As Dustin Johnson runs away at the top at The Masters…the English challenge at Augusta falls by the wayside with six in the top 30 heading into the final round but not in a position to win
- American Dustin Johnson is sprinting away at The Masters with a four-shot lead
- In the top 30 going into the final round there are no fewer than six Englishman
- However there are none that are in position to catch Johnson and triumph
- Tommy Fleetwood has had some great comebacks but is eight shots off the lead
It’s a somewhat familiar tale. There are no fewer than six Englishmen stationed in the top 30 heading into the final round of the Masters. Unfortunately, not one of them is really in a position to win.
Tommy Fleetwood has mounted some spectacular final round comebacks in his time, most notably at the 2018 US Open when he almost caught Brooks Koepka with a final round 63.
At eight shots off the pace, he will surely need at least something similar to have a prayer of keeping up with the runaway leader, Dustin Johnson.
Tommy Fleetwood will need a miracle comeback to win at Augusta as he sits eight shots down
American Dustin Johnson is four shots clear at the top going into the final round on Sunday
Paul Casey’s chances took a nosedive in the second round before hitting a third round 71
Other than that, it’s looking like more of the same from this gifted group. More solid golf, just not special enough to end that stark run of only two victories in the last 97 majors.
Fleetwood is in good company in a tie for tenth place following a 71, with Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama making for a gilded quartet.
First round leader Paul Casey’s chances took a serious nosedive when he double bogeyed his final hole for a 74 when completing his second round early on. He shot a third round 71 to lie a shot behind Fleetwood in tied 15thplace.
Danny Willett had raised hopes of another green jacket run after his second round 66 but he is now back in tied 20th place after a disappointing 74, with Matt Wallace shooting 70 for an encouraging tied 26th, after missing the halfway cut on his Masters debut last year.
Justin Rose had a horrible Saturday falling down the leader board badly with a 76
Danny Willett’s hopes were dashed after a disappointing 74 and now sits back in 20th place
Then come the fortysomethings in tied 29th place. Lee Westwood shot 71 but the biggest disappointment was Justin Rose, so close three years ago when he lost a play-off to Sergio Garcia.
He looked as if he was on the way back following a prolonged spell of poor form when he started the third round within sight of the leaders, but he fell away badly with a 76.
As for the Open Champion Shane Lowry, the Irishman admitted to being a bag of nerves when playing alongside Tiger Woods for the first time in the opening round, and duly shot 74.
He followed that with rounds of 69 and 68 and his reward today? Another 18 holes with the defending champion, on the last day of his 19 months in the post.