Before the final round
Due to the forecast calling for thunderstorms Sunday, tee times were moved up, with the first group going off at 7:30 a.m.; the final group at 9:21 a.m.
Woods awoke at 4 a.m. to get ready to chase history.
Players were grouped in threesomes, another unusual occurrence. Woods, who opened with rounds of 70-68-67, was in the final group with Tony Finau and Molinari, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year. Molinari was paired with Woods in the final round at Carnoustie when the Italian player won the Claret Jug in 2018. Molinari was 13 under par and held a two-shot lead over Woods and Finau.
In the group ahead was Koepka, Simpson and Ian Poulter.
Woods: I had to wake up a little bit earlier and get into my routine. I think that having the guys who have never won the Masters now get a chance to have a quicker turnaround, not have to sit on that lead and think about it far into the afternoon, I thought it was advantageous to the guys who haven’t won. But I hadn’t been in this experience, either. I hadn’t been there before, and I hadn’t won coming from behind. So there were a lot of new things, and we were all having to go through it together. I’m going to have to go earn it. And being part of a threesome on that Sunday is something that I’ve never been a part of. It was very different. Having the rounds be a little bit slower and a little bit more delayed is something we’re not used to on the weekend. We are used to sort of running around there. It was going to be a new experience for all of us.
The early holes of the final round
Woods warmed up well but ran into trouble on the second hole and had to lay up after his drive. He salvaged a par after a solid approach on his third shot and a two-putt par. But he confronted problems again starting at the fourth with a bogey and another at the fifth, which he bogeyed each round. Walking to the sixth tee, Woods trailed by three.
LaCava: On the second hole, he had a 4-iron for his third shot after a bad drive. After his second, we now have a 4-iron with a hanging lie to a back-right pin. But he hit a beautiful 4-iron. Smoked it. But had a tricky two-putt. But we got the par. You certainly didn’t want to go par-bogey.
Woods: I played (No.) 5 awful for the week and played it in, what, 20 shots? I had to reset and try and see if I can get it back to under par at the turn. I know that (Molinari) was playing extremely well. There’s a bunch of guys that have a chance, but if I’m within six of the lead – I’ve always felt this – if I’m within six of the lead starting the back nine on Sunday, I’ve got a shot at it.
LaCava: I’m always going to be the positive guy. Let’s just say he plays (the fifth) 1 over and all of a sudden he wins by four or five shots. It’s in the back of my mind to go there this year and hit a few more tee shots on that hole and get him a little more comfortable off the tee. He hits a 3-wood the last day and he still makes bogey. But that was a bad break. He hit it up on that ridge, and it was a tough two-putt.
Woods: We’ve seen so many things happen on the back nine. Guys have won shooting 30s and guys have lost it shooting well over 40; so anything is possible. I just needed to get myself into that position where I had that opportunity, and I was able to play my way back into it and a couple guys made a few mistakes there at 12, and lo and behold, I’m part of the lead.
LaCava: There was a lot of golf left (after the fifth hole). I’m not going to say I mind a bogey (on 5), it’s a tough hole. The fact that he bogeyed 4 was unusual for him because he didn’t hit his best iron shot there, and he’s usually always money with the irons. Stuck (a 4-iron) in the ground just a hair. And I think that chaps him. He just doesn’t do that. You can kind of live with the bogey on 5 and not 4. You’re three back but more frustrated that you bogeyed two holes in a row. He came back and hit a beautiful shot in there. Once we play 6, now we’re back where we need to be.