The Masters Round Three Comments and Final Pairings 2009

The fates have conspired for a couple of interesting pairings in the final rounds of the 2009 Masters, the most notable is the 1:35 pm tee time of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson—the two players television most wanted to see in the final group. Alas for ratings, they’re both seven shots out of it. In an interview yesterday, Phil said that he could still win the tournament by shooting a 66—and that a 66 was out there.

Thomas Bonk, a senior writer for Golf Digest, was caught on the Golf Channel saying that Tiger could still win it: “He’s done something like this before although it would be pretty spectacular for that to happen.”

Actually, Thomas, no he hasn’t. Tiger has never won a major coming from behind after 54 holes.

If the Golf Channel is looking for a commentator who knows a thing or two, The Golf Blogger can be contacted at this website.

But The Golfblogger is happy this morning because two veterans are at the top. Kenny Perry is 48; Cabrera is 39.  At 11 under, they’re two or three shots clear of the next pair, Jim Furyk (-8) and Chad Campbell (-9).

Logic and experience tells us that the eventual winner is likely to come from among those four. The next groups of Steve Stricker and Rory Sabbatini and Shingo Katayama and Todd Hamilton are either five or six shots out of the lead. Those guys only win if they go very low and the leaders have a collective meltdown.

Lack of television star power aside, I think that for golf fans, this year’s Masters should be exciting. The leaders should play some outstanding golf and I predict at this point that it’ll be very close. A playoff may be in the offing.

A win for Kenny Perry would be a great story. He’s one of the ultimate rags-to-riches story. Perry’s professional golf career had a very rocky start. With a wife and growing family, he played for years on the (now defunct) mini tour while working as a flunky at a local course. Perry was down to his last dollar when he finally made it through Q School. A church member lent him $5,000 for the event, under the condition that in the future he donate 5% of his winnings to David Lipscomb University, a Christian school.

That member’s faith worked out. Perry has now donated $1.4 million to the institution.

Here are the tee times and pairings for the final round.

10:25 - Kevin Sutherland and Mike Weir
10:35 Migual Angel Jimenez and Rocco Mediate
10:45 - Ben Curtis and Andres REomero
10:55 - Bubba Watson and Ross Fisher
11:05 - Paul Casey and Dudley Hart
11:15 - DJ Trahan and Robert Allenby
11:25 - Ryo Imada and Trevor Immelman
11:35 - Ken Duke and Henrick Stenson
11:45 - Rory McIlroy and Luke Donald
11:55 - Sergio Garcia and Stuart Appleby
12:05 - Grahame McDowell and Aaron Baddeley
12:15 - Padraig Harrington and Sandy Lyle
12:25 - Justin Rose and Larry Mize
12:45 - John Merrick and Geoff Ogilvy
12:55 - Vijay Singh and Dustin Johnson
1:05 - Steve Flesch and Camilo Villegas
1:15 - Hunter Mahan and Anthony Kim
1:25 - Nick Watney and Steven Ames
1:35 - Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson
1:45 - Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood
1:55 - Tim Clark and Sean O’Hair
2:05 - Shingo Katayama and Todd Hamilton
2:15 - Steve Stricker and Rory Sabbatini
2:25 - Chad Campbell and Jim Furyk
2:35 Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry