LIV Golf's Koepka grabs share of Masters lead, Woods struggles

AUGUSTA, Georgia :LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka used a closing birdie to move into a three-way share of the Masters clubhouse lead with Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland on Thursday while defending champion Scottie Scheffler lurked three shots back.

Koepka, one of 17 LIV Golf players left in the field after Kevin Na withdrew midway through his round, shot a sparkling seven-under-par 65 in ideal scoring conditions at humid Augusta National to join Spaniard Rahm and Norway's Hovland in the lead.

"There's only really a couple things I care about, is going to work out and going to play golf and that's it when we're here, and nothing else really matters," Koepka told reporters. "It's full focus on this and trying to walk out of here with a Green Jacket."

The only blemish on the scorecard for the four-time major champion, who won last week's LIV Golf event in Orlando, came at the par-five 13th hole where he carded a bogey after an errant tee shot forced him to take an unplayable lie.

But Koepka, finally looking comfortable after a knee injury that took a toll on his body, responded with birdies at the 15th and 17th before draining an eight-foot birdie putt at the last.

Australian Jason Day and Cameron Young were two shots off the lead while pre-tournament favourite Scheffler, world number seven Xander Schauffele and major champions Shane Lowry, Adam Scott and Gary Woodland were among those a further shot back.

Hovland, who stood out as much for his play as the bold floral pattern on his shirt, fired his lowest score in a major while Rahm caught fire after a four-putt, double-bogey at the first hole.

Hovland made a fast start as he rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt at the par-five second and added three birdies across a four-hole span from the