Marc Leishman's putting slows down on Masters moving day

Marc Leishman’s second shot to the green at No. 17 in the final pairing Saturday afternoon brought a nice cheer from patrons packed around the green.

Leishman’s third shot, a 15-foot birdie putt, prompted some "oohs" and "awws" from those same patrons as the ball slipped by, his hole ending in a tap-in par.

“That was pretty much the story of my day,” said the 34-year-old Australian.

Leishman ended up shooting 1-over 73 Saturday, leaving him in a three-way tie in sixth place at 6-under with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood.

It seemed like time and again Leishman had good birdie chances  Saturday, but putt after putt slipped by leaving him birdie-less on the day with 17 pars and a bogey at No. 7.

Leishman’s frustration on the greens included missing birdie attempts of 10 feet at No. 8, 15 feet at No. 9, then 16-footers at Nos. 3 and 4, along with the 15-footer at No. 17.

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“Actually, I thought that putt was in,” Leishman said of No. 17. “I misread that one a little bit, it needed a bit more speed, just broke a little bit right at the hole. So yeah, that was pretty much the story of the day. I hit it well enough to shoot a really good score, but it just wasn’t to be.

“I felt really good over the putter. So I feel like I’m going to make putts, I just have to get it done.”

Leishman earned the final pairing Saturday with third-round leader Patrick Reed by opening Thursday with a 2-under 70, then lighting Augusta National up with a 5-under 67, the second-lowest effort of his 17 rounds in Masters competition.

He took 27 putts each Thursday and Friday, then 33 putts on Saturday.

Leishman said playing with Reed, who shot 67, and hearing those roars didn’t faze him.

“You just concentrate on what you are doing,” said Leishman who proved that theory true over the opening two rounds being paired with Tiger Woods and the hysteria surrounding him. “Around here if you start pushing too much those pars become bogeys and things can go south pretty quickly.”

Leishman said it was “disappointing” not making a birdie all day. But despite being eight shots off  Reed’s lead, Leishman said if the putts start falling there’s always a chance.

“I’m a long way back,” said Leishman, whose career-best finish at the Masters is a tie for fourth in 2013. “But with a low round tomorrow you never know what might happen.”