Sizzling Mickelson leads as Woods fights back
AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Phil Mickelson snatched a one-shot lead in yesterday’s third round of the U.S. Masters with an exhilarating display of shot-making on the back nine at Augusta National.
While Tiger Woods clawed his way back into contention after losing his cool early on, left-hander Mickelson covered 13, 14 and 15 with a stunning eagle-eagle-birdie run to edge one stroke clear at 12 under par.
Britain’s Lee Westwood, co-leader overnight with his good friend Ian Poulter, was alone in second after 13 holes with American veteran Fred Couples a further stroke back at eight under after 16.
World number one Woods, playing his first tournament in nearly five months after his double life was exposed at the end of last year, was seven under with playing partner KJ Choi of South Korea after 14 holes.
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. 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.
He parred the ninth after hitting a superb fade from pine trees on the left for his second shot, to sit at six under overall, level with his playing partner KJ Choi.
Woods is bidding to become the first player to launch his season with a major victory since fellow American Ben Hogan clinched the 1953 Masters.
The 14-times major winner is playing his first tournament in nearly five months after his double life was exposed at the end of last year.