US Masters: Lee Westwood holds firm as top golfers turn on the style

Published on Saturday 10 April 2010 22:34

AT LAST, the roars are back. Confirming the growing impression that the Augusta National course is gradually regaining the "Spirit of St Andrews" so sadly lost amidst the misguided planting of trees and growing of rough over the last few years, the 74th Masters came alive yesterday afternoon.

• Worksop wonder: Lee Westwood carded a 68 to go into today's final round with a one-stroke lead

Amidst a seemingly endless plethora of spectacular birdies and eagles – second-placed Phil Mickelson came within inches of making three eagles in succession – the best golfers in the world put on a kaleidoscopic show more than worthy of the gloriously picturesque surroundings.

After a typically outrageous flop shot at the final hole, Mickelson signed for a typically erratic round of 67, good enough to take him to 11 under par and leave the world's best left-hander one behind Worksop's Lee Westwood. Twice a winner here, Mickelson will surely fancy his chances of overhauling a "major virgin" over a course where he has recorded 12 top-ten finishes.

The Englishman, who began the day tied for first place with compatriot Ian Poulter, maintained his lofty position by getting himself round in a less spectacular but nevertheless sound 68 blows.

A two-horse race this is not, however. The chasing pack – albeit now a slightly detached one – cannot be completely discounted. An eight-strong group containing such luminaries as Ian Poulter, KJ Choi, Fred Couples, Anthony Kim and the inevitable Tiger Woods are all within seven shots of the leader. And all are in position to make the sort of last-day thrust epitomised by the birdie and eagle-festooned third day. Whether or not those in charge of course set-up will encourage such a thing by again moving tees up and pins into accessible spots remains to be seen. But the feeling here is that, with multiple shots to make up, anyone other than the leading pair needs some help.

Anyway, for Westwood this was, even amidst the highlights reel stuff going on around him, almost the perfect "moving day," American slang for the third round of any tournament. Right from the off, the world No.4 took charge of the crowded leader board; birdies at two of the first four holes moving him into an advantage he relinquished only briefly to the rampaging Mickelson.

It was, from the man with perhaps the most consistent full swing in golf, generally impressive stuff. Successfully disguising the one remaining weakness in his game – the little chips and pitches that can be fiendishly difficult around the sloping Augusta National putting surfaces – Westwood looks like a man ready and able to win a major. Which is hardly surprising. Three times in the last two years he has come close to breaking Europe's 21st century Grand Slam duck, most notably at Turnberry last July, where he three-putted the final green to miss the Stewart Cink/Tom Watson play-off by one agonising shot.

Further encouragement for Westwood – and, no doubt, Mickelson – came from the stodgy play of Woods, a four-time winner here. Playing his first competitive golf since winning the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in Melbourne last November, the chastened Tiger could manage only an erratic 70 – seven birdies, five bogeys – on what was an ideal day for scoring. He sits four shots back on eight under par.

All of which postponed for at least one more day the growing debate over whether a victory for the returning Woods would be a good or bad thing for professional golf. There are those who believe a fifth green jacket for the world No.1 would only underline the relative ineptitude of what passes for his competition and so render "non-Tiger" tournaments meaningless in the mind of the public.

Then again, a Woods win would give, at least in the short term, a somewhat beleaguered sport something of a shot in the arm. Strange as it may seem to some, there are millions of fans around the globe more interested in the planet's most high-profile sportsman than in, say, Ross County surprisingly winning a football match.

As for Poulter, the strutting mannequin of golf did enough after a faltering start to at least maintain lingering hopes of pipping Westwood to that maiden major victory. After sloppily dropping shots at the fifth and sixth holes, the reigning World Match Play champion retrieved both bogeys with successive birdies at the seventh and eighth. Thereafter, his play, especially when gauged against the stellar goings on elsewhere, was disappointing. In the end, he signed for a 74 that leaves him six shots adrift.

Much earlier, the longer-term future of European golf was further impressing the huge galleries with another precociously impressive performance. Still 16 and the only amateur to make the 36-hole cut that fell at three over par, British Amateur champion Matteo Mannesero – labelled "the next Seve" by former Walker Cup skipper Peter McEvoy – is in a tie for 38th place after shooting 73 to stand four over.

"Matteo has been playing great," acknowledges his compatriot, Edoardo Molinari, who missed the cut here. "Give him three years and he will be one of the best on tour."

Maybe. If today is anything to go by, even such an obviously gifted youngster will have his hands full just getting into contention. Truly, this was magnificent stuff.

LEADERBOARD

-12 Lee Westwood (GB) 67 69 68

-11 Phil Mickelson (USA) 67 71 67

-8 Tiger Woods (USA) 68 70 70

-8 K J Choi (KOR) 67 71 70

-7 Fred Couples (USA) 66 75 68

-6 Ricky Barnes (USA) 68 70 72

-6 Hunter Mahan (USA) 71 71 68

-6 Ian Poulter (GB) 68 68 74

-5 Anthony Kim (USA) 68 70 73

-5 Y.E. Yang (KOR) 67 72 72

-3 Jerry Kelly (USA) 72 74 67

-3 Steve Marino (USA) 71 73 69

-3 Bill Haas (USA) 72 70 71

-2 Trevor Immelman (RSA) 69 73 72

-2 Tom Watson (USA) 67 74 73

-1 Kenny Perry (USA) 72 71 72

-1 Nick Watney (USA) 68 76 71

-1 Sean O'Hair (USA) 72 71 72

-1 David Toms (USA) 69 75 71

-1 Geoff Ogilvy (AUS) 74 72 69

-1 Heath Slocum (USA) 72 73 70

Par Soren Kjeldsen (DEN) 70 71 75

Par Adam Scott (AUS) 69 75 72

Par Steve Flesch (USA) 75 71 70

Par Angel Cabrera (ARG) 73 74 69

+1 Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 69 76 72

+1 Matt Kuchar (USA) 70 73 74

+1 Camilo Villegas (COL) 74 72 71

+2 Lucas Glover (USA) 76 71 71

+2 Ryan Moore (USA) 72 73 73

+3 Dustin Johnson (USA) 71 72 76

+3 Francesco Molinari (ITA) 70 74 75

+3 Mike Weir (CAN) 71 72 76

+3 Ernie Els (RSA) 71 73 75

+3 Miguel Jimenez (SPA) 72 75 72

+3 Yuta Ikeda (JPN) 70 77 72

+3 Scott Verplank (USA) 73 73 73

+4 Robert Karlsson (SWE) 71 72 77

+4 Steve Stricker (USA) 73 73 74

+4 Ben Crane (USA) 71 75 74

+4 Zach Johnson (USA) 70 74 76

+4 Sergio Garcia (SPA) 74 70 76

+4 Metteo Manassero (ITA) 71 76 73

+5 Retief Goosen (RSA) 74 71 76

+6 Jason Dufner (USA) 75 72 75

+9 Robert Allenby (AUS) 72 75 77

+11 Nathan Green (AUS) 72 75 80

+11 Chad Campbell (USA) 79 68 80