admitting there is extra pressure needing big efforts at majors to ensure future invitations.

"But if you win one here, it kind ticks a lot of boxes, doesn't it?"

Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 US Open champion and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship winner, was in the fifth group out Friday with cold, windy and rainy conditions expected by the afternoon and all of Saturday.

"The biggest advantage I had was my tee time," Koepka said.

World number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler was 2-over on the day and 2-under overall after 14 holes.

Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, struggled to a 74 on Thursday and after four holes was right on the projected 2-over cutline.

At 47, Woods said he isn't sure how many more Masters he will play, still pained by severe leg injuries from a 2021 car crash.

Woods has missed the cut only once in 24 prior Masters starts, as an amateur in 1996, a year before his record-shattering first major triumph at Augusta.

World number two Rory McIlroy, who needs a Masters victory to complete a career Grand Slam, was 4-over overall through 13 holes.

Others likely to miss the cut included LIV's Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson.

- AFP

LIV's Koepka grabs three-stroke lead at Masters

Four-time major winner and LIV Golf rebel Brooks Koepka made an eagle and a birdie in an early charge to grab a three-stroke lead at the turn in Friday's second round of the 87th Masters.

Koepka had opened with a seven-under-par 65, his best of 25 career rounds at Augusta National, to share the 18-hole lead with Spain's Jon Rahm and Norway's Viktor Hovland.

On Friday, Koepka made a nine-foot birdie putt at the par-5 second to grab the solo lead, then curled in a tricky 10-foot par putt at the third after chipping his approach over the green.

The 32-year-old American, a Masters runner-up behind Tiger Woods in 2009, rolled in a 13-foot eagle putt at the par-5 eighth to reach 10-under for a three-stroke edge.

Koepka, the fastest player to 10-under at a Masters since Jordan Spieth on his way to a 2015 victory, narrowly missed an 11-foot birdie putt on nine but settled for par.

After winning last week's LIV Golf event in Orlando, Koepka could produce the PGA Tour nightmare scenario of a victory by a player from the breakaway circuit, on one of golf's greatest stages.

Koepka was the only player among 18 qualifiers from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League to crack 70 in the first round at Augusta National, where talk of the PGA-LIV split has been set aside by players so they can focus on winning the green jacket.

The PGA Tour banned players who jumped to the upstart series for record $25 million purses and 54-hole events. A court fight is set for early 2024.

Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 US Open champion and 2018 and 2019 PGA Championship winner, was in the fifth group off at Augusta National on Friday as a stormy afternoon forecast prompted officials to start 30 minutes early.

Koepka said his tee time, giving him a chance to finish before brutal wind and heavy rains arrive, was a bigger edge than his sizzling first round.

World number one and defending champion Scottie Scheffler opened with a bogey to stand 3-under while US amateur Sam Bennett birdied the first to share fifth on 5-under.- Tiger near cut line -Woods, a 15-time major winner and five-time Masters champion, had a late start after struggling to a 74 on Thursday.

At 47, Woods said he isn't sure how many more Masters he will play, still pained by severe leg injuries from a 2021 car crash. He must fight to make the cut.

Woods has missed the cut only once in 24 prior Masters starts, as an amateur in 1996, a year before his record-shattering first major triumph at Augusta.

World number two Rory McIlroy, who needs a Masters victory to complete a career Grand Slam, opened with a par on Friday to stay on level par overall.

- AFP

Hard toil for SA trio in Masters opening round

The three South African golfers competing at this year's Masters at Augusta National found the going tough in Thursday's opening round.

Hovland, Rahm and Koepka share Masters lead

Norway's Viktor Hovland, Spain's Jon Rahm and American Brooks Koepka shared the first-round lead at the Masters on Thursday after taking advantages of easier-than-usual conditions to card seven-under par 65s.

Rain in recent days has softened Augusta National, making the often rapid and challenging greens much more benign, and the trio seized a two-stroke lead over American Cameron Young and Australian Jason Day.

Favourite, defending champion and world number one Scottie Scheffler was one of seven players sitting three strokes behind the leaders after shooting 68.

But five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods looks more likely to be fighting to avoid the cut than for the title after he shot a two-over par 74 in a round that included five bogeys.

Hovland, who was playing in the same group as Woods and Shauffele, got off to a flying start with an eagle on the par-5 second hole, where he followed up a brilliant iron shot with a 25-foot putt.

Further birdies came on the ninth, 11th and 13th holes but the Norwegian was less tidy in the final five, finding himself in trouble on the par-5 15th, where he went far to the left but he was able to scramble to make par as he ensured he finished bogey free.

