Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
Story highlights
Jordan Spieth and fellow American Bubba Watson share the lead at the Masters
Spieth is trying to become the youngest ever winner at Augusta
They lead the U.S.'s Matt Kuchar and Sweden's Jonas Blixt by a shot
Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez could become the oldest Masters champion
Storylines won’t be lacking entering the final round of golf’s Masters.
You have Jordan Spieth, at 20 trying to become the youngest winner at Augusta. Popular Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, 50, could become the oldest champion at the event. Sentimental favorite Thomas Bjorn – he of the collapse at the British Open more than 10 years ago – remains in contention and Matt Kuchar, like the other three, wants to bag a maiden major.
Oh, and we shouldn’t forget Bubba Watson, attempting to win at Augusta for the second time in three years.
Those are just a few.
Spieth and Watson share the lead at 5-under-par 211, a shot better than Jonas Blixt and Matt Kuchar and two better than Jimenez and Rickie Fowler. Watson had a three-shot advantage after two rounds.
Spieth, a Masters rookie like Blixt, has been solid in all three of his rounds rather than spectacular. His 1-under-par 71 on Thursday was followed by a 70 Friday and another 70 Saturday.
He mixed four birdies with two bogeys in the third round.
“This is where I wanted to be,” Spieth told Sky Sports. “It was a huge goal of mine to put myself in the position to contend at a major championship, and the Masters sticks out in my head as the one tournament to win in my whole life.”
“I’m trying not to think about that, you try to stay level headed on the golf course and so far so good, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. There is still a quarter of the tournament to go but ultimately it would be a dream come true for me.
“I’ve dreamed of playing here and of winning here so who knows what can happen tomorrow.”
Jimenez struggled Friday with a 76 but was 10 shots better off Saturday, thanks in large part to seven birdies.
If he was to win Sunday, Jimenez – soon to be competing on the Champions Tour – would surpass Jack Nicklaus as the oldest titlist at Augusta.
“If you are 50, it doesn’t mean that you cannot play well,” Jimenez told reporters. “I’m still moving. I’m still flexible.
“I hit the ball longer than ever. I’m not a long hitter necessarily, just a medium hitter. But I still play my irons, when I want to play a fade or draw, high or low, it still happens. I’m competitive.
“Majors are about patience. Today I was very patient. I have plenty of victories in my career and having a major in my career would be amazing. That would be the flower on top.”
Kuchar would have joined Watson and Spieth atop the leaderboard had he not bogeyed the last hole and Bjorn will be ruing three bogeys in his last six holes, although he trails the leaders by merely three shots.
Watson couldn’t match his sizzling Friday display, when he tallied five straight birdies on the difficult back nine. Instead he endured a shaky start, bogeying four holes on the front nine.
He held it together thereafter, dropping another shot only at the 16th as part of his 74.
“I was pumped up, my shots were going further than I was expecting them to, and the greens got firmer, harder and made it difficult,” Watson told Sky Sports.
Defending champion Adam Scott slumped into a tie for 16th following his 76 and was overtaken by, among others, American Gary Woodland.
Woodland matched a Masters record by hitting a 30 on the front nine. Three bogeys and a double bogey, though, on the back nine left him five shots behind Spieth and Watson.