Reporting from Augusta, Ga. — What a leaderboard heading into the final round of the Masters.
Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia at the top.
Rickie Fowler one stroke back.
And, most menacing, two shots back is Jordan Spieth, who has never finished lower than second at Augusta National Golf Club.
Sunday’s final round will bring with it the kind of drama this tournament expects, with only one person winning, but likely a handful of golfers losing it.
Charley Hoffman, the first-round leader and second-round co-leader, had a two-shot lead with five holes to play Saturday. Then he bogeyed the 14th and put his tee shot in the water at the par-three 16th, leading to a double bogey.
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He is two shots back at four under, along with Ryan Moore and Spieth.
If you are into sentiment, or even karma, then Garcia, the native of Borriol, Spain, is your man. Sunday is the 60th anniversary of the birth of Seve Ballesteros, the most famous golfer ever from Spain and a two-time Masters winner. He died in 2011 at age 54.
“Him and [Jose Maria] Olazabal, they were both my big idols growing up,” said Garcia, considered perhaps the best player never to have won a golf major. “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 my idols as a Masters winner. It would be nice to have a chance and hopefully do it.”
If you are into the alleged Renaissance of English golfers, then Rose is your man. Last year, the Masters was won by Briton Danny Willett. He didn’t make the cut this year.
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“There’s wonderful story lines” heading into the last round, Rose said. “Obviously I’m a major champion [U.S. Open, 2013], but I’m looking for more and I’m certainly looking for my first Masters and my first green jacket. This is a place I dearly love to be part of history here.
“Everybody has a story line and I’m not even touching upon past champions who are right there, as well.”
Rose’s best Masters finish was second in 2015.
Saturday’s round was like a high-level chess match. It was never quite clear who had the real advantage.
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The day started with Hoffman, Garcia, Fowler and Belgian-born Thomas Pieters at four under.
Pieters was the first to leave the rarefied air at the top of the leaderboard. He bogeyed the first hole, though he got the shot back with a birdie on the second.
But it was the 11th hole that removed him from the list of viable contenders — he three-putted from five feet for a double bogey. He finished with a 75 and is five shots back at one under.
Fowler floundered early and was one over through 10 holes. But birdies on the two par fives on the back nine allowed him to shoot a 71, leaving him at five under.
“You have to be patient,” Fowler said. “You can’t really try and get too much out of this golf course. But with that being said, even when you’re playing conservative lines, you still have to execute. You know, you can put yourself in bad positions even trying to play the safe spot.”
Rose did all his work on the back nine, birdieing five of the last seven holes. While all eyes were on the struggling Hoffman and scrambling Garcia, Rose really wasn’t noticed until he birdied 17 and 18 to finish off a 67.
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“I took advantage of the par fives — 8, 13, 15 — and stole a couple more,” Rose said. “It was a very solid round and then obviously finishing birdie-birdie just kind of put a cherry on top of what was a good day.”
Garcia’s 70 was a major triumph for him. Before Saturday, his third-round average at Augusta was 75. And for those counting, he’s played 74 majors without a win.
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Sergio Garcia of Spain celebrates after winning the Masters golf tournament in a playoff on Sunday at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Sergio Garcia is greeted by fiancee Angela Akins after winning the Masters in a playoff.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Justin Rose, left, congratulates Sergio Garcia on the 18th green after Garcia won the Masters on the first playoff hole.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Danny Willett, left, the 2016 Masters champion, congratulates Sergio Garciaduring the green jacket ceremony at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Sergio Garcia get help putting on the Masters champion’s green jacket by 2016 winner Danny Willett.
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Sergio Garcia admires the winner’s trophy during the awards ceremony following his victory at the Masters.
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Sergio Garcia reacts after making an eagle putt in front of Justin Rose at No. 15e during the final round of the Master.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia walk over the Hogan Bridge at No. 12 with their caddies Mark Fulcher and Glen Murray during the final round of the Masters tournament.
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Justin Rose of England reacts to a putt for birdie on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters.
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Rickie Fowler reacts after a drive on the fourth hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
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Sergio Garcia of Spain hits a drive on the fourth hole during the final round of the Masters.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose of England plays his shot from the third tee during the final round of the Masters.
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Paul Casey of England plays his second shot on the first hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
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Jordan Spieth plays his third shot from a bunker at No. 10 during the final round of the Masters tournament.
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Adam Scott of Australia hits his tee shot at No. 4 during the final round of the Masters.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
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Jimmy Walker reacts to his missed birdie putt on the sixth hole during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Sergio Garcia hits from a bunker alongside the seventh green during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland lets go of his club on the follow through of his tee shot at No. 4 during the final round of the Masters tournament.
