Langer leaps into fight as Masters leaders begin
AUGUSTA, Georgia (AFP) –
Tigers Woods of the US hits a shot during the final round of the 77th Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia.
Tiger Woods, Bernhard Langer and a trio of Australians were chasing a historic triumph in Sunday’s final round of the 77th Masters as leaders Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker teed off.
Snedeker, last year’s US PGA playoff and Tour Championship winner, and Cabrera teed off at seven-under par 209 through 54 holes.
An opening birdie by Australian Jason Day put him alongside countryman Adam Scott at six-under with Germany’s Langer defying Father Time by opening with three birdies to stand on five-under with Aussie Marc Leishman.
World number one Woods, South African Tim Clark, England‘s Lee Westwood and American Matt Kuchar were on three under.
Cabrera, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion, is ranked 269th in the world but the 43-year-old from Argentina has found the touch of past years with son Angel Jnr serving as his caddie this week.
Angel Cabrera of Argentina waves during the third round of the 77th Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 13, 2013 in Augusta, Georgia.
Langer, the 1985 and 1993 Masters champion who is trying to become the oldest champion in major golf history at age 55, birdied the first, tapped-in at the par-5 second for another and then dropped a 20-foot birdie putt at the third.
Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, will try to win a major for the first time when he has not at least shared the lead after 54 holes.
Woods, seeking his first major title since the 2008 US Open and his first green jacket since taking his fourth in 2005, opened with a par then sent his tee shot at the par-5 second under a low-limbed tree but rescued a par.
The Australians will be trying to break their Masters curse. No Aussie has ever won the green jacket, with Greg Norman’s heartbreaking near-misses the stuff of Masters legends.
Scott, who uses an anchored-putting stroke, also hopes to ease the sting of squandering last year’s British Open at Royal Lytham, handing Ernie Els the victory by making bogeys on the last four holes.
Showers were in the late-afternoon forecast at Augusta National, offering the potential for softer greens and tricky winds, but nothing looked to put a damper on the tension of fight for the green jacket.
There has not been a Monday finish at the Masters since 1983. Only in 1936 and 1961 has a Sunday storm pushed the final to the next day.
Guan Tianlang, the 14-year-old Chinese schoolboy who is the youngest player in Masters history, fired a 75 to finish on 12-over 300. He will receive the low amateur’s Silver Cup.
“It was such a great week for me. I learned as lot,” Guan said. “Still a lot of things to improve.”