As unsteady as he was.
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McIlroy said that he had once again been impressed with the resolve and control displayed by Spieth with his most impressive asset being his clutch putting.
Spieth also made double bogey at No. 11, but was able to recover. Not only was a score under par good, it was rare on this day.
Spieth’s par on the last hole not only kept him in the lead, it sent Phil Mickelson home because of the 10-shot rule for the cut.
The 58-year-old won the last of his two Masters in 1993.
Rory McIlroy believes the Masters “owes” him a green jacket to complete the career grand slam after setting up a mouthwatering battle with defending champion Jordan Spieth. “I’m in the lead after 54 holes. So I’m very pleased with the way I’m playing, I’m very pleased with my position”.
Spieth double-bogeyed the 18th hole for a 1-over 73 total that left him 3-under for his three rounds. His closest pursuer and Sunday playing partner is Smylie Kaufman, the only player in the field to break 70 in the third round. But only beat Tom by 2 shots. Conditions were so brutal that it was the first time since the third round in 2007 that no one broke 70.
Jason Day, the world’s No. 1 player, bogeyed the final hole and is 1 over through two rounds.
The wind that caused so much havoc had subsided.
Still, Kaufman said he has been put at ease around Augusta National by a large cheering section of friends and family that’s been as big as “20 to 30 a day”. I just need to go out there tomorrow and be aggressive. “He is a true professional in that regard and I know that he really wants to compete and try to win this thing tomorrow, but then so do I”. The only other players who remained under par were Hideki Matsuyama (72), Brandt Snedeker (72) and Soren Kjeldsen (74). “But the scorecard doesn’t show it always”. If it was consistent wind out there, it would be a lot easier. “There’s a potential for that with what I saw on the last six holes (Friday), the way the course was playing”.
The American, though, is clearly the youngest at 22, four years less than McIlroy and six less than Day. “I mean, I knew that once the ball rolls, once it’s in play, if it starts rolling, you have to play it from where it finishes and obviously I didn’t have my scuba gear to play it from the water”.
Given the conditions – more of the same was expected today – this felt more like everyone against Augusta National than Spieth versus McIlroy. I am disappointed. I felt like I righted the ship a little on the back nine but couldn’t take the few opportunities I gave myself. I can take a bit of heart from that, knowing I’m still in this golf tournament. “I’ve only got the mental capacity to focus on me right now, especially how tough it is out there”.
“I think it’s winnable from here”.
“A gust from one direction when you think it’s going to be the other can throw a two-footer at this speed nearly out of the hole”, said Spieth, who is widely regarded as the best putter in the game.
But he sure made it hard on himself.
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Follow Sportsmail’s live coverage of the Masters as Jordan Spieth attempts to hold off the chasing pack and win his second successive green jacket. But he isn’t anxious about history at the moment. 16, 17 and 18 the last two days, a fact that did not escape his notice Saturday night as he sat at the interview podium.
