Golf rebel Brooks Koepka is on course for tournament victory at the 87th US Masters in Augusta, which was characterized by unpredictable weather. The American also defended his lead on the third lap at Magnolia Lane, which only ended on Sunday afternoon (local time).
The 32-year-old is two shots ahead of Spaniard Jon Rahm. Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who has meanwhile managed five birdies in a row, is another stroke behind.
The fourth round began immediately afterwards, according to the organizers’ plan, the winner and thus the winner of the coveted Green Jacket should be announced shortly before sunset. After the rain and storm of the first days of the tournament – on Friday three pine trees fell onto the facility, miraculously nobody was injured – the weather in Augusta has calmed down a bit.
Superstar Tiger Woods was no longer there on Sunday. The 47-year-old, who had already played a 74 and thus the worst opening round at a US Masters in 18 years due to pain in his right leg, dropped out due to an inflammation of the tendon plate on the underside of the foot.
“I’m disappointed that I have to retire because my plantar fasciitis has got worse again,” the five-time Masters winner wrote on Twitter. After seven holes of the third round, the five-time champion was 9 over par – last place among the 54 participants who qualified for the final two rounds.
Bernhard Langer (65) failed at the cut at his 40th participation in Augusta. The Anhausener wants to start again next year and “attack again”, as he said on Sky.
However, Langer lost his age record to the American Fred Couples, who at 63 years and 184 days is now the oldest player to have made it into the second half of the Masters tournament. Langer managed to do this in 2020 at the age of 63 years and 80 days.
Four-time Major winner Koepka is one of the “LIV rebels” who have turned their backs on the PGA Tour and are now playing in the lucrative but controversial LIV Tour due to Saudi influence.
