Phil thrills as Hanson leads Masters

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- There is nothing like being in the final group on Sunday at the Masters. "It's the greatest thing in professional golf," Phil Mickelson said after he gave this Masters a strong dose of Sunday on Saturday afternoon.

He put a charge into the entire tournament with an eagle putt on the par-5 13th, and he was only getting warmed up. Mickelson produced a Sunday-caliber roar when he pulled off a highlight-quality flop shot on his way to a birdie on the par-5 15th hole. The atmosphere became so fired up that his closest competitor was inspired.

"That was one of those special kind of Masters moments that I've been watching so many times, TV-wise," said Peter Hanson, who made the most of the boost and finished even more strongly than Mickelson. Hanson shot 7-under-par 65 in the third round to go 9 under, one better for the day and the tournament than Mickelson's 66 for 8 under. The two will be paired in the final group Sunday.

"I mean, the crowds are so much behind Phil. They love him and I understand why -- the way he plays, like when we see that lob shot that we looked at so closely on 15," said Hanson, who played with Mickelson in the first two rounds and in the pairing ahead of him Saturday. "I'm just going to try to enjoy it."

Enjoyment will come with a huge chaser of stress. To look at it as a two-way race is missing the whole picture. Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen is one behind Mickelson at 7 under, followed by Bubba Watson at 6 under. It does not take much to send anyone hurtling down from the top of the leader board, witnessed Saturday by second-round co-leaders Fred Couples and Jason Dufner, who each shot 75 and now trail by seven.

Forget about Rory McIlroy, who shot himself out of it with a 77 and, at 1 over, is only two strokes better than Tiger Woods, who is tied for 38th.

What makes Sunday at Augusta so much fun is that all the peril is mixed with possibilities. The Sunday setup invites birdies. "It's not the player that plays the most consistent that wins at the Masters," said Padraig Harrington, who birdied five of the last six holes to shoot 68 and get to 4 under. "The player who plays some of the most exciting golf wins at the Masters. Fortune favors the brave at times here."

The mixture of risk and reward is right in Mickelson's wheelhouse. He drilled a 6-iron 206 yards on No. 13 and made the putt, knowing that it would swing hard right at the end. He overshot the green with his 5-iron on 15, and chose to hit his 64-degree wedge, undaunted by the possibility of skulling it into the water in front. "It wasn't the safest shot," he said.

Mickelson finished it off with a carefully hooked 198-yard 7-iron to the 18th green that set up a birdie to stay within a shot of Hanson, who acknowledged having fed off the energy Mickelson created.

"Well, I'm sorry I was helping him out," Mickelson said. "He's a very nice guy and very good player. I didn't feel as though he was helping me. I felt like, 'Oh my goodness, I've got to keep birdieing to keep pace.' He just played phenomenally."

And that was just the prelude. "It's still Saturday," Mickelson said after having finished his sizzling 30 on the back nine. "You're going to have to play some really good golf and you're going to have to have some good things happen on Sunday. That's when it gets exciting."