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| Lee Westwood of England acknowledges applause on the 18th hole after finishing his third round of the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Ga., Saturday, April 10, 2010. |
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) -- The patrons at Augusta National can only hope for as many thrills Sunday as they got the day before.
Lee Westwood held a one-stroke lead at the Masters, his best chance yet to win his first major championship. Right on his heels was Phil Mickelson, who electrified Augusta National in the third round when he made back-to-back eagles on his way to a 67. He'll be in the final group with Westwood, teeing off at 2:40 p.m. EDT.
Tiger Woods was still in the mix, too - four shots back and tied with K.J. Choi for third place. Those two were playing in the next-to-last group, the fourth straight day they've been paired together.
Fred Couples was five behind and hoping to become the oldest major champion at age 50.
No one could complain about the weather. It was another picture-perfect spring day at Augusta - sunny with temperature rising into the 70s again.
On Saturday, Mickelson made consecutive eagles with three shots. Couples chipped in for eagle. Woods made three straight birdies to keep his name high on the leaderboard. Ricky Barnes chipped in for a birdie and rolled in another with a 60-foot putt.
Saturday at the Masters sounded an awful lot like Sunday.
"You couldn't figure out who was doing what because there were roars happening simultaneously throughout the course," Mickelson said. "I thought that it was really a fun day to see the leaderboard change."
Westwood made sure there was no change at the top. The Englishman made only one bogey and finished with a tough par for a 4-under 68.
"I think I'm ready," Westwood said.
By the look of the names behind him, he'd better be.
Westwood, No. 4 in the world and among the best without a major, was at 12-under 204. His final-round playing partner was Mickelson, No. 3 in the world and the sentimental favorite at Augusta given his turbulent year at home with his wife and mother battling breast cancer.
Mickelson (205) hasn't looked great this year; it's the first time since 2003 he has come to Augusta without a victory. Now, he goes after a third green jacket by playing in the final group at a major for the first time since his meltdown at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open.
Woods, No. 1 in the world, has played as though five months of a humiliating sex scandal never happened.
"I think that's what everybody wants to see," Westwood said. "Everybody has missed Tiger on the golf course the last five or six months, and he's up there. Phil is up there. You've got 4, 3 and 1 in the world. It's a good leaderboard, I think."
The Masters had not seen a leaderboard this strong for the final round since Woods and Mickelson - Nos. 1 and 2 in the world - were in the final group in 2001.
"The only thing I can control is what I do, where I hit it," Westwood said. "The guys up on the leaderboard there are great players. They are going to do something. You have to expect the unexpected at times."
