Keep that card Bubba Watson: A local favorite as a former University of Georgia golfer, Watson snuck up the leaderboard with a third-round 67. Despite a bogey at No. 17, he put together a nice charge with four birdies on the back nine.
Toss that card Rickie Fowler: The American looked as if he was headed in the right direction, following up an opening-round 70 with a second-round 69. That all changed Saturday with a 76, including a nasty double-bogey 6 on No. 7 and consecutive bogeys on holes 10, 11 and 12.
On the course with ... Phil Mickelson: The defending Masters champion muddled through another round in the 70s, failing to build off two early birdies and shooting a 71. He's nine shots behind McIlroy at 3 under for the tournament.
Well played, McIlroy Rory McIlroy and Jason Day were tied at 9 under when they got to the 13th, a 510-yard par 5 that is the easiest hole on the course. Day knocked his second shot over the green and flubbed a chip, the ball rolling back to his feet. He wound up making bogey, which became a two-shot swing when McIlroy rolled in a birdie.
One-putt One bad shot probably cost 51-year-old Fred Couples a shot at becoming the oldest major champion in history. After a good drive on the par-5 eighth, he pulled a 3-wood left of the green and "it was a comedy of errors after that," he said. Couples took a double-bogey 7, finished with a 72 and was at 211, seven shots off the lead.
Two-putt Tiger Woods' putter went south on him Saturday, when he shot a 2-over-par 74. "I just made nothing," said Woods, who took 33 putts.
The last word "I was very happy to come over here and play the Masters. I wasn't sure whether I would be able to encourage the people in Japan by my play." -- amateur Hideki Matsuyama, talking about his home in Sendai, Japan, which suffered the worst of the recent earthquake and tsunami.
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