(David Goldman / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose hits his tee shot at No. 2 during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Rickie Fowler lines up his putt with caddie Joseph Skovron at No. 8 during the third round of the Masters tournament on Saturday at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Sergio Garcia celebrates after making a birdie putt at No. 6 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
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Charley Hoffman hits his tee shot at No. 4 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
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Jon Rahm reacts after missing his birdie putt on the 17th hole during the third round of the Masters.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Jordan Spieth hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose makes his club selection at the second tee box during the third round of the 2017 Masters
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Sergio Garcia reacts to a missed putt at No. 12 during the third round of the Masters tournament.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Ryan Moore plays a shot from a greenside bunker at No. 10 during the third round of the Masters.
(Andrew Gombert / EPA)
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Fred Couples olines up a putt on the 16th green during the third round of the Masters.
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Will McGirt watches his bunker shot roll toward the hole on the 17th green during the third round of the Masters.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Sergio Garcia pitches a shot onto the 13th green during the third round of the Masters tournament.
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Jason Day on the second tee during the third round of the 2017 Masters tournament.
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Phil Mickelson plays his second shot from a bunker at the 12th hole during the third round of the Masters.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Jon Rahm of Spain walk over the Hogan Bridge at No. 12 at Augusta National Golf Club during the second round.
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Jason Day of Australia plays a shot from a greenside bunker at the 16th hole during the second round of the Masters.
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Matt Kuchar and caddie John Wood head toward the second green, where the flagstick is bowed by the wind, during the second round of the Masters.
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Fans get a close-up view of Charley Hoffman hitting an approach shot during the second round of the Masters tournament.
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Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello looks at his ball in the pine straw at the 14th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament.
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Si Woo Kim of South Korea plays his third shot at No. 15 during the second round of the Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
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Fred Couples reacts to his birdie putt on the 13th hole during the second round of the Masters.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Rickie Fowler plays his tee shot at No. 12 during the second round of the Masters tournament.
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Charley Hoffman hits a drive on the 18th hole during the first round for the Masters golf tournament.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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Will McGirt hits a drive on the eighth hole during the second round of the Masters golf tournament.
(Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
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Charley Hoffman looks at his approach on the 15th hole during the first round for the Masters golf tournament .
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
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Justin Rose of England plays his second shot on the 17th hole during the second round of the Masters tournament.
(David Cannon / Getty Images)
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Charley Hoffman hits a tee shot on the 15th hole during the first round of the Masters tournament on Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club. Hoffman shot a 65 to take a four-shot lead.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Pat Perez reacts after missing a putt at No. 16 during the first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday.
(Matt Slocum / AP)
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Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Billy Payne, right, leads a moment of silence for Arnold Palmer at the start of the Masters Tournament on Thursday.
(Curtis Compton / Associated Press)
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Jason Day plays his shot from the third tee during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
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Dustin Johnson walks off after announcing his withdrawal during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images)
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Thomas Pieters of Belgium hits a shot through the trees at the 17th hole during the first round of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
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Caddie Jamie Lane lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club.
(Harry How / Getty Images)
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Brendan Steele walks up the second fairway during the first round of the Masters golf tournament on Thursday.
(Chris Carlson / Associated Press)
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American Dustin Johnson walks out of the Augusta National clubhouse after withdrawing from the Masters golf tournament because of a back injury before his afternoon tee time Thursday.
(Tannen Maury / EPA)
His back nine was filled with pars except on the two par fives.
On 13, Garcia thought he put his second shot in the water that guards the green. But for the grace of a mower set high, his ball defied gravity and stayed on the incline from the water to the fringe.
He then chipped to a foot and made the birdie putt. On 15, he made a four-footer for birdie.
“I’ve definitely had some good breaks throughout three rounds,” Garcia said. “Thirteen obviously was one of them. I didn’t feel like I hit a bad shot. I was hitting plenty of club [four-iron], but it was one of those things that the ball just came out really soft.
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“Fortunately for me, that bank seems to be a tiny bit longer this year, which is nice.”
Still, with all that talent at the top, the real favorite might be Spieth. If he’d merely taken a bogey instead of that quadruple-bogey nine at No. 15 on Thursday, he would be leading by one stroke.
His Masters finishes are second, first and second. His 68 was the second-lowest round of the day, behind Rose.
Garcia and Rose will play in the final group, Fowler and Spieth in the penultimate group.
Forty times in the 80 years of the Masters, the third-round leader or co-leader has won the tournament.
John Cherwa is a special contributor to the Los Angeles Times. He started at The Times in 1980 and left in 1995 to be sports editor of the Chicago Tribune and Tribune Co. sports coordinator in 2002. He rejoined The Times in 2009 and left his post as deputy sports editor late in 2017. Currently, his major coverage area is horse racing, where he can be found at big races at Santa Anita, the Triple Crown series and Breeders’ Cup. He also can be found at the Olympics, having just finished the Tokyo and Beijing double, marking his 11th Olympics. Cherwa also contributes general interest stories from Florida.
