Masters golf: Koepka increases lead before third round is suspended

April 8 (UPI) -- Brooks Koepka was 1-under through six holes and pushed his Masters lead to four strokes before play was suspended because of rain for the second consecutive day Saturday in Augusta, Ga.

Players drove, chipped and putted through the downpour throughout Saturday's resumed second round and abbreviated third round. The horns at Augusta National Golf Club bellowed at about 3:15 p.m. EDT, signaling the latest stoppage.

Play was suspended twice Friday. More rain is in the overnight forecast.

Second-place Jon Rahm shot a 3-under 69 to bite into Koepka's lead as the suspended second-round ended Saturday morning in Augusta, Ga. Koepka, who shot a 5-under 67 and completed his second round Friday, carried a 2-stroke lead into the third round.

Koepka, ranked No. 118, made par on five of his first six holes Saturday afternoon. He birdied No. 2 to gain another stroke. He carded just one bogey so far through 42 holes. Koepka logged seven birdies, an eagle and made par 21 times, without a bogey, over his last 29 holes.

Rahm made bogey twice over his first six holes of the third round. He started the round with a par on No. 1. He birdied No. 2 before another par on No. 3. Rahm followed with bogeys on Nos. 4 and 5 and made par again on No. 6 before the left the course for the day. He is now 9-under for the tournament.

Sam Bennett, the reigning U.S. amateur champion, sits in third place. Bennett matched Koepka's second-round 68 on Friday at Augusta. He started Saturday at 8-under, four strokes behind Koepka, but was 2-over through six holes in the third round. He is now seven strokes behind Koepka and three back of Rahm.

No. 9 Viktor Hovland, who shared the first-round lead with Koepka and Rahm, was 1-over through seven holes Saturday and is 5-under for the tournament. He is tied with Patrick Cantlay, Matt Fitzpatrick and Collin Morikawa for fourth place.

Cantlay was 3-under through 13 holes in the third round. Fitzpatrick also was 3-under through 11 holes.

No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who carded a 3-over 75 in the second round and was tied for 28th, jumped up into a tie for 14th. He was 2-under through 12 holes in the third round and sits at 3-under overall.

Tiger Woods, who shot a 1-over 73 in the resumed second round and narrowly made the third-round cut, was 6-over through seven holes in the third round. He is 9-over for the tournament and sits in last place (54th).

Earlier in the day, the 15-time major champion tied Fred Couples and Gary Player for the record for most-consecutive made cuts (23) at the Masters.

No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 10 Justin Thomas and No. 155 Bryson DeChambeau are among the players who failed to make the third-round cut.