ARTICLE TOOLS
No. 13 turns lucky for some
AUGUSTA, Ga. — No. 13 at Augusta National is named for the 1,600 azaleas that line the hole from tee to green.
In Saturday’s third round of the Masters, there were almost as many emotional turns there.
Reteif Goosen made eagle on the 510-yard par 5 that briefly allowed the South African a spot in the top 10. Goosen’s was the only eagle there in the third round, but for most of the leaders, No. 13 was a place that players had to make up shots.
“I laid up on 13 and just hit a wedge shot that landed exactly where it needed to,” third-round leader Trevor Immelman said. “If you gave me 50 balls, I would probably pull that shot off twice. That was some nice momentum I got there and just kind of brought it home from there.”
Like Zach Johnson did on his way to the Masters title last year, Immelman decided to lay up on the two par 5s on the back Saturday. He will start today at 11 under with a two-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker.
Steve Flesch, who is in third place at 8 under, made birdie at No. 13, continuing his torrid play on the longer holes. Flesch was 5 under on the par 5s on his way to a tournament-low 67 in Friday’s second round and added a birdie at the par-5 No. 2 hole Saturday.
“I just gave myself a lot of opportunities,” Flesch said. “The key was I drove the ball in play and hit a lot of fairways.”
Paul Casey, who posted his second consecutive 69, also laid up at No. 13. He contemplated trying to reach the green from two despite his tee shot coming to rest of the pine straw to the right of the fairway.
“It was a good lie in the needles,” said Casey, who’s four back of Immelman at 7 under. “We decided laying up was probably the better option and make birdie the old-fashioned way.”
His tap-in 4 moved him to 8 under, but Casey gave that shot back two holes later.
The lone miscue at No. 13 among the leaders Saturday was by Snedeker. Snedeker made bogey at the 13th after dropping his second shot into Rae’s Creek in front of the green.
“I had about 197 to the front, 230 to the pin,” Snedeker said. “A perfect 3-iron, I just didn’t turn it over.”
It was Snedeker’s third consecutive bogey, but he refused to wilt.
“Actually my caddie was fantastic,” Snedeker said of Scott Vail. “He grabbed me walking off 13 green and said, ‘You know, you’re playing great. Keep your head on straight. Everything is going to be fine.’”
It was better than fine: Snedeker rebounded with three birdies in his final five holes.
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