At a warm, dry Augusta National, the scores keep getting ... lower?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The thought earlier in the week was that warm, dry weather could lead to some high scores at Augusta National as the Masters progressed. So much for that. The average score Saturday was 70.63, the lowest for a third round in tournament history. That's why Rory McIlroy managed to fritter away a six-stroke lead despite only shooting 1 over par on the day. Cameron Young caught him with a 65. Scottie Scheffler also shot 65 after only McIlroy had gone that low through the first two days. “The course is gettable,” Russell Henley said after shooting a 66. Patrick Cantlay also shot 66 after a 77 and a 67 the first two days. He became the fifth player in the last 50 years to post back-to-back bogey-free rounds at one Masters. The average score has decreased each round, from 74.65 to 72.85 to 70.63. The previous low for a third round was 70.77 in 2019. “I expected to see it a little bit different than what I saw today. I mean, you were hitting shots in there that were spinning. Typically sometimes you get to, you know, Saturday at Augusta and they’re bouncing. It’s really difficult to hold some shots,” Jason Day said after a 68 that left him three shots behind the leaders. “So I thought the green speeds were lovely. I thought the green firmness was great. It was very fair, and I think that’s why you’re seeing a lot of, like, decent scores out there, which brings in a lot of the crowd.” Justin Rose, who is tied with Day for fifth after shooting 69, felt the firmness was giving players a needed boost in distance. “It’s playing a bit shorter because it’s firm. So if you are really on your game, there’s a few more short irons, and the greens are just playable enough where with a 9-iron and a wedge, you can control your ball into certain pin locations,” Rose said. “If it was playing as long as it normally is with the greens the way they are, that would be a pretty unplayable test to golf. I think what we’re gaining off the tee is offsetting a little bit the firmness of the greens.”

In and out

Charl Schwartzel nearly plopped his tee shot straight into the hole on No. 12, but the ball appeared to hit the flagstick and bounced away. He ended up making par. “Basically pitched in the hole. I don’t know. It sort of sums up my week,” said Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion. “Look, I’ve had the privilege to have the ultimate happiness. Not a lot of people will know what that feels like, but this golf course also burns harder than most.” Schwartzel shot 77 on Saturday and is at 9 over, last place among those who made the cut. At least he had a good post-round plan to take off some of the sting. “Go and have a burger with my son in the Champions Locker Room,” he said.

Quite a difference

Ryan Gerard's first Masters has gone pretty well. He shot 68 on Saturday to move to 4 under. He also noticed how unique the crowd is at Augusta National, where cellphones aren't allowed on the course and decorum is of the essence. “They kind of cultivate a really nice culture out here where people are enjoying the golf, rooting for the right people, and just going out there and enjoying the day. It’s not as much of trying to yell something in someone’s backswing to get it online or something,” the 26-year-old Gerard said. “I’d say the overall vibe of the Masters kind of fits with the way that the patrons behave. I don’t know for sure, but I would assume if you acted like an idiot, they would kind of take care of that quickly.”

Wrong direction

Aaron Rai's week started nicely when he won the Par 3 Contest, and he then shot 71 in the first round and was 2 under for the tournament after eight holes Friday. Then he bogeyed the next three, and on Saturday the wheels came off. Rai played the first seven holes in 6 over on his way to a third-round 78. Patrick Reed's decline wasn't that drastic, but after birdies on the first three holes Saturday he was at 9 under and looked ready to challenge McIlroy at the top. Then he bogeyed two in a row and ended up shooting a 72. He's five strokes back entering Sunday. \\\_ AP golf: