Masters Round 3 Winners and Losers: Augusta National’s Teeth, Brooks Koepka and One More Round With Verne Lundquist

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Day 3 of the 2024 Masters is in the books, and there are winners and losers going into championship Sunday. We call ’em like we see ’em around here. They are:

Winners

Augusta National : With a heavy breeze Saturday, the golf course didn’t give up a lot of low scores. Scottie Scheffler played a solid round of golf, but not a great one. Collin Morikawa played a terrific round and has an excellent chance to win. So when people talk about lengthening Augusta to 8,000 yards? Not so fast. A little breeze and fast greens have a way of leveling the playing field. 

Collin Morikawa: He played the best round among the leaders, finishing with a 3-under 69, including four birdies in his first eight holes. He had 10 consecutive pars to finish his round and is one stroke behind Scheffler. He will play in the final group with Scheffler on Sunday. Game on. 

Max Homa: The Californian started Saturday with a share of the lead and a round of 17 pars and one bogey kept him squarely in the hunt. Playing in the penultimate pairing with Ludvig Åberg might be perfect for Homa given how he’s chasing his first major title.

Chris Kirk: The University of Georgia product has won six times on Tour but Saturday’s low round of 68 has to be among his very best.

Losers

Jon Rahm: There will be no repeat for the 2023 winner, who squeezed inside the cut at 5 over and had a quiet, even-par Saturday. Will be interesting to see if he has more fight next month at the PGA Championship or if a narrative starts to develop about his game now that he’s with LIV Golf.

Brooks Koepka: The Big Game Hunter who lives for majors has been a non-factor this week with rounds of 73-73-76. He came to Augusta off a 77-77 weekend at Doral, which many disregarded but maybe there was something to that.

Golf fans: It’s starting to set in that we’re about to lose Verne Lundquist from our TV screens. When Bryson DeChambeau three-putted the par-3 16th, immediately after a double bogey at 15, the legend delivered another great quip in saying the wheels had come off and now the rims were, too. Man, is he going to be missed.