Summary: A second straight 2-under 70, courtesy of
7 birdies and 5 bogeys. Birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 were the key,
keeping him within sight of the lead. Afterward, Tiger said he
struggled with the pace of the greens and fought his swing, but was
pleased with the result. "I just need to clean up my round," he
said.
Hole No. 18, Par 4, 465 yards: A drive to the
fairway, a beautiful iron to 3 feet and a tidy birdie putt put a
nice exclamation point on Tiger's round.
Hole No. 17, Par 4, 440 yards: Tiger loses his tee
shot way right. He drops his club in disgust, but keeps his
thoughts to himself. He has to hit his approach well to the right
of the green, then pitches on. He misses the uphill 6-footer,
though, making bogey and falling 5 shots off Westwood's lead.
Mickelson blocks his approach right on 18, landing it in the
crowd. He then delights the crowd by lofting a patented Phil Phlop
to about phive pheet (couldn't resist). He makes the putt for a 67,
finishing at 11 under, one shot off the lead.
Couples finishes at -7 after a bogey at 18.
Hole No. 16, Par 3, 170 yards: Tiger makes a
routine par, never scaring the hole with his 15-foot birdie
attempt.
Mickelson bogeys 17 to drop into a tie for the lead.
Hole No. 15, Par 5, 530 yards: Tiger is over the
green in 2, then chips about 10 feet past the cup. The birdie putt
is in all the way, bringing him to -8. Choi also birdies to get to
-8.
Hunter Mahan birdies the last to finish at 6 under.
Hole No. 14: Par 4, 440 yards: After his drive
rolls just off the right side of the fairway, Tiger hits a
beautiful approach to 3 feet, then makes the birdie putt to get to
7 under, 5 shots off the lead.
Mickelson taps in from mere inches for birdie at No. 15 after
nearly making his third straight eagle. At 12 under, he's the new
leader.
Fred Couples chips in for eagle at No. 15 to get to -8.
The front bunker at 12 catches both Westwood and Poulter.
Westwood makes bogey, dropping into a tie for the lead with
Mickelson. Poulter makes double bogey.
Hole No. 13: Par 5, 510 yards: Tiger reaches the
green in 2 from about 250 yards, but his approach settles into the
front right of the green, well below the hole. A two-putt birdie
gets him back to even par for the day.
Mickelson holes out from 139 yards on No. 14 for back-to-back
eagles! That gets him to -11, 1 shot behind Westwood. He's only the
third player in Masters history with back-to-back eagles.
Hole No. 12: Par 3, 155 yards: Tiger finds the
front bunker off the tee, blasts to 5 feet and makes the par-saver.
Meanwhile, playing partner Choi birdies.
Mickelson eagles No. 13 to get to -9 and solo second place, 3
shots behind Westwood.
Hole No. 11: Par 4, 505 yards: Tiger reaches the
right side of the green from more than 200 yards out. The flag,
however, is on the left. He rolls his 60-foot approach close and
taps in for par.
Westwood rolls in a birdie putt on No. 10 to get to -12 and a
4-shot lead.
Hole No. 10: Par 4, 495 yards: After splitting the
fairway with his drive, Tiger brings his approach in right over the
flagstick, leaving a 12- to 15-footer for birdie. He misses the
left-to-right swinger, then misses a 4-foot comebacker and makes
bogey.
Hole No. 9: Par 4, 460 yards: Tiger's in the woods
to the right of the fairway. He hits the green with his approach
from the pine straw, but the ball doesn't make it all the way up to
the pin. Still, he shouldn't have trouble making par -- and he
does, completing an even-par front nine.
K.J. Choi hits a gorgeous approach to about 2 feet at No. 9,
then makes the birdie putt to get to -6.
Looking at an eagle putt for a 5-shot lead, Westwood rolls
the ball 4 feet past the cup, but makes the comebacker for birdie
to get to -11.
Hole No. 8: Par 5, 570 yards: Tiger is just off
the right side of the green in 2, seemingly well within range of a
birdie. He runs his chip shot 4 feet past, then makes the birdie
putt.
Hole No. 7: Par 4, 450 yards: Trying to hit his
patented stinger with a fairway wood, Tiger leaves the ball in the
left rough. His approach runs barely through the green and again,
he is audibly unhappy. Putting from the fringe, he runs his first
effort 5 feet past the hole, then misses his par putt.
Leader Westwood chooses a driver on No. 7 and misses the
fairway WAY left. He recovers nicely and hits the green with his
approach, but he'll have a long 2-putt. Not to worry, he saves par.
Crowd favorite Tom Watson birdies No. 10 to get to 4 under.
Mickelson makes a short birdie putt on No. 8 to get to 8
under.
Hole No. 6: Par 3, 180 yards: Well, he didn't
throw his club after a loose tee shot that left him on the wrong
side of this green, about 70 feet from the hole, but Tiger's
self-admonition was clearly heard on camera: "Tiger Woods, you
S**K!" He rams his first putt about 18 feet past the cup. His par
putt just misses the left edge of the cup.
After being bunkered off the tee at No. 5, Poulter lips out
his par putt on No. 5 to drop to -7.
Hole No. 5, Par 4, 455 yards: Tiger's just off the
front edge of the severely sloped green in two, and his first putt
is well off the mark. But he drains a 5-footer to save par.
Westwood birdies the fourth to stretch his lead to 2 shots.
Hole No. 4: Par 3, 240 yards: Tiger bogeys the
first par 3 for the second day in a row.
Hole No. 3: Par 4, 350 yards: On one of the
trickiest holes at Augusta National, Tiger drains a 30-foot,
left-to-right putt for his second birdie of the round. His drive
hit a tree but bounced back into the fairway.
Hole No. 2: Par 5, 575 yards: Tiger lays up,
wedges to 20 feet, then runs his birdie putt just barely past the
hole and taps in for par.
Lee Westwood makes a 20-footer for birdie on No. 1 and takes
the lead alone at 9 under.
Poulter saves par on the first after his bad drive.
Phil Mickelson birdies No. 3 to get to 8 under, tied for the
lead.
Hole No. 1: Par 4, 445 yards: Tiger splits the
fairway with his drive. He lands his approach about 15 feet below
the hole. He makes the birdie putt!
Ian Poulter pulls his first drive left, into the gallery.
It's 70 degrees and sunny in Augusta as the leaders get ready
to tee off in the third round. Humidity is just 22 percent, with an
8 mph ENE wind.
Heath Slocum is 4 under through his first seven holes, moving
to 3 under for the tournament.
Whoever comes out of today with the lead will be a large
favorite to take the green jacket. In nine of the past 11 Masters,
the winner has held at least a share of the third-round lead.
Fred Couples birdies each of the first two holes to get to 5
under.
For Friday's Tiger Tracker, clickhere.
For Thursday's Tiger Tracker, clickhere.
