Golf-Matsuyama makes turn five shots clear at Masters


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By Andrew Both

AUGUSTA, Ga. -Hideki Matsuyama, bidding to become the first Japanese man to win a major, held a commanding five-shot lead over Masters rookie Will Zalatoris midway through his final round at Augusta National on Sunday.

Matsuyama, who began the day with a four-shot lead, made a shaky start but reached the turn in two-under-par 34 that left him at 13 under on the week at the year's first major.

Zalatoris, one of four players who began the day in a share of second place, was two groups ahead of Matsuyama and one under through 10 holes as the year's first major was shaping up to be a two-man battle down the stretch.

Xander Schauffele, Englishman Justin Rose, and Australian Marc Leishman also started the day four shots back of Matsuyama but each had lost some ground.

Matsuyama offset a bogey at the par-four first, where his tee shot sailed way right into the trees, with a birdie at the par-five second after his shot from a greenside bunker settled four feet from the hole.

The Japanese was unable to cash in on a glorious chance for birdie at the par-four seventh where his putt from four feet rolled just left of the hole but made up for it as he roared into the turn with birdies at the eighth and ninth holes.

Zalatoris, bidding to become the first Masters debutant to win a Green Jacket since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979, got to within one shot of the lead with two birdies to start his round but then missed a seven-foot par putt at the third.

The 24-year-old Zalatoris, who at the start of 2019 was ranked 2006th in the world, added another birdie at the eighth to keep the heat on Matsuyama but then made bogey to start the back nine

World number three Jon Rahm, whose wife gave birth to their first child last weekend, carded the day's low round, a six-under-par 66, that left him at six under for the week.

(Reporting by Andrew Both; Writing by Frank Pingue; Editing by Christian Radnedge and Pritha Sarkar)

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