Augusta, Ga. • Tony Finau made two birdies on the back nine Saturday, salvaging a 1-over-par 73 in the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.
Finau is tied for 15th place at 1-under par through 54 holes. The top 12 finishers (plus ties) will receive invitations to the 2019 Masters.
Finau made four consecutive bogeys on the front nine Saturday and posted a 3-over-par 39 to fall out of contention.
The Lehi resident started the third round with a nice par save on No. 1 and a routine birdie on the par-5 No. 2. But beginning at the par-3 No. 4, he found either a greenside bunker or a fairway bunker on five straight holes and bogeyed four of them.
Finau said he injured his left knee during his second shot on No. 2 and his drive on No. 3, and his swing was affected for the rest of the front nine. But he got more comfortable and played solidly on the back nine, with birdies on the par-3 No. 12 and par-5 No. 13. He almost birdied his way around Amen Corner, having missed a good chance on No. 11.
Finau started the day tied for eighth place and had a good history of Saturday play in major tournaments when he was in the mix after 36 holes. The Masters marked the first time in four occasions when he started the third round of a major in the top 10 and ended up out of the top 10, going into Sunday.