Saturday, April 7, 2012

Masters -- Day 3 (9 a.m. Eastern)


All by his lonesome, Kelly Kraft--a 20-year-old from Denton, Texas, and senior at Southern Methodist University--is scheduled to tee off the third round of the Masters in 15 minutes. It's time to get all Dan Jenkins up in here.

91 comments:

  1. Ah, that's nice. Golf Channel just showed Tiger Woods on the putting green now this morning, and Steve Stricker was talking to him. I hope Tiger has some friends on the tour.

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  2. Golf Channel's commentary over live Tiger footage when he's not playing is totally reminiscent of John Chancellor's/Roger Mudd's trying on the fly to figure out the tenor of U.S.-Soviet arms talks from the look on President Reagen's face when he and Gorbachev would be walking to a plane or whatever.

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    1. Dave Kindred ‏ @DaveKindred
      Friend asked if any great player threw tantrums a la Tiger's. The teenage Bobby Jones. Became great after quitting it. #Doggedvictims.
      9:05 AM - 7 Apr 12

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    2. The hashtag "Doggedvictims" is a nice Dan Jenkins shout-out.

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  3. Three golfers, including @TGannon's fiance, have completed the first hole in Round 3, and all three bogeyed.

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  4. My (possible) 1997-ish server at a Woodstock, Vt., restaurant, Keegan Bradley, has birdied No. 2 to join Tiger Woods and others in the tie for 40th.

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    1. Luke Donald, almost disqualified, joins the party at 3-over.

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    1. Dave Kindred ‏ @DaveKindred
      Tiger's birdie at 4 is just his 5th there in 69 rounds. Lowest total, also only 5 at 1, 5, 12. #We'llseeifitmeansanything
      10:50 AM - 7 Apr 12

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  6. Replies
    1. rolandsmartin ‏ @rolandsmartin
      A bogey on the 9th hole for @tigerwoods. He's back to where he was at the beginning of the day: +3
      11:57 AM - 7 Apr 12

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  7. Today on Sirius XM Channel 7, they're replaying an old Casey Kasem countdown from April 8, 1972. That was, I think, the same week that Jack Nicklaus won his fourth Green Jacket.

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  8. On the Golf Channel, they're showing that beer commercial where the cool-looking people are hanging out with Lance Armstrong. I don't see why anyone would want to hang out with Lance Armstrong, who always seemed like a pretty unpleasant guy.

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  9. Number 34 on the Countdown: T. Rex, "Bang a Gong."

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  10. Number 25 on the Countdown: Don McLean, "Vincent."

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  11. Number 24: Jackson Browne, "Doctor My Eyes"

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    1. It was only about two or three years ago that I paid enough attention to this song to know that it wasn't called "Starry, Starry Night" and that it was about Vincent Van Gogh.

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    2. Casey gave us like a five-minute biography of Vincent Van Gogh. He acted as though his listeners had never heard of Van Gogh or the famous story with the ear. I wonder if this song did a lot for Van Gogh's personality.

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    3. "Starry Night" is SmartGirl's favorite painting.

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  12. Number 23: Honey Cone, "The Day I Found Myself"

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  13. Number 22: Paul McCartney, "Give Ireland Back to the Irish"

    Casey points out that this song is banned in Britain.

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  14. Number 20 (I missed one somehow): The Osmonds, "Down by the Lazy River"

    Casey told us that 14-year-old Donnie is an electronics expert.

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  15. Number 19: Dennis Coffey, "Taurus"

    I've never heard this before.

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  16. Number 18: Bread, "Everything I Own"

    This Bread's seventh consecutive hit song.

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  17. Number 17: Nilsson, "Without You"

    1972 was quite the year for ballads.

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  18. Number 16: Cher, "The Way of Love"

    Casey just encouraged everyone over the age of 18 to register for the upcoming Presidential election. "Vote for your life," says Casey.

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  19. Oh, I love this commercial where the girl calls the guy to tell him she's giving him the silent treatment. I would watch a sit-com based on those two characters.

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    1. I really like the way the two rooms are decorated. SmartGirl wants the quilt on that girl's bed.

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    2. I also like the insurance commercial about "Hank."

