Scheffler survives wild, windy cold day to lead Masters by 3

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The harsh cold and relentless wind. The lead late Saturday afternoon at the Masters. All the elements were there for Scottie Scheffler to start feeling the pressure of trying to win his first major at Augusta National.

Scheffler never looked worried until the final hole, and then only briefly.

His lead at four shots, his confidence level high, Scheffler's wild drive to the left of the 18th fairway into the trees didn't bother him nearly as much as the sight of the spotter poking around in the leaves in a desperate search for the golf ball.

“We saw the guy with the flag that always finds the balls kind of panicking,” Scheffler said. “I was like, ‘Oh, crap. Wonder what’s going on there?' Fortunately, they found the ball. And then all I was trying to do was figure out how I was going to get it on the green.”

Like everything else this week, Scheffler figured it out.

He took a one-shot penalty, dropped it onto pine straw and then ripped a 3-iron from 240 yards that hit the green and rolled just over the back, leaving him two putts for a bogey that felt much better.

Scheffler had a 1-under 71 — one of only nine scores under par in the third round — that gave him a three-shot lead over Cameron Smith going into Sunday.

Scheffler spent all day fending off the cold wind by slipping on a vest over his layers of clothing after every shot on every hole. Maybe his next wardrobe change will be a green jacket.

Smith had the low round at 68, the only player to break 70, and gave himself another shot at winning the Masters in his first start since his victory in The Players Championship. He was a runner-up to Dustin Johnson at Augusta two years ago.

“ Should be a great fight tomorrow,” Scheffler said. “Obviously Cam is