"I would have taken that. That was pretty fun. My game has been feeling good," he said.

"But to shoot a 65 bogey-free out here, some things have to go your way... but I also hit a lot of great shots." Rahm's score was even more impressive given that he started with a double bogey on the first hole after four-putting.

But the world number three quickly made amends with successive birdies and an eagle on the par-5 eighth, where his 249-yard iron shot landed four feet from the pin, meant he reached the turn on three-under.

An excellent back nine left the Spaniard with a share of the lead and in the strongest position of the pre-tournament favourites.

"If you're going to make a double-bogey, might as well do it on the first hole of the tournament when you have plenty of holes to make it up," quipped Rahm.

Koepka, who plays in the breakaway LIV Golf League, made eight birdies with a bogey coming on the newly extended par-5 13th hole, where he pulled his drive.

He birdied the final two holes to join Rahm and Hovland atop the leaderboard.

"I drove the ball really nicely. Left it in some good spots. Even missed quite a few putts.... could have been really low but I'll take it, 7-under's pretty good," he said.

Rough start for Tiger

Woods made three bogeys in his opening seven holes but he recovered slightly with a birdie on the par-5 eighth, where he almost chipped in for an eagle.

After a bogey on the 11th, Woods again bounced back with birdies on the 15th and 16th before his efforts were a little undone by a bogey on the 18th, where he found himself in sand trouble.

"I felt like I drove it good," said Woods, "I just didn't do the job I need to do to get the ball close. Today was the opportune time to get the ball - get the round under par, and I didn't do that," he said.

Scheffler got himself into the groove with an eagle on the second and is well placed for a second-round push.

Also on 68 were Ireland's Shane Lowry, Americans Xander Shauffele, Sam Burns and Gary Woodland along with Australian Adam Scott. Reigning US Amateur champion Sam Bennett had a memorable round, matching Sheffler's score with his bogey-free round.

World number two Rory McIlroy finished on even-par after an inconsistent round that saw him make five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 seventh.

Tee times for Friday were advanced 30 minutes for a 7:30 am start with rain and wind forecast for late Friday through Saturday, which could hurt those caught on the course at the wrong time.

First round scores on Thursday in the 87th Masters at Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia:

65 - Brooks Koepka (USA), Viktor Hovland (NOR), Jon Rahm (ESP)

67 - Jason Day (AUS), Cameron Young (USA)

68 - Gary Woodland (USA), Scottie Scheffler (USA), Sam Bennett (USA), Sam Burns (USA), Xander Schauffele (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Shane Lowry (IRL)

69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Tony Finau (USA), Jordan Spieth (USA), Collin Morikawa (USA)

70 - Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG), Keegan Bradley (USA), Scott Stallings (USA), Chris Kirk (USA), Justin Thomas (USA), Tom Kim (KOR), Ryan Fox (NZL), Cameron Smith (AUS), Sepp Straka (AUT)

71 - Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Im Sung-jae (KOR), Dustin Johnson (USA), Patrick Reed (USA), Fred Couples (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Harris English (USA), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Max Homa (USA), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)

72 - Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Harold Varner III (USA), Talor Gooch (USA), Kevin Kisner (USA), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Abraham Ancer (MEX), Mike Weir (CAN), Rory McIlroy (NIR)

73 - Corey Conners (CAN), Adrian Meronk (POL), Seamus Power (IRL), Kim Si-woo (KOR), Billy Horschel (USA), Jason Kokrak (USA), Russell Henley (USA), Taylor Moore (USA), Sahith Theegala (USA)

74 - Tiger Woods (USA), Tom Hoge (USA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA), JT Poston (USA), Lee Kyung-hoon (KOR), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), Guillermo Pereira (CHI), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Thomas Pieters (BEL)

75 - Vijay Singh (FIJ), Adam Svensson (CAN), Min Woo Lee (AUS), Harrison Crowe (AUS), Bernhard Langer (GER), Zach Johnson (USA), Ben Carr (USA), Danny Willett (ENG), Kurt Kitayama (USA), Keith Mitchell (USA)

76 - Cameron Champ (USA), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Kazuki Higa (JPN), Mackenzie Hughes (CAN), Mateo Fernndez de Oliveira (ARG)

77 - Jose Maria Olazabal (ESP), Aldrich Potgieter (RSA), Bubba Watson (USA), Brian Harman (USA), Gordon Sargent (USA), Matthew McClean (NIR)

78 - Alexander Noren (SWE)

79 - Larry Mize (USA)

81 - Sandy Lyle (SCO)

Kevin Na (USA) W/D

Will Zalatoris (USA) W/D

- AFP