• The Masters, Round Three

Mickelson magic lights up Augusta

Phil Mickelson drained a brilliant eagle putt at 13 © Getty Images

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• Features: Majestic Mickelson has Augusta dancing to his tune
  
• Features: Plays of the Day: Sergio & Rory share a moment
  
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• Features: What They Said: Rory affected by Sergio's struggles
  
• Profile: Luke Donald | Sergio Garcia | Rory McIlroy | Phil Mickelson | Bubba Watson | Lee Westwood | Tiger Woods

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Masters 2012: Plays of the Day
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Three-time winner Phil Mickelson conjured another helping of Masters magic on Saturday to find himself one off the lead heading into the final round at Augusta.

Mickelson, who looked completely lost at four over through ten holes of his first round, hit a brilliant 66 to move to eight under. But the leader is Sweden's Peter Hanson who, in pursuit of his first major, is nine under following a 65, the lowest round so far at this year's tournament.

Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open winner, is third at seven under, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson in solo fourth.

Mickelson made a pedestrian start to his round, racking up nine consecutive pars, then caught fire on the back nine: birdies at ten and 12 preceded a 25-footer for eagle at 13.

He picked up another stroke on the 15th as he continued to produce fairytale golf on the same day that, 49 years earlier, Jack Nicklaus won the first of his six green jackets. His second shot on the 18th was as good as any: from the second cut, he hit a draw to 15 feet before making birdie.

There was no such brilliance from Rory McIlroy, who suffered his second Masters meltdown in as many years. McIlroy opened with a double bogey, spraying his tee shot well right and then making a mess of two chips. He continued to look ill-at-ease on the fourth, but saved par with a fine ten-footer having visited a bunker; he could not repeat the trick at the fifth, however, sending a tentative seven-footer wide of the hole.

It got worse: another double bogey at seven following a couple of dismal short putts - and after a bogey at eight, McIlroy's race was run. He dragged himself round in 77, which puts him one over, two shots worse than his playing partner Sergio Garcia; the pair seemed to drag each other down.

Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia found solace in their mutual struggle © Getty Images

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Lee Westwood, the first-round leader, also fell away - although not so spectacularly and, at four under, still has hope. The Englishman will rue two particularly costly errors in his 72: taking two shots to escape a bunker at 12, and missing a two-footer at nine.

Fred Couples and Jason Dufner, the overnight leaders, succumbed to the pressure and both recorded 75s.

Tiger Woods' challenge for a fifth Masters title bowed out tamely as he stalled with a 72. Woods, still three-over, failed to silence his critics with another turbulent performance - which, although steadier than his efforts on Saturday, when he posted a 75, was still patchy and well short of his best.

For the second day running, he made a sprightly start - birdies at three and four - only to fritter it away with bogeys at six and nine. There was no rhythm or momentum to his play throughout, as successive shots veered between extremes.

He had another of his unedifying tantrums - for which he is likely to be sanctioned by the PGA Tour - following a hooked tee shot at 13, and never really recovered on the way back to the clubhouse, ending with a run of pars.

Justin Rose looked set to be one of the day's big movers, before a late implosion saw him fall back to level par. While Rose threatened, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington got the job done, propelling himself to a highly competitive four under with five birdies in his last six holes. Ian Poulter endured a yo-yo day, yet kept his composure despite a series of setbacks, and sits two under.

Meanwhile, Luke Donald once again failed to live up to his billing as world No. 1, beginning promisingly before his chances of victory wound up in a watery grave at 13. He eagled the par-four third, birdied the eighth - but dropped a shot at ten, then racked up a double bogey three holes later, after that splashdown. Further bogeys at 14 and 18 deepened his malaise, and he walked off at seven over following a 75.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, six over, will be presenting the green jacket to someone else on Sunday. Graeme McDowell is two over.

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