Ian Poulter wouldn't quite take the bait when asked whether his mini-charge onto the Masters Tournament leaderboard Saturday would be enough to help him overcome, at that time, a seven-shot deficit.

Ian Poulter of England hits onto the No. 2 green during the third round of the Masters Tournament on Saturday, April 11, 2009. (Michael Holahan/Staff)

"It depends on how the course is going to play," Poulter said. "If the greens stay softish, if they put some fairly generous pins, then you can make quite a few birdies out there. But obviously if that's the case, then the leaders are going to be able to make a few birdies."

That's the conundrum Poulter and Sean O'Hair face today after shooting 4-under par 68, tying Steve Stricker, Steve Flesch and Jim Furyk for low score Saturday. They are within sniffing distance of the leaders, but a favorable course setup and expected good weather conditions today could hurt as much as help in making the ultimate comeback.

O'Hair, like Poulter, is 4-under for the tournament and finished a couple of hours before the final pairings. He doesn't believe he's out of the tournament, despite trailing leaders Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera by seven shots.

"You could definitely have somebody catch on fire," O'Hair said. "I don't think you're going to have those 28, 29, 30 rounds on the back nine, but you'll probably have a couple guys shooting three, four, maybe even 5-under par on the back nine if they catch fire."

The 26-year-old Texan would love to be that guy, which could go a long way toward erasing some of the bad moments he's had at high-profile events. His most recent hiccup came three weeks ago at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he gave up a five-shot lead to Tiger Woods, his demise aided greatly by missed fairways and a wayward approach to the 16th green that found water.

To the public, O'Hair, a two-time PGA Tour winner, is probably best known for his misadventures at the famous par-3 17th in The Players Championship in 2007. He splashed two balls into the water in the final round, giving up his 54-hole lead and the win to playing partner Phil Mickelson.

O'Hair wouldn't bite when asked whether a win today would help erase those bad memories.

"I don't have any really bad memories," he said. "I'm playing well, and I've had a good year so far and I'm just going to keep playing well."