AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Trevor Immelman watched one last shot turn out better than he expected in the Masters, each one keeping him atop the leaderboard and Tiger Woods farther behind on Saturday.
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Immelman was headed for double bogey or worse on the 15th hole until his ball somehow stopped on a steep slope toward the pond, allowing him to escape with par. On the 18th, he barked instructions to his ball -- "Sit down," he pleaded -- only to see it stop 30 inches away for a final birdie and a 3-under 69.
That gave him a two-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker, two players in their 20s who will get their first taste of major championship pressure in the final group at Augusta National.
Perhaps more importantly, Immelman stayed six shots ahead of Woods.
Under the easiest conditions at Augusta in three years, Woods had to settle for a bogey-free round of 68 that was probably the worst he could have shot. He has never won a major when trailing going into the final round, and he has never won a U.S. PGA Tour event when trailing by more than five shots after 54 holes.
"If I had made a few more putts, I'd be right there," Woods said. "But I'm right there anyway."
That depends on the four guys in front of him, none of whom has ever won a major.
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| Not bad at all. Trevor Immelman overcomes a risky shot on 18 to finish with a birdie. (Getty Images) |
Snedeker steadied himself after three straight bogeys around Amen Corner, getting those shots back over the final five holes, including a 10-foot birdie on the 18th for a 2-under 70 that put him in the final group.
Steve Flesch was the best lefty in his pairing with Phil Mickelson, also finishing with a birdie for a 69 to reach 8-under 208. Paul Casey, among four players who had a share of the lead, shot a 69 and was another shot back.
Casey has the most experience on this kind of stage, having played on two European Ryder Cup teams. The Englishman atoned for a sloppy bogey on the 15th with an 8-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the 16th, one of only four in the third round.
Flesch wasn't even expecting to be at the Masters, qualifying late in the year by winning two U.S. PGA Tour events against weak fields to finish among the top 30 in the money list. Now, he is only three shots back with 18 holes to play.
Standing on the 18th green before making his 4-foot birdie putt, Flesch gazed at the large leaderboard.
