Sat Apr 12 20:09:44 2008

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What they're saying at the Masters, Day Three

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Augusta, GA (Sports Network) - Steady morning rain and an early-afternoon thunderstorm meant a wet third round at the Masters on Saturday, as well as a more manageable Augusta National, with Justin Rose going so far as to declare: "I actually thought it was relatively, dare I say it, easy."

Here's what some of the other players were talking about:

- TREVOR IMMELMAN, who shot a 69 to remain in the lead at 11-under 205, will be going for his first major championship on Sunday in wire-to-wire fashion, just four months after having a benign tumor removed from his diaphragm:

"I think any time you're playing this course it's difficult to hold it together, let alone the third round of the tournament. But my game felt pretty sharp starting out, so that kind of eased the nerves a little."

- JOHNSON WAGNER, commenting on the mental makeup and personality of Brandt Snedeker, who held the lead for a spell on Saturday, then lost it, but was still just two shots behind Immelman in second place:

"He knows he belongs here. He's always had that kind of personality. I've been kind of in awe this week, and Brandt is not in awe of anything. He's here to win a tournament, and that's it. He's just a great guy to hang out with. If you ever get the chance to have a couple beers with him, it's a blast."

- TIGER WOODS, who moved within six shots with a 68 on Saturday, is looking for his fifth Masters title and 14th major championship, though he has never come from behind to win a major:

"You want to win the Masters, period. Doesn't really matter how you do it as long as you do it."

- PHIL MICKELSON, whose up-and-down round included three birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey, shot a 75 and was nine shots off the lead heading into the final round, looking for his third Masters title in the last five years:

"It was a disappointing day, obviously. I didn't play very well, and it was a day where there were some low scores out there. The greens were soft, the rain softened the course, and I thought there were some low scores, I just didn't shoot one of them."

- ZACH JOHNSON, the defending champion who bettered his chances of winning again with a third-round 68, but was also nine shots off the lead:

"My approach today was to get off to a good start and certainly put myself back into contention. You make the weekend, you always have a chance."

- PADRAIG HARRINGTON, the reigning British Open champion who tied for seventh place at last year's Masters, has improved his score each day this week, but is only interested in one particular number for Sunday:

"The only thing you're interested in is the number that's good enough."

- ROBERT KARLSSON, who was having a very good round until taking a double- bogey six on the 18th hole, which gave him a 71 for the round and left him nine shots off the lead at two-under par:

"It doesn't really matter right now. That happened and I can't do anything about it. I hit a bit of a poor tee shot, pulled a slice and it just caught a branch and fell down. So I hit a three-wood second shot. I just had to get it up around the green. And then I hit a poor bunker shot. I'm going to go practice bunker shots in this wet sand because it's quite different today from the other days."

- ADAM SCOTT, the young Australian star who was at even-par through three rounds but still harbored a little hope for a stunning comeback on Sunday, though he thought gunning for a 61 was out of the question:

"I don't think I need that much. Where I am is not looking so good, but maybe a 68 might be good enough."

- BOO WEEKLEY, who shot a 68 on Saturday, on what he did while waiting out the 40-minute rain delay as thunderstorms rolled through the area early in the afternoon:

"Nothing, just sat over there on No. 6 or right behind No. 5 green there. They've got a bathroom there, and we sat right there and went and got some crackers and some water."

- SEAN O'HAIR, the PODS Championship winner who stood at two-under after shooting a 71, about the possibility of the winds picking up on Sunday, and how it would actually help him:

"I'm going to need some weather, I think, to kind of get the wind kicking up and get the greens a little bit firmer and faster, which hopefully that happens tonight. And then just go out and play well. I think the wind's supposed to kick up about 20 miles an hour and I feel pretty comfortable with wind. And so hopefully weather kind of goes my way and I have a good day tomorrow."