Augusta, Ga. – The green jacket is now Rory McILroy to win … or lose.
In the space of two days, McILroy went from favorite (get in the tournament) to sorrow (After having apparently ejected from the connection with a pair of double back bogys in the Tour 1) to return to hunting (After a second round 66) to an overwhelming favorite (thanks to a second consecutive line 66).
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He will head in the final round of Sunday at 12 sous, two shots in front of Bryson Dechambeau and with a massive question suspended above his head: can he finally put an end to the major drought which has been suspended above his head for more than a decade?
How did we get here after a wilderness in Augusta National? GOOD …
How it started
At the beginning of Tour 3, the classification looked like this:
1. Justin Rose -8
2. Bryson Dechambeau -7
T3. Rory McILroy -6
T3. COREY CONNERS -6
T5. Matt McCarty -5
T5. Shane Lowery -5
T5. Scottie Scheffler -5
T5. Tyrrell Hatton -5
Less than 15 minutes after the last couple, it looked like this:
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1. Rory McILroy -9
T2. Justin Rose -8
T2. Bryson Dechambeau -8
T4. Shane Lowery -7
T4. COREY CONNERS -7
T6. Jason Day -6
T6. Viktor Hovland -6
T6. Scottie Scheffler -6
Less than an hour after Tour 3, it looked like this:
1. Rory McILroy -11
2. Bryson Dechambeau -8
T3. Shane Lowery -7
T3. Justin Rose -7
T6. Jason Day -6
Thile. Sungaljae he -6
T6. Scottie Scheffler -6
Win the probability entering the Tour 3
According to Datagolf.com, McILroy was the probable favorite to win the tournament at the start of Tour 3, followed by Dechambeau, Scheffler and Rose.
(Datagolf.com)
Betmgm Odds Also armed McILroy (+340) as the favorite, followed by Dechambeau (+360), Scheffler (+400) and Rose (+900).
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After McILroy participated in Eagle in n ° 2, his probability increased to 36.6%. When he dropped another birdie at n ° 5-giving him the first 3-3-3-3 to start a turn in the history of masters-his probability had increased to 60.3%.
Rory tries to run away
In 89 years History of the Masters, no player started a round with five 3 games. To do this, would mean stewed at n ° 1, Eagle at n ° 2, Birdie at n ° 3, then Aars at n ° 4 and 5. So yes, it is difficult. But then, McILroy stewed one, cut for Eagle at 2, then did he speak 3 and 4, and Birdie 5.
To make a good measure, he linked n ° 6 for a sixth consequence 3 … Breaking his own record, he had put a hole earlier.
The layout thickens as the field tightens
At first, it seemed that McILroy was going to flee the field, after having built an advance of three strokes after seven holes. A Bogey at 8 stopped the momentum, then a three shots to 10 dropped it another blow.
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At the same time, Dechambeau had sorted n ° 8:
… and saved the handle with a clutch putt at n ° 9. The advance was one, and the probability of McILroy's victory had shrunk – 41.5% at 17% for Dechambeau.
As everyone went around, there were eight golfers less than four McILroy strokes, all the Birdie and Bogey reworking the classification as a card game.
The eagle
As soon as McILroy hit his second blow to the 13th by 5, he started to descend the fairway right after.
Two days ago, he had doubled the hole to kick himself apparently out of discord. And now, 48 hours later, he looked at an approach that would land six feet from the hole. He would make the eagle, pushing his advance with four shots … and the thoughts of a green jacket flowing in his head.
Watting on these probability ratings, the ratings of the Eagle McILroy to win were up to 71.5%.
The gaze
While he was approaching 16 years old, Dechambeau fell five shots from McILroy and, as an observer admitted to the dashboard, he knew it. So when he launched a dart a few meters from the hole, then drained the Birdie putt, he started looking at the dashboard.
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“When I did that, I looked up and said, in a way as a statement, like:” You know what, I'm still there. I will continue. I'm not going to go back “,” he said after his turn.
Putt
Of course, Tour 3 must have ended like that … with Dechambeau fixing a putt 48 feet right next to the green, needing to go home in two in order to be in the last twin with McILroy, who was 12 sous. And what did he do? He drained it of course.
The final twinning of Sunday: Rory McILroy against Bryson Dechambeau.
The contenders
Rory McILroy (-12): Did you know that he has not yet won the masters? Did you know that this is the only major championship he needs to finish the big career chelem? And did you know that after winning four majors at the age of 25 – something that he, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus have done – he has not won another major by the past 11 years now? Of course, you did, because it was a scenario that has followed McILroy for more than a decade. He has a cargo on the line Sunday afternoon. Better finish of masters: 2
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Bryson Dechambeau (-10): If he had contact on his approaches on Saturday, Dechambeau would be closer than McILroy. That said, he kept himself in this thing with bombs outside the tee, touch around green and clutch. Better finish of masters: T6
Corey Conners (-8): Give him the merit of having dragged with McILroy, his game partner on Saturday. Conners shook a few first Bogeys to keep in the running, which is not new for the 33 -year -old Canadian. He has three top 10 in Augusta, but he never finished better than T6 to any middle finger. Better finish of masters: T6
Patrick Reed (-6): Wait, what? Yes, the 2018 winner calmly raised the ranking, thanks to a 3-mine of 69 Saturday. He obviously knows how to win in Augusta National. Best Master Finish: 1
Funny Åberg (-6): Åberg was a finalist a year ago during his first appearance in mastery. The 25 -year -old has a major talent, which means that it is only a matter of time before winning one of these things. Better finish of masters: 2
Where is Scottie Scheffler?
Stagnant. He could never do anything. He carded a single birdie on the first nine Saturdays, which was wiped out by a Bogey at n ° 7, and only one at the rear to finish even with his round and 5 under the tournament.
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A microcosm of his round came to Par-3 16, when he dropped a beautiful tee at 13 feet, then looked at his sliced putt to land.
He is not out of discord, but to come back, he will have to go low on Sunday, which is not necessarily his strong point. Yes, it is n ° 1 in the world, but it has not arrived with 63s, but with coherent subparameters and very few errors.
Win the probability by turning final
Here is where it is with 18 holes to play:
(Datagolf.com)
McILroy's at 66.4%, followed by Dechambeau at 22.3%. No one else is greater than 6%.
And finally … why?
This question occurs with the kind authorization of Jason Day who, standing on the 16th green, decided for any reason to climb the ball instead of using his putter.
(Masters)
The strategy did not work for the day.
He ended up lowering the hole.