Immelman: two-stroke lead
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A three-under-par 69 from Trevor Immelman has given the South African a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Masters.
Starting in the final group, halfway leader Immelman and playing partner Brandt Snedeker enjoyed a tussle throughout their third round, with Paul Casey also in the thick of it for most of the afternoon.
In the event, Immelman's consistent play was rewarded with double the advantage he enjoyed heading into Saturday, with Snedeker (70) in turn enjoying a one-stroke lead over Steve Flesch (69).
Casey also settled for a 69, his seven-under total placing him two strokes ahead of Tiger Woods, who loomed ominously into contention after signing for a 68.
In spite of the world number one's move up the leaderboard, it was the battle between Immelman, Snedeker and Casey which claimed the lion's share of the attention.
The blows were being traded as early as the second hole, which Casey birdied - the Englishman then repeating the feat by holing an uphill putt at the par-four fifth. His charge then really gained impetus after a 30-foot birdie putt was drained on the seventh.
That took him to within a shot of Snedeker, whose birdie at the second primed him for the outright lead he claimed when Immelman bogeyed the fourth.
Casey then missed the chance to tie the lead after failing to sink an eminently birdie-able putt on the eighth but made amends on the very next hole.
Outward 32
An outward 32 was thus completed but Snedeker soon holed out on the eighth to retake the outright lead - playing partner Immelman also doing to same to join Casey in second.
The latter then showed his mettle by holing a sizeable par putt on the 10th but then three putted at the very next hole.
However, a birdie on the 13th brought Casey back to within a shot of the lead, and he and the consistent Immelman soon held the lead outright when Snedeker bogeyed both the 11th and 12th.
But Casey bogeyed the par-five 15th and, with Snedeker's round unravelling still further at Amen Corner - his approach to the 13th landing in the water - Immelman's birdie saw him go two strokes ahead.
Casey immediately bit back with a birdie at 16, and with Snedeker doing the same two holes further back, Immelman also birdied to remain two shots clear.
The latter then enjoyed a slice of fortune on the 15th when his approach - which had bit sharply and spun back across a green softened by an earlier thunderstorm which suspended play for 45 minutes - somehow avoided the water.
His lead increased yet further when Casey's par putt on the 17th failed to threaten the hole, but Snedeker then bounced back with another birdie at the 15th.
Having birdied the last, Flesch suddenly entered the fray on eight under but the leading pair then guaranteed themselves a final-round partnership by both taking birdies at the last.
Woods underway
Woods got his third round underway with one of the shots of the week at the 575-yard second, a three wood that finished 20 feet right of the flag.
He could not convert it into an eagle, but the birdie lifted him to two under - with more of the same needed if he was to lift himself up the leaderboard.
But Woods remained steadfastly on two under until a long putt disappeared at the 10th. Another birdie followed at the par-five 13th, with Woods taking another on the par-four 17th after almost holing his approach.
And, despite another wayward tee shot on the 18th, par was duly made, leaving Woods in fifth place, one stroke ahead of Stewart Cink.
Zach Johnson lies two strokes further back after shooting a 68 - the defending champion one of those early starters whose round was interrupted for 45 minutes by the threat of lightning.
Johnson is one of no fewer than nine players in a tie for seventh place on two under, the others being Boo Weekley (68), Padraig Harrington (69), Andres Romero (70), Robert Karlsson (71), Sean O'Hair (71), Retief Goosen (72), Ian Poulter (75) and Phil Mickelson (75).
Poulter made a very solid start, scoring eight consecutive pars. But his round was undone by consecutive shanks on the ninth and 10th holes which resulted in a bogey and double bogey.
Meanwhile, Open champion Harrington improved his prospects of a strong weekend considerably thanks to a birdie-par-birdie-birdie finish.
