AUGUSTA, Ga. — Scottie Scheffler left a birdie putt short on the final hole Friday but still shot a 5-under 67 to take a five-shot lead into the weekend at the Masters.
The world’s No. 1 player bogeyed two of his first three holes but did little else wrong to finish 36 holes at 8-under 136. Charl Swartzel, Sungjae Im, Shane Lowry and Hideki Matsuyama were tied for second at 3 under.
The five-shot margin ties the biggest 36- hole lead at the Masters. Four others had the same lead and all went on to win, including Jordan Spieth in 2015.
Playing in just his third Masters, Scheffler conquered Augusta National on a day when the average score was 74.6. He made seven birdies on the last 15 holes after opening with a bogey on No. 1 and adding another on the third hole.
His play continues a remarkable year that has seen him climb to the No. 1 ranking. Scheffler won this year in Phoenix, then took the Arnold Palmer Invitational before winning the Match Play tournament last month.