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  20. Number 15: Billy Joe Thomas, "Rock 'n' Roll Lullaby"

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  21. The Masters.com scoreboard shows that "Simpson" has moved from 2-over to even-par for the tournament through six holes of action. Turns out it's some fellow named "Webb Simpson" and not Scott Simpson.

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    1. Webb Simpson is the only young American golfer who has shown me any real promise. GO, WEBB SIMPSON!!!

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  22. Number 14: Yes, "Roundabout"

    This is quite a change from the last few songs.

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  23. Number 13: Sonny and Cher, "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"

    The sky is really the limit for Cher at this point. She's just blowing up.

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  24. Aretha Franklin, "Daydreaming"

    I've never heard this song.

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  25. Number 11: The Stylistics: "Betcha, By Golly, Wow"

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  26. Number 10: Robert John, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"

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  27. Number 8: Chakachas, "Jungle Fever"

    I missed number 9.

    Casey again with the voting stuff: "Unless you like things the way they are, you better register."

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  28. Number 5: Michael Jackson, "Rockin' Robin"

    Take that, Osmonds!

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  29. Number 3: Roberta Flack, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

    I think this may end up being the biggest hit of the whole year.

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  30. Number 2: Neil Young, "Heart of Gold"

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  31. Number 1: America, "The Horse With No Name"

    This is the third week in a row that the same two songs have been one and two in the rankings.

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  32. For the second time in three days, Rory McIlroy opens with a double-bogey on the first hole. He drops back to 2 under. If those two double-bogeys had been pars, he would be leading the Masters.

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  33. Well, now everything has gotten boring again. They've made the course too hard, which is why the leaderboard looks like something you'd see at a U.S. Open. Couples is four over for the day, McIlroy is three over for the day, and I've switched to a Nats game.

    Leaderboard at 4 P.M. E.D.T.:

    T1. M. Kuchar: -5 (43 holes)
    T1. L. Westwood (ENG): -5 (42)
    T1. J. Dufner: -5 (41)
    T4. F. Molinari (ITA): -4 (51)
    T4. H. Mahan: -4 (51)
    T4. H. Stenson (SWE): -4 (46)
    T4. L. Oosthuizen (RSA): -4 (42)

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  34. The Nats score 5 runs in the top of the 8th as they come roaring from behind to beat the Cubs, 7-4. The Nats are now 2-0.

    Tomorrow the world.

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  35. Sergio Garcia is four over for the day, even for the tournament, and the rage over the Guardian's live-blog as he lets down his European fans once again is palpable.

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  36. It's amazing to me that last year, we had one of the most exciting Masters Sundays in history, and apparently the main lesson drawn by the Powers That Be was that the course was too easy.

    Given McIlroy's low score at the U.S. Open last year, I can only imagine how much harder that tournament will be. The Marshals will probably be instructed to cough during the players' backswings.

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  37. Mickelson, the biggest name still in contention, birdies the 12th hole to move to 4 under, only two shots off the lead.

    "Help us, Obi-Phil. You're our only hope."

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  38. McIlroy has made me look silly. He just finished shooting a 42 on the front nine, and he has fallen all the way back to two over par. He's only one shot ahead of Tiger. Now we'll see if he can break 80.

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  39. Augusta National is apparently making CBS refer to the front nine as the "first nine" and the back nine as the "second nine." I have no idea why this matters to them, but they usually get what they want.

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  40. Mickelson curls in a long EAGLE PUTT on 13 and moves into a tie for the lead at 6 under par!

    CBS executives and other middle-aged men everywhere rejoice.

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    Replies
    1. I finally figured out why I've been inclined to root for Jason Duffner all weekend. I always liked this Mason Ruffner song.

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    2. CBS is, indeed, rejoicing over Mickelson's surge. He just plopped a really pretty pitch near the hole, and the one commentator said, "If this doesn't make every hair on your body stand up, you need therapy."

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    3. My 83-year-old mom and her cousin and best friend, Janet, also are rejoicing. They are both in their Evansville, Ind., homes and calling back and forth to one another with each Mickelson make. There's some commercial out where Mickelson appears to be the coach of a little girls' soccer team, and so they both think he must be a really nice guy.

