Patrick Reed seized control with a pair of eagles on the back nine, two big pars and a 5-under 67 that gave him a three-shot lead over McIlroy as he goes for his first major in the city where he led undermanned Augusta State to two NCAA titles.
Golf
Patrick Reed, who leads Rory McIlroy by three shots, is the 6-5 favorite at adjusted odds at the Westgate sports book to hold off the Northern Irishman in the final round of the Masters.
McIlroy shot a 3-under 69, breaking 70 in the first round at Augusta National for the first time since 2011.
Jordan Spieth is a 9-4 favorite at adjusted odds after opening at 2-1 at the Westgate to win his second green jacket, and Rory McIlroy is the 4-1 second choice after opening at 5-1.
Litke and Dahlberg also talk to AP Golf Writer Doug Ferguson, who says even if Woods doesn’t win, who would have thought that 10 months after the infamous police mug shot following his DUI arrest that Woods would already have a new and much more positive image.
The bus carrying 18 passengers crashed on Interstate 20 around 8:45 a.m. Thursday, just as fans were driving in for the tournament’s first round, the Georgia State Patrol said
The real reason for all the talk that this Masters might be the best ever still comes down to one guy: Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods is one of the favorites to win his fifth green jacket and cash countless futures bets ranging from 100-1 to 8-1 while authoring one of the most stunning turnarounds in sports history.
Green is probably the main color golfers are thinking about this week, with the possible exception of Tiger Woods’s Sunday red.
Woods and Mickelson had not played together at Augusta National since 2009, and even then it wasn’t by choice.
Odds and props posted at the Westgate and William Hill sports books for the Masters.
Rory McIlroy hits it a country mile, with a deft short touch, his putting is back on the beam and his prowess was on full display in winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.
Ryan Moore, a 5-time PGA Tour champion, doesn’t know exactly what he needs to do to win his first Masters, but has an idea about how to improve on his career best ninth-place finish of a year ago.
Lindberg finished off Inbee Park on the par-4 10th, the fourth playoff hole Monday at Mission Hills after they played until it was too dark to see — and then played some more — Sunday night.
Tiger Woods is back for only the second time in the last five years, and what makes the sight of him at Augusta National even more tantalizing is that Woods is starting to look like the player who dominated golf for nearly 15 years.