Scheffler holds one shot leads as Masters heads to back nine thriller

AUGUSTA, Georgia :Scottie Scheffler was closing in on a second Green Jacket, clinging to one shot lead on Sunday as the Masters was set to be decided by another back nine thriller.

World number one Scheffler began the day with a one shot advantage on twice-major winner Collin Morikawa and after a rollercoaster outward nine was still in charge after a tap in birdie at the ninth, that he very nearly holed out for an eagle, to get to eight-under.

It is said the Masters does not start until the back nine on Sunday and excitement was mounting with Swedish young gun Ludvig Aberg and Max Homa lurking one back with Morikawa falling three off the pace after a double-bogey at the ninth.

Widely regarded as the best ball striker in the game today, Scheffler was uncharacteristically wild with his irons in the early going. He was short on his approach at the first and long on the second but no damage done as he walked off with pars and his one shot advantage intact.

Scheffler would double his lead with his first birdie of day at the third but the advantage was quickly back to one with a bogey at four.

The 27-year-old would find the greenside bunker at the seventh, resulting in second bogey to join Morikawa and Aberg at six under.

Aberg, making his major championship debut, continued to display nerves of steel with a bogey free outward nine that included birdies at two and seven and 10 to seven-under.

With a win, Aberg would become the third player since the inception of the Masters in 1934 to win a major in his first attempt, joining Ben Curtis (2003 British Open) and Keegan Bradley (2011 PGA Championship).

MATCHING BIRDIES

Without a birdie over a 33-hole stretch, Homa rolled in a three-footer at the par five second to end the shutout and then added a second at the eighth which created a logjam at the top of the leaderboard.

Scheffler and Morikawa carded matching birdies at the eighth with Aberg joining the fun with his third of the day at nine.

Hours before the leaders took to the stage the spotlight belonged to Tiger Woods, with massive galleries lining every hole from tee to green perhaps fearing this could be one of the last times to see the golfing icon at work.

Woods had the year's first major buzzing when he claimed a record 24th consecutive made cut at Augusta National on Friday and then boldly predicted a sixth Green Jacket was in reach.

But the American, who has conjured up a long list of magical Masters moments, could not produce another, enduring perhaps the most miserable weekend of his career.

The 48-year-old's injury-battered body appeared to quit on him Saturday as he carded a 10-over 82, his worst major round as a professional, and followed up on Sunday with a five-over 77 in what was his milestone 100th round at Augusta National.

Coming into the Masters, Woods had played just 24 holes this year and had to play nearly as many on a marathon Friday as he completed his weather-delayed opening round followed immediately by another 18.

That effort, physical and mental, seemed to be too much for a golfer who has struggled for fitness for years dealing with back, knee and ankle injuries and a near fatal car crash in 2021 that almost resulted in the amputation of his right leg.

While Woods' weekend performance sparked questions about his competitive future, the 15-times major champion made it clear he has plans to play in all three remaining majors starting next month at the PGA Championship and followed by the U.S. Open in June and British Open in July.