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  41. Mickelson, 7-under, back in a tie for the lead.

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  42. I'm just now getting to tune in. I had told my boss yesterday that I figured McIlroy would shoot 68, 67 today, then put it away on Sunday, Oh well. I'm not surprised to see Mickelson there.

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    1. I told everyone the same thing that you did about McIlroy.

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    2. Joe B says he still expects McIlroy to be great. Coach Hall says he just needs to get back to being "loosey-goosey."

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  43. Lots of drama now. Mickelson just birdied 15 to move into another tie for the lead at 7 under. He's tied with Louis Oosthuizen (who's playing 13) and Peter Hanson (who's playing 17).

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  44. Freddie Couples ... back to 4-under, with consecutive birdies ... I think this is shaping up as a pretty fun final round.

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  45. Freddy Couples has just birdied 11 and 12 to move back to 4 under par, only three shots off the lead.

    If tomorrow comes down to a battle between Phil Mickelson and Freddy Couples, the middle-aged male demographic will be in ecstasy.

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  46. Mickelson pars 16 to stay at 7 under.

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  47. Mickelson started at 2 under, then had nine straight pars, then went birdie-par-birdie-eagle-par-birdie.

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  48. But Peter Hanson WILL NOT BE DENIED! He birdies 17 to go to 8 under par and takes first place on his own.

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    1. I keep mixing up Peter Henson in that bright orange and Henrik Stenson in that bright yellow.

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  49. Peter Hanson birdies 18 to finish with a 31 on the back nine!

    He shoots an amazing 65, and will have the eyes of the world on him tomorrow.

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  50. Replies
    1. I was wrong about McIlroy; I'm not going to be wrong about Bubba Watson.

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    2. I think I'm going to be for Bubba Watson tomorrow. He's married to a former WNBA player.

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  51. For the third day in a row, Mickelson birdies the 18th hole. He went out in 36, but came home with a wonderful 30 on the back nine. He's one shot behind Peter Hanson, and my guess is that he thinks he's going to win the Masters tomorrow.

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  52. This is very odd -- Hanson and Mickelson are probably going to be the two leaders at the end of this round, and they're already finished, but we still have like an hour or so of golf left.

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    1. Louie Oosthuizen is at 7-under at two off Hanson's lead with three holes to play today. He's played those three holes in 2-under in each of the first two rounds.

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    2. Wow. That was close. Just missed a long birdie putt. Still 7-under, through 16.

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  53. CORRECTION: Mom actually skipped a lot of Phil's big run this afternoon. She got distracted watching one of her favorite movies, The Greatest Game Ever Played.

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  54. Wow! Matt Kuchar just hit Louie Oosthuizen's birdie putt. Kuchar joins Bubba Watson in a tie for fourth, at 5-under.

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  55. It's amazing that Phil Mickelson has won two Masters titles since Tiger Woods last won.

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  56. Oosthuizen birdie on No. 17 ... 8-under with Mickelson, one off Hanson's lead.

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  57. Mr. Angie Ball birdies No. 18, and he's 6-under for the tournament and alone in fourth.

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  58. OK, unless my man, JDuff, birdies No. 17, I'm going to get Louie Oosthuizen off the course and go cut the grass. Very excited to beat my neighbor to the punch on beating back the dandelions. He went out and played golf this afternoon.

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  59. Sergio and Rory should star in a razor commercial together.

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  60. I'll bet the Guardian's very worried about Rory hanging out with Sergio.

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  61. In profile, Louie Oosthuizen looks a little like Matthew Broderick.

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  62. Oh, man, Oosthuizen's taking a long and winding road on No. 18. It will be Hanson and Mickelson in tomorrow's final pairing.

    Dave Tindall ‏ @DaveTindallgolf
    That stat again. The eventual Masters champion has come out of the final Sunday pairing 19 out of the last 21 years. So Hanson v Mickelson?
    5:15 PM - 7 Apr 12

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  63. Oosthuizen, bogey on No. 18, and he'll start tomorrow's final round at 7-under.

    Next-to-last pairing: Oosthuizen and Watson. Last pairing: Hanson and Mickelson. Hooray for golf!

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