Victory is needed for Love’s Masters plan

Davis Love III is trying not to look ahead and to concern himself only with the tournaments on his schedule. He gave himself reason to hope Thursday that the Masters might still be on the list.

Love chipped in twice during a five-hole stretch that he played in six under early in his round, then finished strong with a 45-foot birdie and an eight-foot par putt that felt just as good for a six-under 66 and a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

J.B. Holmes, among the early starters, played bogey-free in calm conditions and also had a 66.

Love, the 1997 PGA champion, is in a position that has become all too familiar of late. He has only two weeks left to earn a trip to Augusta National, which he has not played the last two years. His only chance is to win at Bay Hill or next week in the Houston Open.

“It’s always in the back of your mind -- or the front of your mind,” Love said.