Nightmare winds, dream pairing keep fans buzzing

AUGUSTA, Georgia: Nightmare winds and a dream pairing had golf fans buzzing as defending champion Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy prepared for a wild third round at a windswept Augusta National on Saturday.

Two of golf’s young guns and most charismatic players, Spieth and McIlroy were set to take on each other and hellish gusting winds in one of the most anticipated final pairings ever featured at the year’s first major.

Spieth heads into the third round with a one-shot advantage, having held the outright Masters lead after a record six consecutive rounds, while McIlroy chased down his American rival with a late charge on Friday to put his major grand slam bid back on track.

Should the Northern Irishman triumph on Sunday (today), he would become only the sixth man to win all four of golf’s blue riband events, joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

With the winds providing the wild card, an international leaderboard that features golfers from seven different nations represented in the top 10 could whip up several surprises.

On Friday, a triple-bogey seven dropped Bryson DeChambeau four shots from the lead, but the closing-hole blunder failed to dampen the spirits of the American amateur.

Playing in the same group as second-round leader Jordan Spieth, DeChambeau arrived at the 18th tee one shot behind the defending champion.

But a pulled tee ball forced DeChambeau to reload and another errant drive made him fortunate to score a seven for a 72 and even-par total of 144.

“Everybody is going to go back to 18, ‘oh, he was nervous,’” the confident amateur said.

“No, I hit two pulled drives. I don’t like the left-to-right wind on that hole.”

The 22-year-old DeChambeau has caused a buzz around Augusta National with his unconventional theories about golf.

He was a physics major at Southern Methodist University and uses his area of study in his game.

For example, his irons are all 37.5 inches in length, the same length as a standard six iron.

In a standard set of irons, the clubs gradually get shorter down to the wedges.

DeChambeau believes that by having his irons the same length he can use the same swing with all his clubs. The theory has worked for him.

Last summer, he became only the fifth player to win the US Amateur and individual US College championship in the same season, following Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Ryan Moore.

After the Masters he will make his pro debut at the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

DeChambeau did not return for his final year of school last fall and instead prepared for the Masters and turning pro by playing in the Australian Masters, Australian Open, three European Tour events and the Arnold Palmer Invitational last month.

He made the cut in each tournament and finished joint second at the Australian Masters.

“I was an intern for the past seven, eight, or six months,” he said.

“Right around when I won the US Amateur, I knew I had this time to get ready. What we were trying to do was take my rookie year out of it,”

“I’ll still be a rookie, but at the same time that was our goal and I think we’ve done it so far beautifully.”