Watson, Spieth tied for Masters lead heading into final round

AUGUSTA — Saturday’s third round at the Masters began with the field chasing 2012 champion Bubba Watson.

Eventually, they caught the former Georgia star.

Watson stretched his lead to as many as five with an eagle on No. 2, but that was where the magic ended for the left-hander, who shot a 2-over 74 and heads into today’s final round tied for the lead at 5-under with youngster Jordan Spieth.

“There was a couple shots I thought I hit pretty good, little bounces here and there,” Watson said. “You’re going to struggle probably one day — or I am. So if this is my worst day, I’m still tied for the lead, I have a great shot (today).”

There are nine players within three shots of the lead, making today’s final round anybody’s for the taking.

And Watson knows it.

“It’s going to be fun,” he said. “It will be interesting, but it will be fun.”

Among those in contention is former Georgia Tech star Matt Kuchar, whose 68 lifted him into a tie for second with Jonas Blixt at 4 under. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Rickie Fowler — who shot sizzling rounds of 66 and 67, respectively — are two shots back of the lead, and Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk and Thomas Bjorn are just three shots back.

“Anywhere within five, even six shots of the lead going into the final round of the Masters (gives you) a good chance, especially with the way the golf course is playing out here,” Westwood said, referencing the lightning-quick greens.

There were five rounds in the 60s on a moving day that saw plenty of movement. Jimenez made the biggest leap, moving from 37th into a tie for fifth, while defending champion Adam Scott shot a 76 and dropped from third to a tie for 16th.

But the biggest surprise of the day came from 20-year-old Spieth, who is trying to become the youngest Masters champion of all-time and the youngest major champion in 92 years. He sprinkled four birdies throughout his round and stayed poised in a tournament he said he’s dreamed about for years.

“I’m 20 and this is the Masters, and this is a tournament I’ve always dreamt about and, like Mr. (Ben) Crenshaw has always said, it brings out more emotion than ever in somebody,” Spieth said. “You just dream of what it would mean and how cool it would be (to win the Masters), and all those putts I hit when I was real young with my friends on trying to make it to win the Masters.

“You know, I would love the opportunity to test it (today).”

Two years ago, Watson two-putted on No. 10 to beat Louis Oosthuizen in a playoff to win his first green jacket — a moment he is drawing on after a third round that saw him rack up five bogeys and just one birdie and one eagle.

“I’ve won one, so I’ve got that going for me, you know, but if I play bad (today), I still have a green jacket, so that’s the positive I have to go for,” Watson said. “You know, we’re all trying to win the same trophy. We are all trying to do the same thing. We are all going to be nervous and we all know what it means to our career, for our status to move forward in the game. So it’s going to be tough for everybody, not just guys that have never won one.”

Kuchar, like Watson, will lean on his experience today.

“I think you hear most of the commentary that experience really has a lot to do with playing well here, and you see the likes of Fred Couples do well and you kind of chalk it up to a guy with a lot of experience playing this golf course,” Kuchar said. “It definitely helps. It definitely helps.”

The crowd hovered around Watson even before he stepped on the first tee, following the beloved former Bulldog from the driving range to the practice green. With Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson absent from the final two rounds, Watson stepped into the spotlight and bounced back from an opening-hole bogey with an eagle on No. 2 that ushered in the loudest roar of the day.

The cheer echoed through the course with thunder usually reserved for Woods or Mickelson.

Watson knows the roars will only be louder today.

“The fans get behind you, especially a lot of Georgia fans around here, so that’s good for me,” he said. “But it’s one of those things that you have dreamed about this your whole life as a kid, if you want to be a professional golfer you’ve dreamed about it, you’ve thought about it. And to have that chance on Monday if somebody told me I would have shot 2‑over and still be tied for the lead, I would have taken it in a heartbeat. So I got a shot (today).”

Watson and Spieth tee off at 2:40 p.m. today — and when they do Spieth knows exactly what he will call the 35-year-old Watson.

“Mr. Watson, for sure,” said Spieth, who revealed that he calls anybody older than him Mister. “Just because it’ll mess with him.”

Watson’s response drew just as many laughs.

“That’s fine,” he said. “When I’m hitting it past him.”