Westwood weathers noise, keeps lead

Just when it looked like Lee Westwood was ready to turn the Masters into a one-man show all hell broke loose yesterday and Augusta National Golf Club sounded more like a Sunday than a Saturday.

As Westwood was coming off No. 10 with a birdie after making the turn with a front-nine 33, Phil Mickelson made an eagle putt on the par-5 13th to start a cascade of thundering cheers on Augusta's back nine. Mickelson holed a 139-yard shot on No. 14 to score back-to-back eagles and nearly holed his third shot on the par-5 15th hole to set up a birdie. In three holes, Mickelson made up five shots and took the lead from Westwood.

Cheers also flowed when Fred Couples chipped in for eagle ahead of Mickelson, Ricky Barnes chipped in for a birdie at No. 13 and then sank a 60-foot birdie putt on the 14th green and Tiger Woods got into the act with three straight birdies to keep his name high on the star-studded leader board.

"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 fun day to see the leader board change."

But by day's end Westwood was back on top of the leader board where he started, only this time he held the lead alone after shooting a steady 4-under-par 68 to get to 12 under. Mickelson, who bogeyed No. 17 coming in, made the biggest move on moving day with a 67 and is a shot back at 11 under, followed by Woods (70) and K.J. Choi (70) at 8 under. Standing five shots off the pace is Fred Couples, who bounced back from a second-round 75 with a 68.

Ian Poulter, tied for the 36-hole lead with Westwood, shot a 74 and fell six shots behind with Barnes (72) and Hunter Mahan (68). That would seem to be too far behind at any other major, but maybe not at Augusta National.

"We have seen some strange things happen over the years," Mickelson said. "I think tomorrow is going to be another exciting day."

The Masters hasn't had a leader board this strong for the final round since Woods and Mickelson -- Nos. 1 and 2 in the world -- were in the final group in 2001. Mickelson came to Augusta this year without a victory for the first time since 2003. He'll be gunning for his third green jacket today while playing in the final group at a major for the first time since his meltdown at Winged Foot in the 2006 U.S. Open.

Westwood threatened to pull away from the field by birdieing Nos. 1, 4, 8 and 10 before the cheers broke out and chaos reigned. Couples was walking off the 14th tee when he motioned at Mickelson across the 13th fairway to get it going. Mickelson did by hitting a 7-iron to 8 feet, followed by his eagle from the 14th fairway that produced such volume that Westwood backed off his putt on the 11th. Mickelson joined Dan Pohl (1982) and Dustin Johnson (2009) as the only players to make consecutive eagles at the Masters.

Still, Westwood, seeking is first major championship, remained calm after bogeying No. 12 to lose his lead temporarily. He added to his birdie total with another one on No. 15 and saved par with a good up and down on No. 18 to keep a one-shot lead over Mickelson heading into today's final round.

"I think I'm ready," Westwood said. "The only thing I can control is what I do, where I hit it. The guys up on the leader board there are great players. They are going to do something. You have to expect the unexpected at times."

It was a tough day at the office for Woods, who shot a 70 despite three-putting twice. After getting off to good start with birdies on No. 1 and No. 3, he was only one shot out of the lead. Then he self-destructed with a bad swing on No. 6 and an outburst: "Tiger Woods, you suck. ... Gawd dammit."

Coming from a guy trying to rebuild his reputation and who pledged to keep his temper in check, it signaled the start of a tumble. From the bottom shelf of the green at No. 6, Woods ran his putt 15 feet by the hole and missed that for his first three-putt of the Masters. He missed a 5-foot par on the seventh hole and three-putted on the 10th from about 18 feet. At that point, Woods was seven shots out of the lead.

But he refused to fold. He two-putted the 13th for a birdie, hit his approach to 3 feet on the 14th for a birdie and then made an 8-foot birdie putt on the 15th. He was so wild with his tee shot on No. 17 that he had to play it from the 15th fairway and almost got away with it until he missed a 6-footer for par. He hit a fantastic second shot into the 18th green that resulted in a 4-foot birdie that put him in a good frame of mind entering the final round.

"After struggling just to fight back ... the guys were running away from me there," Woods said. "At one point, I was seven back. So to kind of claw my way back in there where I'm only four back right now, I'm in good shape."

Asked about his outburst on the sixth hole, Woods said he wasn't aware: "If I did, then I'm sorry."

Well there's no question the outburst occurred, causing broadcaster Verne Lundquist to remark: "He's apparently not to happy with that shot." Anyone listening to the national telecast had to hear it, too. CBS announcer Jim Nantz and color analyst Nick Faldo brought up the incident during a discussion in the Butler Cabin.

Perhaps in a damage-control effort, Woods was seen signing autographs for kids after returning from a post-round session at the driving range.

Information from ESPN.com and the Associated Press contributed to this post.