R1: Tiger on Prowl at Augusta
R2: Scheffler's Seismic Surge
R4: Scheffler slams door shut, wins first major at Masters

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

AUGUSTA, GA.  Sunday's final round at the 86^th Masters will feature the two best players in 2022 paired together and, in all likelihood, one earning the coveted green jacket symbolic of victory.

Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Smith will have ringside seats with one another when the final grouping tees off at 2:40 PM local time. The duo pits the world ranked number one player versus the 6^th .

Scheffler scored a one-under-par 71 for the third round and stands at a cumulative score of 207. Smith scored the day's low round with a four-under-par 68 and is the closest pursuer three shots behind at 210.

There are other players in the mix with the likes of Sungjae Im (212) and Shane Lowry and Charl Schwartzel sharing fourth place (214). After the first round 18 players were under-par. That number has shrunk to just seven. Corey Connors and Justin Thomas round out the grouping in the red (215).

Blustery conditions and temperatures that said 55 degrees but had a real feel of 10 degrees below that played a significant role in keeping the entire field at bay at numerous key moments. Just nine players scored under-par for the day. The forecast for Sunday indicated milder wind velocities and overall temperatures rising into the low 70s.

Starting the third round with a five stroke lead it appeared Scheffler would distance himself even further from the field. At one point he commanded a six-shot lead. But, Scheffler found the final few holes difficult while Smith provided the most impactful effort firing the day's best round with a four-under-par 68.

Scheffler's once sizeable lead is now just three shots and he is most fortunate because the final few holes Saturday showed certain vulnerabilities that may resurface again during the pressurized moments that come with the final round of any major event. Back-to-back bogies at the 14^th and 15^th were stabilized with a short birdie putt at the 17th. However, a poor tee shot at the 18^th resulted in the necessity of taking a one-shot unplayable penalty but Scheffler minimized the damage in scoring no more than a bogie.

Smith took advantage of the four par-5 holes with birdies on each. The long blemish on the second nine came when the 28-year-old missed a short par putt at the 16th. 

The 2022 Masters has provided a clear pathway for the next generation of up-and-coming players to make their mark. Scheffler and Smith are part of an ensemble of talented under-30 players who are now on the front row in contesting for the game's premier events. Players such as 25-year-old Collin Morikawa have already won two majors. 

The page turning from one generation to the next will be on full display when Scheffler and Smith go mano-a-mano in the final round.  Should either accomplish a memorable win -- the letter "S" on the Superman cape will mean a similar connection to the famed comic book hero.

The truism that time and tide wait for no man is no less apt at the highest levels of professional golf.

Masters Minutia

*A victory for Cameron Smith would mean the second Aussie win at the Masters. Fellow countryman Adam Scott was the first with his triumph in 2013. A win at Augusta would also mean Smith matching the feat accomplished by Tiger Woods when he won The Players Championship and Masters in the same year in 2001.

*A victory for Scottie Scheffler would mark his fourth win on the PGA Tour and cement his hold as golf's number-one-player. Claiming the Masters would also make him the first Texan to win the event since Jordan Spieth did so in 2015.

*Tiger Woods had an eventful day scoring his highest competitive round in his Masters career with a 78 -- including a double-bogey 6 at the final hole. Returning to Augusta after suffering a major car accident in February 2021, Woods endured a balky putter -- the most egregious flub coming at the 5^th where the 5-time Masters champion did something he's never done in 23 appearances at Augusta National -- four-putt. The pain with the putter went further -- four thee-putt greens. The 46-year-old walked gingerly on the hilly grounds with a right leg that is supported by plates, screws and rods.

Nonetheless, Woods will seek to complete 72 holes with today's round. Few expected him back at this year's Masters and even fewer thought he would be able to play on the weekend. On that score alone -- the week has been another plus for Tiger.

*For this year's Masters the par-4 11th hole was both lengthened and the championship tee aligned slightly more to the left. A number of trees planted along the right side also altered and slightly opened up the landing area.

The 11th is tied with the par-4 5^th for the least number of birdies yielded through three rounds with just 8 made. The hole has also played the hardest relative to par with an average of 4.48.

*The par-5 15^th was also altered for this year's event. The hole was lengthened to 550 yards and while birdies have still been made it is playing the hardest of the quartet of par-5 holes. There have also been no eagles made on the hole through three rounds and much of that is also tied to the headwind and cooler temperatures players have faced throughout the event. 

*Masters co-founder Bob Jones wanted the event to always provide spots in the field to the top amateur players. At the annual post event awards ceremony, the low amateur completing 72 holes would be duly honored for the accomplishment. None of the six competing made it to the weekend.

86^th Masters / 3rd round scores
Augusta National Golf Club