AUGUSTA, Georgia – Britain's Lee Westwood held off a spectacular charge by Phil Mickelson on the back nine to hold a one-shot lead after Saturday's third round of the Masters.
While Tiger Woods clawed his way back into contention after losing his cool early on, Westwood fired a four-under-par 68 in glorious spring sunshine to post a 12-under total of 204.
Mickelson, a double champion at Augusta National, carded a 67 to lie alone in second with world number one Woods and his playing partner KJ Choi of South Korea a further stroke back at eight under after carding matching 70s.
"I haven't played this well in a long time and I feel like my game's as good as it's been," a beaming Mickelson told reporters after covering 13, 14 and 15 with a stunning eagle-eagle-birdie run.
"I love this tournament more than any other," added the American left-hander, who briefly led by one before slipping back with a three-putt bogey at the 17th.
"Today was a good day. I've been playing well and shot a good number that got me right in it. I'm excited about Sunday."
Woods, playing his first tournament in nearly five months after his double life was exposed at the end of last year, was also delighted be in contention for a 15th major title.
"I was fighting it all day," Woods said. "I really struggled with the pace of the greens, fighting my swing. It was a tough day.
"But it was nice, after struggling, to fight back into the ball game. At one point, I was seven back. To claw my way back to three. I'm in good shape."
Mickelson, Masters champion in 2004 and 2006, treated the Augusta galleries to one of the most spectacular exhibitions of golf ever seen at the year's opening major.
He became only the third player to record successive eagles when he holed out from 139 yards at the par-four 14th, his ball pitching six feet beyond the hole before rolling back down the slope into the cup.
In disbelief
Mickelson, who had knocked in a six-footer to eagle the par-five 13th, raised his arms skywards in disbelief as the crowd packed around the green roared its approval.
Fellow-Americans Dan Pohl, in the third round of the 1982 Masters, and Dustin Johnson, in the fourth round last year, had previously posted back-to-back eagles at Augusta.
Mickelson came agonizingly close to a third successive eagle at the par-five 15th, his wedge approach there ending up six inches from the cup to give him a tap-in for birdie.
Woods made a flying start to the third round with long-range birdie putts at the first and third, closing to within a stroke of the lead before losing both momentum and his temper.
He bogeyed the par-three fourth after hitting his tee shot into a greenside bunker and also the sixth, where he three-putted from the bottom tier of the green.
The mounting frustration showed when he swore on the sixth tee and he dropped another shot at the seventh where he pulled his drive into the first cut of rough on the left and cried out: "Damn it."
Woods, watched for the third day in a row by his mother Kultida wearing a floppy white sun hat, birdied the par-five eighth after chipping from just off the green to three feet and knocking in the putt.
Out in level-par 36, the 14-times major winner also bogeyed the 10th, where he three-putted, before recovering with birdies on the par-five holes on the back nine.
Although he bogeyed the 17th after hitting a wild drive that ended up on the neighboring 15th fairway, Woods finished in style, hitting his approach to three feet at the last and calmly sinking the putt.
0 comments: