Apr7 Day three roundup

Stuart Appleby’s leading score in the Masters is the highest ever by a third round leader.

Every player is in agreement that this is the toughest Masters set-up they’ve ever seen – and now it’s backed up by stats.

Appleby’s two-over score is the highest leading total since Jack Nicklaus and Tommy Jacobs went into the final round at level par in 1966.

Saturday’s scoring average of 77.35 was also the highest in the modern era, beaten only by a 78.5 way back in 1956.

Woods’ also had history on his side on Sunday – the winner of the title has come out of the last group every year for the last 16.

The last time it didn’t happen was back in 1990, when Nick Faldo was in the second to last group.

Appleby also had the added pressure of trying to become the first ever Australian to wear a Green Jacket, though in the last 70 years, the leader after the third round has gone on to win 40 times.

This is Appleby’s 11th start in the Masters, but he’s only made the cut six times. His best finish here was a T19 last year. His best finish in the Majors was a T2 in the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield.

As for Woods, he’s never had to come behind to win any of his previous 12 Majors – though he has overcome someone else’s lead 15 times to win on the PGA Tour.

This is the seventh time he’s failed to break par in any of the first three rounds of a Major, but only the second time at the Masters – the first was in 1995, when he was an amateur.

The best rounds of day three came from Retief Goosen (70) and Lee Westwood (72). Goosen also made the biggest move up the field – from T46 to T8.