The Loop

From Jordan Spieth to Augusta's weather, 5 questions entering Saturday's third round

April 11, 2015

1. Can anyone catch Jordan Spieth?

Of course. There's 36 holes left and there are some big-time names trailing him on the leader board. That being said, online bookmaker Bovada lists Spieth as a 4/9 favorite. That means you'd have to wager $9 just to win $4. Dustin Johnson at 8/1 has the next best odds followed by Justin Rose at 14/1. It's tough to pick against Spieth at this point, but our money would be on one of those guys with a much bigger payout.

2. Is the tournament scoring record in danger?

Yes. It rained a lot in Augusta on Friday night. Sorry, Phil. That "fire in the course" he was hoping for probably won't materialize. Tiger Woods holds the 72-hole record with an 18-under-par total of 270 in his 12-shot win in 1997. After a 64-66 start, Spieth has already broken the 36-hole record.

That being said, there's only so much Augusta National can do to offset Mother Nature. It's really wet out there so expect another day of low scoring.

4. Can Charley Hoffman keep this up?

If you're playing the percentages, probably. Hoffman hasn't finished better than T-27 in 14 career starts in major championships. However, that finish came in his only other Masters appearance. And if Spieth keeps up this rout, playing for second is a lot easier than trying to win a green jacket.

5. Will Tiger and Sergio play nice? It seems that way. The rivalry between these two heated up during the third round of the 2013 Players when Sergio blamed Tiger for causing crowd noise during a shot on the second hole. It then reached a boiling point when Garcia made his infamous "fried chicken" joke concerning Woods. Garcia apologized publicly and privately to Tiger and with the two being paired together in Saturday's third round, he decided to get out in front of the situation on Twitter:

It was gonna happen at some point sooner or later! Paired with @TigerWoods tomorrow but don't you worry guys, I'm sure we'll both be fine 😉

— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) April 11, 2015

@TigerWoods and I might not be best friends but we do respect each other and that respect will stay the same today! Enjoy some good golf 👍

— Sergio Garcia (@TheSergioGarcia) April 11, 2015

Apparently, in addition to being a great driver of the golf ball, Sergio Garcia is a big emoticon guy. Good to know.