Anirban Lahiri 51st after third round, Spieth on lead in Masters

Anirban Lahiri

Augusta (US), April 12 (IANS)

Star Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded two-over 74 to take the 50th position after the third round, while overnight leader Jordan Smith scored two-under 70 for a four-stroke advantage over Justin Rose in the Masters Tournament here on Saturday.

World No.34 Lahiri, who had two-over 146 as total after the first two rounds, scored a double-bogey on the par-four seventh hole and had a bogey on the par-four 11th.

The 27-year-old birdied the par-three 12th hole to minimise the damage at the Augusta National Golf Club.

In the opening round on Thursday, Lahiri had scored one-under 71 to share the 18th position with 12 other golfers, while he dropped to tied 50th after scoring three-over 75 in the second round.

Going in to the final round, Lahiri, current Asian Tour No.1, has a three day total of four-over 220.

Meanwhile, overnight leader Jordan Spieth scored 70 to push his total to 16-under 200 after 54 holes. That broke the Masters record of 201 set by Raymond Floyd in 1976 and matched by Tiger Woods in 1997. Both Floyd and Woods went on to win the next day.

Spieth carded his worst round in three day. He got birdies on the second, sixth, ninth, 12th, 13th, 15th and 16th holes. But his good work was wasted due to a double-bogey on the par-four 17th along with bogeys on the fourth, seventh and 14th.

"Obviously, being four-under at one point in the round and closing it out at 2-under is disappointing," Spieth told masters.com.

"I would have liked to have finished the round a little bit better, but also could have been worse."

The double bogey at the 17th was the result of indecision. "I was very frustrated. I didn't do any scoreboard watching until maybe like 15, because it's just right there.

"Just looked up and I had birdied 15, 16, and then I knew I was six clear, and two pars were good scores on the last two holes."

Last year's runner-up Spieth will need to shoot a 69 on Sunday to break Woods' 72-hole Masters scoring record of 18-under 270 in 1997. Floyd (1976) and Jack Nicklaus (1965) have the next lowest 72-hole score of 271.

The 21-year-old Texan is the first person at the Masters to hold the outright lead after each of the opening three rounds since Greg Norman in 1996.

Spieth's 22 birdies through 54 holes broke Woods' mark of 21 in 2005. Phil Mickelson has the Masters record for most birdies in 72 holes, making 25 in 2001.

If Spieth is able to ride his four-stroke, 54-hole lead to victory, he would become only the fifth wire-to-wire Masters champion, joining Craig Wood (1941), Arnold Palmer (1960), Nicklaus (1972) and Floyd (1976).

Spieth's 36-hole total of 130 set a Masters record and his five-stroke margin equaled the biggest halfway lead. In the first round he fired a stunning eight-under 64, while in the second round, he managed a stupendous 66.

On Sunday, instead of having a six-stroke lead and a stroll to victory, Spieth needs to put his best on display. The challenge suits the upflappable Texan just fine, and he knows exactly what to expect.

"I'll just take patience. There are going to be roars," he said.

"Phil is going to have a lot of roars in front. A few groups up, I think, is Tiger and Rory. You're going to hear something there," Spieth said.

Rose rose to second spot with a five-under 67 that took his total to 12-under 204 -- one point ahead of third placed Phil Michelson, who also shot 67 -- the day's best round, which was matched by Ian Poulter, who is at 212.

Charley Hoffman, who shot 71, his third under-par round this week, finished fourth at 206, six strokes off the leader.

Fourteen-time Major champion Tiger Woods and world No.1 Rory McIlroy -- both produced 68. Both stand 10 strokes off the pace.