Lefty can't repeat back-nine heroics
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Many expected a final-round pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson when the Masters Tournament started Thursday.
The men, with six green jackets between them, will take the course together today -- but it will be an hour earlier than originally expected -- 1:35 p.m. After the players couldn't mount a significant charge Saturday, they enter today's final round tied at 4-under-par 212, trailing co-leaders Angel Cabrera and Kenny Perry by seven strokes.
"It doesn't matter who I'm really playing with, I've got to go out and shoot a number," Mickelson said after shooting 1-under 71 on Saturday. "I've got to shoot something low, in the mid- to low-60s. I think it's out there on this golf course."
Mickelson entered the day within six strokes of leaders Chad Campbell and Perry after a blistering back nine where he picked up five strokes in seven holes. He got off to a steady start Saturday, with a pair of birdies helping him reach 5-under, but an up-and-down back nine prevented him from gaining ground.
He followed a pair of bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 with birdies on 13 and 15 before a third back-nine bogey after a poor chip on No. 16 ended his hope of another strong finish.
"If I could have shot 3-, 4-under on the back, I would have been in great position," Mickelson said.
The left-hander has a considerable deficit to overcome and nine players standing between him and the top of the leaderboard -- including his old nemesis, Woods.
Mickelson believes the course conditions and setup will allow a comeback, even from this far behind.
"I think a lot of things happen on Sunday at Augusta, and I would never put it past happening again," he said. "I think at this golf course, funny things can happen. If you get momentum on your side and you start making birdies, you can make a lot of them. But when it starts coming apart, it's hard to get it back and it's easy to tumble."
| 3rd Round | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Rnd | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 37 | 71 |
| Tot | -3 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -5 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -3 | -3 | -4 | -4 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 | -4 |
| 2nd Round | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Rnd | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 32 | 68 |
| Tot | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -1 | -1 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -3 | -3 | -3 |
| 1st Round | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Tot |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
| Rnd | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 38 | 73 |
| Tot | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
