Jordan Spieth is still on track to become the second-youngest Masters champion ever after his sixth under-par 18 holes in seven career rounds at the tournament left the 21-year-old four shots clear of Justin Rose at 15 under, and 2/5 for victory with bwin.
Masters leader Jordan Spieth
That being said, the Texan showed clear signs of nerves at the end of his third round, when Spieth double-bogeyed the 17th and only just scrambled par at the last to post a two-under par 70, which was some way off his majestic tallies of 64 and 66 over the first two days, but still made for a new close-of-play Saturday record of 150.
Justin Rose is currently in second on 12 under, and next in the betting at 9/2 with bwin, after a second 67 of the week following his 70 on Friday.
The Englishman has never finished outside the top 40 in eight Masters appearances, claiming four top-20 finishes since 2007, and took the 2013 US Open despite being two shots behind Phil Mickelson going into the last day, so Rose clearly has the mettle and Augusta nous to go well.
However, Mickelson is just one shot back and looks the best value to take this at 11/2, having gotten progressively better as the week has gone on, with his scorecard reading 70, 68, 67.
The three-time Green Jacket winner has only been outright leader once going into the final days of his previous Masters victories, and turned a one-stroke deficit into a three stroke triumph in his last Augusta success five years ago.
‘Lefty’ holds an incredible record of 14 Masters top tens in his 22 cracks at the tournament, so he’s clearly one of those golfers who gets Augusta. With that in mind, he looks the best bet of the likely trio.
Having been in danger of missing the cut at one stage on Friday, Rory McIlroy got to within seven of Spieth during Saturday’s round, when the world number one peaked at eight under for the tournament after a ferocious front nine, but two late bogeys put him back to six under in the clubhouse.
Rory McIlroy on Day One at Augusta
The Northern Irishman suggested afterwards that he will need ‘a 61 or a 62’ on Sunday, in other words a new course record. The black and yellow boys at bwin seem to agree, pricing the 6/1 ante-post favourite up at 70/1.
Tiger Woods’ return to form in Georgia also looks likely to come to nought, with bwin offering 80/1 about the 39-year-old securing a fifth Green Jacket this weekend.
Woods followed up an opening day 73 with a 69 and a 68, leaving him alongside McIlroy at six under.
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