Immelman stays ahead, but Woods gets within six

Posted: Sat Apr 12 7:49 PM

Augusta, GA (Sports Network) - Trevor Immelman hit a spectacular approach into the 18th green on Saturday to set up an easy birdie, polishing off a round of three-under 69 that kept him atop the leaderboard at the Masters.

Immelman finished 54 holes at 11-under 205 and is two clear of Brandt Snedeker at Augusta National.

Tiger Woods, the No. 1 player in the world, fired a four-under 68 on Saturday to jump into fifth place at minus-five.

"I've put myself right back in the tournament," acknowledged Woods.

Woods first broke into red figures on Saturday at the par-five second hole. He made birdie there, then parred his next six holes.

Woods bogeyed two on Friday and exacted some revenge in round three. Same thing happened at the par-four 10th on Saturday. He bogeyed the hole on Friday, but sank a 25-footer for birdie in the third round.

Woods birdied the 13th hole and narrowly missed another birdie putt at the 15th. His ball took a bad break down the hill at 16, but he saved par. At the 17th, Woods nearly spun his ball back into the cup, but settled for a tap-in birdie.

On Friday at the 18th, Woods drove right into the trees and hit into the 10th fairway. He saved par in round two and found himself in a similar spot on Saturday.

In the third round, Woods did not play the hole via the 10th, but got a shot airborne amidst the trees. He came up 40 feet short of the target, then left himself with six feet for par.

Woods calmly sank the par putt and is now well within striking distance of his 14th major championship.

"Sixty-eight was as high as it could go," said Woods. "I hit the ball well all day. I hit a lot of good putts that didn't quite have the right speed or right line. It was a touch off and you pay the price."

If Woods is to don his fifth green jacket, he will be going against personal history. The most decorated golfer of the era has never come from behind to win a major title.

"You want to win the Masters, period," he said. "Doesn't really matter how you do it as long as you do it."

Phil Mickelson struggled badly on Saturday. The two-time winner shot a three- over 75, including a double-bogey five at 16 and is tied for seventh place at minus-two.

"It was a disappointing day, obviously. I didn't play very well, and it was a day where there were some low scores out there," admitted Mickelson.

Snedeker held the lead throughout the front nine, but bogeyed "Amen Corner." He rebounded with three birdies in his last five holes for a two-under 70 and a three-round total of nine-under 207.

Steve Flesch birdied the last for a three-under 69. He is alone in third place at minus-eight, followed by Paul Casey, who shot a 69 to get in at seven-under 209.

Immelman's name appears at the top of the leaderboard, but it was Snedeker's name early into the their rounds. There was a 45-minute weather delay, but it made the greens more receptive.

Snedeker struck first with a birdie at the second to tie Immelman for the lead. Immelman missed the green left at the par-three fourth and walked off with a bogey to fall behind Snedeker.

Both players birdied the par-five eighth, then Snedeker crashed at the famed "Amen Corner" at Augusta National. At the 11th, Snedeker drove into the trees on the left side and never recovered. He bogeyed the hole, then went long and left at 12 and made it two in a row.

That bogey dropped him one behind Immelman and Casey, who flew up the leaderboard thanks to four front-nine birdies. Casey went one-over par over the last four holes to fall down and Snedeker could not get on track.

At the par-five 13th, Snedeker's second landed in the water in front of the green. He left with a good bogey, but Immelman laid up and hit his third inches from the cup. Immelman tapped in and now found himself alone in the lead.

Immelman and Snedeker both birdied 14, but it gave Immelman a two-shot lead over Casey and a three-shot cushion over Snedeker. A Casey bogey at 17 left him well back again, but Snedeker birdied No. 15 to get within two.

Immelman did not make birdie at the par-five 15th, but it was still a crucial hole for him. He laid up with his second then his ball came spinning off the 15th green. The ball appeared destined for a watery grave, but somehow stopped on the hill. He made par to keep his round going.

"I just hit it with so much spin, I almost hit it too good, and the ball came out on a lower trajectory than what I was looking for, and it just had so much spin on it," said Immelman. "I have no clue how that ball stayed up there, but obviously I'm thankful."

Both Immelman and Snedeker parred 16 and 17. Immelman hit it into the first Both Immelman and Snedeker parred 16 and 17. Immelman hit it into the first cut at 18, while Snedeker split the fairway, then knocked his approach to six feet.

Immelman did better. His second came to rest almost a foot from the pin. Snedeker converted his birdie putt and Immelman tapped in for the two-shot lead.

Immelman has never won a major championship, but tied for fifth here in 2005. He has won all over the world, including at the 2006 Western Open, but is he prepared for the green jacket?

"There's so many great golfers out there that if I start resting on a two-shot lead here, I'm not going to do very well tomorrow," admitted Immelman, who had a benign tumor removed from his ribcage in December. "I think there's been many things that have prepared me.

"You know, I'm going to go out there and play my heart out."

Stewart Cink is alone in sixth at minus-four after a one-under 71 on Saturday.

Mickelson is tied for seventh place with defending champion Zach Johnson (68), British Open champion Padraig Harrington (69), Boo Weekley (68), Andres Romero (70), Robert Karlsson (71), Sean O'Hair (71), Retief Goosen (72) and Ian Poulter (75).