By Steve Keating
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) -Jon Rahm, channelling Spanish great Seve Ballesteros on his late hero’s birthday, moved two shots clear at the top of Masters leaderboard with nine to play on Sunday as LIV Golf standard bearer Brooks Koepka’s Green Jacket hopes frayed.
While Koepka’s round was unravelling at Augusta National, evergreen Phil Mickelson was turning back the clock. The 52-year-old three-time Masters champion carded a sensational seven-under 65 to also sit two back of Rahm.
After two days of interrupted play caused by lashing rain and ferocious winds that toppled trees, the field of 53 returned to the water-logged course to complete the third round. Koepka, who led Rahm by four shots overnight, was ahead by two at the end of the round.
The LIV Tour tournaments are contested over 54 holes and if action in Augusta had ended following the conclusion of the third round, Koepka would have been slipping into a Green Jacket.
Unfortunately for Koepka, the majors require 72 holes to find a winner.
By the time the pair reached the turn of the fourth round, the rock steady Spaniard had taken charge.
Rahm was far from spectacular, carding birdies at three and eight and a lone bogey at nine to sit on 10-under.
But Koepka, who had finished every day top of the leaderboard, simply could not get in gear. He took bogeys at four, six and nine while going 19 holes without a birdie.
Despite his struggles, the four-times major winner headed onto the back nine with history on his side.
Three times the 32-year-old American had held the lead or a share of the 54-hole lead in a major and each time went on to win.
Ahead of the two frontrunners, a pair of Masters magicians Mickelson and Jordan Spieth were making their move.
Spieth, who started the round 10 back of Koepka, had a six-under 66 to get to seven-under and three off the lead.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Augusta, Editing by Ed Osmond, Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)
By: OAN
