Koepka carries 2-shot lead over Rahm into Masters final round

Brooks Koepka held steady in the cold air and was potentially spared a big number by the rain-softened grass at Augusta National, finishing the third round at the Masters on Sunday morning with a 1-over 73 to keep a two-shot lead over Jon Rahm.

But it's no longer a two-man race. The final round will not have Tiger Woods in his Sunday red shirt, either.

Woods never made it back to the course after enduring a miserable mix of cold and rain on Saturday. He withdrew with what he said was a recurrence of plantar fasciitis, the second time in his last three majors that he made the cut without making it to the finishing line.

Koepka has been atop the leaderboard after all three rounds, yet his work is far from over. Rahm had his chances to catch him until three-putt bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine, settling for a 73 that puts him in the final group.

Viktor Hovland was only three shots behind after a wild 70 that illustrated how quickly it can change at Augusta National, even in conditions that can make birdies difficult to find.

Hovland found them. He was 10 shots behind Koepka when he walked off the 10th green with a bogey, and then ran off five in a row starting on No. 11 and featuring a chip-in from behind the green on the par-3 12th.

When he was finished, that 10-shot deficit was very manageable.

Patrick Cantlay, who had three straight birdies in the rain early in the round on Saturday, had three birdies in a four-hole stretch late and wound up with a 68. He was five shots behind.

His hopes depended so much on Koepka and Rahm not creating more separation, and they obliged, each with a 38 on the back nine without making a birdie.

Rahm wasted two chances for birdie on the par 5s. Koepka missed par putts of eight feet