Ludvig Åberg was birdie hunting on Saturday - and there were many birdies.
In total, the Swedish golf star rolled birdies on seven holes, but it was still not enough as he also made four bogeys during the round.
"Very mixed, I think. A lot of it was good, of course the back nine was positive. But when I think back on the front nine and the bogeys I made, I left the short shots on the wrong side of the hole. If I clean up my bogeys I would have been happy with the round," Åberg says as he met the media in the afternoon sun at the clubhouse at Augusta National.
Åberg paired with world number one Scottie Scheffler and got off to a good start with a birdie on the third and a great opportunity for another birdie on the fourth.
Then everything turned around.
In the scorching heat, Åberg's game went icy cold for a bleak hour, during which he first missed the short birdie putt on the fourth and then followed it up with three straight bogeys on holes 5, 6 and 7.
Five birdies on the back nine
Åberg recovered considerably after that and went the last nine holes in 32 strokes. He made birdies on holes 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 - with a bogey in between when he hit his second shot into the water on hole 13.
A given choice to go for the green there?
"Yes, but I liked it. I was on a sprinkler head and got a free drop. When I dropped it, it went down nicely. If it had been more than a four-iron, I probably wouldn't have done it," says the 26-year-old, who is playing his third Masters this year.
In his debut two years ago, Åberg finished second; last year he finished seventh, both times he was in the fight for victory on Sunday.
In 20th place
Now the final round is more about tidying up the numbers and reaching a reasonably good position. For now, Åberg shares 20th place after 74–70–69 (total –3) in the first three rounds.
"Overall, I'm definitely disappointed. I would have liked to be a little closer to the top than I am. Thursday I could have done a little better. Yesterday I think was okay. Then I definitely could have done a little better today - clean up those mistakes and the bogeys when you miss on the wrong side," Åberg says.
Play in the third round is still ongoing. Reigning champion Rory McIlroy started the day with a six-stroke lead, but is being chased after ten holes primarily by American Cameron Young.
McIlroy is –13 and Young is –11, while Scheffler - who with 65 strokes posted the best round of the day so far - is closing in at –7.
Alex Norén, the other Swede in the Masters, shot 69 like Åberg and shares 39th place at +1.
