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AUGUSTA, Georgia - A shock bogey-bogey finish was not enough to derail Tiger Woods's bid for a fifth Masters title today, as golfers and spectators shivered their way through a wild day at Augusta National on which just one player broke par.
Stuart Appleby, bidding to become the first Australian to slip into the coveted green jacket, survived a triple-bogey at the 17th to finish with a one-over 73 and hold onto a one-shot lead over Woods going into Sunday's final round.
Appleby, who has just three top 10 finishes at a major and never placed higher than 19th in 10 previous visits to Augusta, rocketed into contention with a sizzling front nine that included three consecutive birdies from the second.
"Tough day, I don't think we've seen scores anything like that at Augusta for a long time," Appleby told reporters.
Woods's hopes for a third consecutive major win appeared to have been dealt a devastating blow when he recorded back-to-back bogeys on 17 and 18 for the second time in three days for a level par 72.
The world number one skulked off the course four shots off the lead but then watched as the rest of the field struggled home in the Georgia twilight, steadily moving up the leaderboard to take his place in the final pairing with three-over 219.
Since 1991 the Masters winner has come from the final pairing on Sunday.
"Tiger always has an advantage," Appleby told reporters. "He has more experience than what's left of this field put together.
"Whenever he's been in the lead he's nearly always won.
"He knows how to tackle the golf course. He's not worried about what anyone else is doing."
Britain's Justin Rose, who led after the opening round, battled his way to a three-over 75 but remained in contention joining Woods on 219.
Irishman Padraig Harrington, Americans Zach Johnson and Augusta resident Vaughn Taylor will start the final round two shots off the lead on four-over 220.
As they arrived at the course, players were greeted by brilliant sunshine but near freezing temperatures better suited to skiing than golf.
The bitter cold and whipping winds combined for another brutal day at Augusta National, producing the third highest third round average (77.35) in the tournament's 71-year history.
Despite his bogey-bogey finish, Woods's even par 72 was the joint second best round of the day behind South African Retief Goosen, who was the only player to break par signing for a two-under 70.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson had also appeared to have little hope of another green jacket when he signed for a one-over 73 but finished with the fourth best score of the day to remain in contention just four off the pace on six-over 222 alongside Goosen and fellow South African and last year's runner-up Tim Clark.
"It's going to be a tough task but not impossible," Mickelson told reporters. "I'm not ready to concede, certainly I'd rather be closer to even but over par will win this tournament, I've just got to get closer to even."
Big-hitting American Brett Wetterich and Clark had shared the overnight lead but quickly fell victim to some of the toughest scoring conditions ever seen at Augusta National.
Clark, runner-up last year, got his day off to a bogey-bogey start while Wetterich took a bogey at the second then tumbled off the leaderboard after absorbing a triple-bogey seven at the par-four third.
- REUTERS
