Former U.S. Open champion Angel Cabrera and American veteran Kenny Perry share the lead going into the final round of the U.S. Masters after the traditional "moving day" at Augusta National failed to throw up any significant challenges from the chasing pack.
Argentina’s Cabrera carded a 69 with joint overnight leader Perry, recording a 70 to join him in the clubhouse on 11 under 205. Chad Campbell, the halfway leader with fellow Ryder Cup player Perry, is two shots behind after a 72 with the world’s top two players Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson seven shots adrift on four under in a tie for 10th. Pre-tournament favorite Woods barely recovered from a double bogey on his first hole after finding the trees and admitted to being “out of sorts” on his way to a 70. “Today’s as hard as I have ever fought,” he told BBC Sport. “It was tough out there. I got off to a terrible start but I fought back and got myself back in it. Overall I wasn’t quite comfortable and hopefully tomorrow I will have it. At least I’m in a position if I play a good round I’ll be right there.” Two-time Masters champion Mickelson also struggled to mount a sustained challenge with a 71.
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Experienced American players dominate the upper reaches of the leaderboard with Jim Furyk in fourth place on eight-under after a fine 68 with Steve Stricker a shot further back and firmly in contention also after a 68. Japanese star Shingo Katayama, former British Open champion Todd Hamilton and South African Rory Sabbatini are in a three-strong group on six-under 210. European hopes Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia faded out of contention after starting the third round within striking distance of the leaders. Ireland’s Harrington, bidding for a third straight major, ran up a quadruple bogey nine on the par-5 second and did well to recovery his composure to finish with 73 for one under, while Garcia, still seeking his first major carded a three over 75. There were no such problems for the evergreen Perry, who is producing his best form late in his career, starring in the U.S. Ryder Cup triumph at Valhalla and mounting a strong challenge for his first major at the age of 48, making him the oldest Masters champion if he is successful on Sunday. The 39-year-old Cabrera is also used to the final day pressure of a major having won the U.S. Open at Oakmont in 2007, holding off Woods and both men will find comfort in the statistic that 17 of the last 18 winners of the green jacket having come from the final pairing on the last day.
