Masters: Immelman Maintains Two Shot Lead

Alone in fifth place is four-time Champion Tiger Woods, who fashioned his best round of the championship, a 68, and is at five-under-par 211.

Trevor Immelman, of South Africa, is at 11-under-par 205 through 54 holes, two strokes better than Brandt Snedeker (70-207). Photo courtesy: masters.org

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Trevor Immelman is playing golf like a man on a mission and after three rounds at the Masters he has a two-shot lead.

Immelman shot three-under-par 69 Saturday - his third round in the 60s at Augusta National Golf Club.

Just when it appeared Immelman might stumble, he produced some wonderful golf - and got a little help along the way.

Immelman, of South Africa, is at 11-under-par 205 through 54 holes, two strokes better than Brandt Snedeker (70-207).

Steve Flesch (69-208) and Paul Casey (69-209) are next on the leaderboard.

Alone in fifth place is four-time Champion Tiger Woods, who fashioned his best round of the championship, a 68, and is at five-under-par 211.

Immelman made birdies at three of the final six holes, including the 18th where his approach finished three feet from the cup.

"From the 10th hole, I controlled my ball as well as I ever have," said Immelman, who will try to become the first wire-to-wire winner since Ben Crenshaw 24 years ago.

It was at the 15th hole that Immelman got the kind of fortunate break that often creates Champions.

After laying up on his second shot, Immelman nearly spun his third shot with a wedge into the pond in front of the green. The ball hit on the green and began to backtrack, off the green and down the closely-mowed slope. Dangerously, it rolled toward to the water hazard. For a moment, it picked up speed and just when it appeared the ball might not stop, it did.

"I don't know how that ball stayed up there but obviously I'm thankful," Immelman said.

Immelman will take that as a good omen. He will also attempt to do nothing different in the final round with his first major title to close to reality.

"There is such a long way to go and so many great golfers out there," he said. "If I start resting on a two-shot lead I'm not going to do very well (Sunday). All I can do is go out there and give it my best.

"I've dreamed about playing professional golf since I was five years old. There have been many bumps in the road, like everybody. I'm going to go out and play my heart out. That's all I can ask of myself."

Snedeker went out in 34 and was at nine-under-par through 10 holes before three successive bogeys. He bounced back nicely with birdies at the 14th and 15th. He also made birdie at the 18th to finish at nine-under-par.

"I had 182 yards, uphill," said Snedeker, who refused to fold after those three bogeys. "I hit a 7-iron, just hammered it, about six feet and made the putt. (It was) A great way to end the round.

"You've got to realize it's a long tournament. We've got a lot of golf left to play. I felt I was swinging good. I said if I gave myself a few more chances, I would be OK. Fortunately, I did, and made a few more birdies."

Immelman and Snedeker will play in the final group Sunday.

"I'm going out there to play good golf and see what we got," Snedeker said. "Everything I've practiced for, everything I've done is preparation for (Sunday). I'm not nervous at all."

Flesch, who will play in the group with Casey, is a left-hander. A birdie at the 18th left him at eight-under-par. Left-handers have won the Masters three times in the past five years. Canada's Mike Weir won in 2003 and was followed by Phil Mickelson in 2004 and 2006.

"I've driven the ball great, kept it in play, and actually putted pretty well this week," Flesch said. "I was thrilled even to be here. This is kind of what we all play for.

"I've won four times in 11 years. Nothing to lose. That's how I'm looking at it. If you're going to make a run, may as well make it this week."

Everybody expects Woods to make a run, too.

"Sixty-eight was probably the highest score I could have shot," he said.

Woods said his putting was "just a touch off," but was pleased to have played his way back into the tournament.

When Woods made a birdie putt at the 10th to get to three-under-par, only six names were ahead of him on the leaderboard: Immelman, Snedeker, Casey, Flesch, Phil Mickelson and Ian Poulter. In those 10 holes, Woods had already climbed past a dozen golfers.

Woods has never come from behind to win a major championship.

"I'm sure he's going to be a factor," Snedeker said. "If we go out and play a good round of golf he's going to have to play extremely well to beat us.

"If he gets off to a great start, it's going to be in everybody's head. To sit here and say we're not going to be looking for Tiger is crazy. We are and everybody sitting here is."

Story by: Vartan Kupelian

Courtesy: masters.org

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