With a low score in today's final round of the 65th Masters, Mark Calcavecchia might claw his way into a green jacket.

Using an odd putting grip he calls ``the claw,'' Calcavecchia fired a 4-under-par 68 on Friday to move into contention for his first Masters title. Calcavecchia heads into today's final round at 10-under-par 206, tied for third with Chris DiMarco, two shots behind tournament leader Tiger Woods and one back of Phil Mickelson.

DiMarco won't be laughing at Calcavecchia's unconventional putting grip when they play together today in the 2:45 p.m. pairing. DiMarco uses a modified-claw method which has been termed the ``Psycho grip.''

``Goes to show you that there's a lot of different ways to get it in the hole,'' said Calcavecchia, who decided to try the grip after watching DiMarco stroke some putts during The Players Championship last year.

Calcavecchia's power game seems suited to the Augusta National, but putting has tested his patience in recent years. He finished second at the 1988 Masters, behind Sandy Lyle, but has not cracked the top 15 in 13 other appearances. He did not qualify for last year's Masters.

``My putting was so bad, even when I putted good, I could not get any confidence, because I knew I was going to start putting bad eventually,'' Calcavecchia said of a bleak stretch during the late 1990s.

Thanks to the claw, Calcavecchia thinks he has come to grips with the greens.

``Now my short game is very good again, but the tee-to-green game is probably the best it's ever been,'' he said. ``I've always been pretty good around the greens as far as chipping and bunker shots, but it is all about putting out here.''

The 1989 British Open champion also has his emotions under control this week. Calcavecchia began Thursday's round with a double bogey on No. 1, then recovered to shoot even-par 72. His 66 on Friday, coupled with Saturday's 68, has him positioned to capture a second major championship.

``Obviously, I've gotten a lot better at that,'' Calcavecchia said of his sometimes-fiery disposition on the golf course. ``That doesn't mean I don't get mad; I do, and we all do out there.''

Calcavecchia's bogey-free third round started with six straight pars. On the par-4 seventh, he hit lob wedge to six feet and made birdie. His back-nine 33 featured birdies on Nos. 10, 11 and 13.

``I hit a lot of good shots today. What's even more important, I knew I was going to hit them good before I hit them,'' he said. ``So I have the capability of shooting a good score tomorrow.''

The 40-year-old Orlando resident has a proven ability to post low scores. His 256 at the Phoenix Open was the lowest four-round score ever shot in a PGA Tour event.

``The confidence that I have in my swing right now - I get confidence in a hurry,'' said Calcavecchia, who has totaled 10 wins on tour. ``It only takes me two or three good shots in a row and all of the sudden I feel like I can play again.''