A three-way tie at the top at the wind-blown Masters

Following up on his impressive opening 65, DeChambeau produced a vacillating round that included three birdies and four bogeys, taking a share of lead and then losing it five times. He briefly dropped to 8-under -- no one else ever got that low -- with a 14-foot birdie on No. 13 for a sole grip of the lead. But bogeys at No. 14 and No. 18, with a closing three-putt from 65 feet, delivered the lead to Scheffler, who still had seven holes to play.

“Look, I felt like I could have finished birdie, par and been at 8-under. Didn’t happen,” DeChambeau said. “That’s in the past. Playing great golf. Golf swing is in an awesome place. Putting is in a great place. Chipping is in a great place.

“Just have to be smart around this place and give myself an opportunity come the back nine on Sunday.”

Scheffler responded to DeChambeau’s last bogey by promptly bogeying No. 13 from out of the creek. From there, he could gain no ground, his best birdie chance coming at No. 17, a 46-foot putt just gliding past the left edge of the cup.

After playing 22 holes without a bogey, he carded two on Nos. 5 and 7, ending with another seesaw round with three birdies and three bogeys. Even-par 72 was almost euphoric.

“It was extremely challenging,” Scheffler said. “The winds were up very high and it blows from everywhere out here. I think even par this afternoon was a really good score.”

After quickly playing himself into the lead with two birdies in his first four holes, Homa earned a medal for closing out with eight straight pars to remain among the leaders. He has missed the cut in nine of his 17 career majors, hasn’t cracked the top 40 in four stabs at the Masters but finds himself in the middle of action at age 33.

“It’s been quite fun,” he said. “I am very glad to be inside, I will say.”

_____