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Couples
in sight of his second Masters green jacket
By
Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent
Augusta,
Georgia. 11th April 1998 - Fred Couples, who considers himself "not
quite the golfer I once was", is in sight of a second Masters green jacket
at Augusta.
The
38-year-old American, who has looked down from the top of the leaderboard from
the moment he defied fierce winds to shoot an opening 69, takes a two-stroke advantage
over fellow Americans Phil Mickelson, Paul Azinger and Mark O'Meara into the final
day.
But a closing
bogey five has kept alive the possibility of Colin Montgomerie winning his first
major, Tiger Woods retaining the title - and remarkably 58-year-old Jack Nicklaus
stretching his record number of victories to seven.
They
are all five behind along with US Open champion Ernie Els, while Spain's 1994
winner Jose Maria Olazabal is only four back and Ulsterman Darren Clarke just
six adrift following a superb 67 that included eagles on both the 13th and 15th.
One
spectacular shot was mostly responsible as Couples stepped up his bid to repeat
his 1992 victory.
Left-hander
Mickelson, chasing his first major, had just come past him at six under par with
back to back birdies on the 13th and 14th when Couples fired in a wonderful long-iron
to within 18 inches of the flag at the 13th for a tap-in eagle.
He
did three putt the 14th, but made instant amends for that with a birdie on the
long 15th and, after Mickelson had bogeyed the last, held a three-stroke cushion
until going from trees to bunker on the 18th himself and failing to get up and
down.
Couples
returned a 71 and stands on the six under par total of 210.
Mickelson
had also bogeyed the 17th for a second successive 69 and so fell back alongside
O'Meara (68) and Azinger (69), back in contention for a major for the first time
since he underwent chemotherapy for lymphona cancer in his shoulder four years
ago.
"I
can say my life has returned to normal and I care just as much about golf as I
used to," said Azinger.
"But
I still realise there are other things more important."
Montgomerie
faced a real uphill struggle when he wasted a birdie at the second by taking a
double bogey six on the next, but came back into the hunt with four birdies for
a 69.
He said
at the time that if he was five behind at the end of the day he considered himself
still in with a chance and that is how it turned out.
But
the Scot said: "I dropped four shots at that third hole and had seven three-putts.
That's 11 shots just thrown away, but I'm playing okay and I am getting there."
His previous
best in six visits to Augusta is only 17th.
That
double bogey came when his pitch rolled back down the bank in front of the green.
He then pitched over it, chipped to 15 feet and missed the putt.
Woods'
chances of becoming only the third man to make a successful defence, Nicklaus
and Nick Faldo are the only two so far - nose dived when he three putted the first,
had another bogey on the fourth and double bogeyed the short sixth.
Even
with birdies on the eighth and ninth the 22-year-old, a 12-shot winner a year
ago, was out in 38 and he started for home by hooking his drive into the trees
and bogeying the tenth.
At
that point he was three over for the day two over for the tournament. But he picked
up four birdies in the last seven holes.
Woods
may yet rue another three-putt bogey on the 17th, but he said: "Today was
probably one of the best 72s I have ever shot, considering the way I was striking
the ball and the places I put myself.
"I
have not lost anything yet - I am right there. I am pretty confident I can still
win.
"If
you get something going on this course you can really get it going. It's just
a matter of doing it. But Freddie is playing really well and we are going to have
to come and get him."
