Thailand’s star Kiradech earned applause, as well as laughs, when he toppled over to make a heroic recovery shot at Augusta National. At the par-4 17th hole, Aphibarnrat lost his drive to the left, where it finished in the second cut. With a stand of pines between him and the green, he needed to hook his approach out and around the branches to reach the putting surface.

 

 

 

 

Aphibarnrat got set, and then took a mighty lash at his ball. The force of his hook-swing caused him to spin like a top and then topple onto the ground as his ball sailed away. It could have been an embarrassing moment, except the corkscrew shot worked like a charm. Incredibly, Aphibarnrat’s spinning ball not only found the green, it stopped hole-high, 19 feet away from the cup.

 

 

Tiger Woods was more than 100 yards from the 18th green when the ovation started. It’s been more than a decade since the world’s most captivating golfer last won at Augusta National, but the words Tiger Woods is in contention at the Masters might never sound mundane.

 

 

 

 

And when Woods, 43, pulls on his traditional final-round red shirt, he’ll do it two shots off the lead, as one of the Sunday favorites. Woods came roaring down the back stretch Saturday with birdies on holes No. 13, 15 and 16 to shoot a 5-under 67, and pull to 11 under for the tournament. Francesco Molinari leads the field at 13 under after shooting a 6-under 66.

 

 

Italian Molinari holed four successive birdies on the second nine to card a 66 and finish on 13 under as he looks to win a second major.

 

 

 

 

Three-time major winner Brooks Koepka is a shot further back after a 69, while England's Ian Poulter carded a 68 to remain in the hunt at nine under

 

 

Woods parred the first four holes before dropping a shot at the newly-extended par-four fifth for the third day running.

 

 

 

 

However, three birdies at the next three holes got the 14-time major winner, and the patrons, interested. The roar that greeted his next birdie at the par-five 13th echoed across the course.

 

 

Patrons were still streaming down the hill on the 15th when he holed a short birdie putt, after a deft chip from the back of the green. The volume that greeted that was up a further notch.

 

 

Poulter, who was playing with fellow 43-year-old Woods, opened with seven pars and two birdies and holed three more on his second nine, his only bogey coming on the 11th.

 

 

 

 

It was a terrific round from Poulter considering he also had to deal with being in the bubble of a super-charged Augusta crowd who are willing Woods to break his decade-long major drought.

 

(Washington Post)