Sergio Garcia, winless in 73 prior majors, shook off a Masters legacy of third-round setbacks Saturday to match Rio Olympic champion Justin Rose for the lead entering the final round.
AFP
Garcia has gone a combined 38-over par to average 75 in 13 prior Masters third rounds. But this time he fired a two-under par 70 to match the best of those rounds from 2002 to join England's Rose in Sunday's final pairing with a great chance at a long-sought dream.
"I've got to go out there and believe in myself again as much as I've been doing, be patient and don't freak out even if I do something wrong," Garcia said.
Rose, the 2013 US Open winner, birdied five of the last seven holes to shoot 67 in ideal conditions to join the 37-year-old Spaniard, this week's only player with three sub-par rounds, on six-under 210 through 54 holes at Augusta National.
"I liked my confidence on the greens. They were rolling perfectly," Rose said. "I just stayed with it and everything began to click into gear on the back nine".
Garcia could end his major drought Sunday on what would have been the 60th birthday of his idol, the late Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros.
Asked what advice he thought he might get from Ballesteros, who died of brain cancer in 2011 at age 54, Garcia replied, "Believe in yourself, try to enjoy as much as possible, try to have fun and do your best."
Eighth-ranked American Rickie Fowler, one stroke back in third after a 71, hopes to win the first green jacket awarded since the death of his idol, Arnold Palmer, last September.
Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion whose back-nine Sunday meltdown last year cost him a repeat crown, fired a 68 to share fourth on 212 with fellow Americans Ryan Moore and Charley Hoffman, a co-leader until finding the water at the par-3 16th and making double bogey.
If Spieth wins after an opening 75 that had him trailing by 10 shots, it would be the best 54-hole victory fightback in Masters history.
Australia's Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, was seventh on 213 with 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa another stroke adrift with England's Lee Westwood and Belgium's Thomas Pieters on 215.
World number two Rory McIlroy, a four-time major champion, shot 71 to stand on 216 and was not confident of a victory that would complete a career grand slam.
"I'm going to need to probably play the round of my life tomorrow to have a chance," said McIlroy, who shot 65 in the 2011 first round and 66 on Sunday in 2015.
