Patrick Reed And Rory McIlroy Set For Masters Sunday Showdown

After a long absence from Augusta National, Woods posted some strong efforts in tournaments leading up to the major, but settled on Sunday for a 1-over 289 and tied for 32nd, while 27-year-old American Patrick Reed captured his first green jacket.

Those are the only five men in the history of this great sport of golf to win all four Major championships during their careers.

Even after a bad round at the Masters, Tiger Woods said he’s pleased just to have the chance to play after fearing his career might be over six months ago.

“I’m not in the lead like I was going into that day”. If he can replicate his form from Saturday, the Spaniard has an excellent chance of grabbing his first Masters win. “It was really satisfying”. Or could Henrik Stenson add a green jacket to his claret jug?

“Oh yeah, 100 percent”, said McIlroy.

Back in 2011, before he had any major titles on his resume, he led after each of the first three rounds, went to the final day with a four-stroke lead and was still ahead as he made the turn. He responded by hitting a wedge shot onto the green and making a 9-foot putt for birdie.

“It was breaking so hard to the left, I couldn’t tell if it was going to go in or if it was just going to burn edges”, Reed said.

Spieth bogeyed the last as his title hopes dwindled so then it went to Rickie Fowler. He wound up finishing third, two shots behind Reed and one behind runner-up Rickie Fowler, but only after producing the kind of performance for which he is becoming known. He sank the comeback effort and pumped his fist in celebration.

The 2015 Masters champ made seven birdies in his first 13 holes and finally caught Reed with the last of his nine on the 16th hole. “I was glad to end the drought”.

An understandably nervous Reed pulled his tee shot on the first and was only able to card a bogey as McIlroy pulled one shot back with a par.

“I feel like I’m hitting the ball well enough, I feel like I’m putting well enough”. “When I did have opportunities I didn’t take advantage of them”.

The duo, who famously went head-to-head at the Hazeltine Ryder Cup back in 2016, will go out as the final group as Augusta looks to crown its latest victor (7.40pm BST).

A defiant McIlroy said: “Patrick has a three-shot lead but I feel like all the pressure is on him”.

“My only wish or regret from the week was that I was playing with him at some point on the weekend”.

Then fortune shined on him when his approach to the par-5 13th from 186 yards stayed on the bank fronting the green instead of rolling into Rae’s Creek. Woods shot even par on Saturday, his best round of the tournament.

This time, they’re not playing for their countries.

Elsewhere on the course, Charley Hoffman fired the only hole-in-one of the 82nd Masters at the infamous par-three 16th.

Paul Casey has bogeyed the last two holes at the Masters to miss out on the course record.

“It wasn’t as if nerves got to me”, McIlroy insisted.

“All in all”, he said, “it was a bittersweet ending”.

The 14-time major champion sank a 29-foot eagle putt at the par-5 15th and birdied 17 but a closing bogey denied his goal of level par overall.

Rory McIlroy is leaving town with his fifth straight top 10 in the Masters, but that’s little consolation after a poor round and four-way tie for fifth place. Woods said he knows what the problem is, he just can’t fix it.