LIV Golf defector Brooks Koepka will take a four-shot lead into a marathon final day at The Masters after constant rain forced the third round to be suspended on Sunday morning (AEST).
Koepka, chasing his fifth major win, has a big buffer from Spain’s Jon Rahm after officials abandoned play at Augusta National following hours of inclement weather with the final group on the seventh hole.
It means Koepka will potentially play 30 holes on the final day of the tournament as he inched closer to a first green jacket.
Thirty-nine players had already been required to be out on course early to finish their second rounds, and there was no hope of the field ploughing through the third round as the Georgian weather closed in.
Players were hauled off the course shortly after 3pm local time as the greens became waterlogged.
Australia’s Cameron Smith (-1) and Adam Scott (even) were the first group out on the course for the third round and still have five holes to play.
Play was suspended during the third round of The Masters.Credit: Getty
Jason Day (-4) is the best of the Australians with 11 holes left in his third round with world No.48 Min Woo Lee and amateur Harrison Crowe, playing his first Masters, missing the cut.
Koepka is seemingly in a two-way battle with PGA Tour star Jon Rahm (-9), who had closed to within two shots of the American after he finished his second round in awful conditions.
Amateur Sam Bennett (-6) was third with Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland a shot further back.
Koepka quickly pounced to extend his buffer when he went head-to-head with Rahm in the final group and will be in for the long haul with conditions set to improve on Monday morning (AEST).
Five-time Masters winner Tiger Woods made the cut for a 23rd consecutive time at Augusta National – but only on the number. It equalled the record of Fred Couples and Gary Player.
Woods (+9) is in 54th spot with the worst score of the golfers who made the weekend, and was six-over through just seven holes in his third round when play was suspended.
On the conditions, Smith said: “A little unlucky with the draw, you win some, you lose some.
“I’ve played in misty, cold [weather] but not rainy cold. It was tough to keep everything warm and everything dry. The golf course is just brutal too.”
Stream the US Masters for free on 9Now or watch Live on 9GemHD.
