Brooks Koepka protects two-shot Masters lead over Jon Rahm

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Maybe it’s not a two-horse race after all.

Frontrunner Brooks Koepka and chaser Jon Rahm each shot 1-over 73 in the rain-delayed third round of the 87th Masters Tournament. That left the gap between them right where it was at the start of the round – two shots –while, perhaps just as importantly, allowing one or two others back into contention.

Viktor Hovland birdied five straight holes on the back nine and posted a 2-under-par 70, leaving him at 8 under for the tournament and three behind Koepka, one behind Rahm. Patrick Cantlay carded the second-best third round, a 4-under 68, to reach 6 under, five shots off the lead.

“I thought it was good,” Rahm said. “It's not easy. Cold and windy, wet. Not the easiest. Obviously, I started really good making those putts on 7, 8, 9 and the par putt on 10, and after that just couldn't quite get it going. I wasn't making bad swings, just a couple of bad wind gusts at the wrong time and ended up seeing myself in tough positions.

“But feeling good, playing good, swinging well, so hopefully can keep it going,” he added.

Koepka, who has battled injuries but finally appears to be healthy again, is three-for-three when he’s had at least a share of the 54-hole lead in a major. He tied for second at the 2019 Masters, finding the water at the par-3 12th hole along with seemingly everyone else other than eventual winner Tiger Woods.

Rahm is already a three-time PGA TOUR winner this season and is going for his second major title. His best result in six previous Masters starts is a fourth-place finish in 2018.

Hideki Matsuyama (70) and Russell Henley (71) will start the final round 5 under, six behind.

If history is any guide, a comeback of six strokes or more is doable. Jack Burke, Jr., authored the biggest comeback by a winner, eight back through 54 holes before coming back to win in 1956. Gary Player came back to win from seven strokes behind in 1978, and Nick Faldo was six back when he came all the way back to prevail over a faltering Greg Norman in 1996.

Conditions were cold when every player to make the cut returned to finish Round 3 on Sunday morning, and while the rain had finally abated, the ground was wet, making Augusta National play long. Rahm birdied the final threesome’s first hole of the day, the seventh, while Koepka bogeyed it, a two-shot swing that cut Koepka’s lead from four to two.

The margin was cut to one when Koepka bogeyed the par-3 12 hole, but Rahm struggled with his lag putting at the par-5 13th and 15th, taking a total of six putts as he went bogey, par to go two back again. He blocked his tee shot at the par-3 16th hole and bogeyed, going three behind, but Koepka missed a short par putt at the par-4 17th to return the margin to two.

Just as importantly, Hovland, who was one of three first-round leaders after a 65, had caught up. Although he’s three back going into the final round, that’s hardly a lot on a Masters Sunday.

“We've still got a lot of work ahead,” said Hovland, whose best here is a T21 in 2021. “I need to post a really good number later this afternoon. The strategy is basically the same, but I feel like it maybe helps my mindset a little bit. I have to go out there and get it.”

So do the others. The sun is shining, the end is in sight, and a green jacket hangs in the balance.