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'Calm' Westwood proud of his achievements

Lee Westwood is on the brink of his first Major © Getty Images

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Lee Westwood insisted he was feeling calm enough to win his first Major after securing a one-stroke lead going into the final day of The Masters.

For the second successive day, Westwood entered the clubhouse atop the leaderboard at Augusta after carding a 69 that left him 12-under for the tournament, one shot ahead of Phil Mickelson.

"I've been proud of myself all week," he said. "I've hit hardly any poor shots. I've hit a lot of good shots and controlled my emotions well. It was amazing how calm I felt out there today. I've got my own little bubble in my own little world that I wander around in now."

Ominously for Westwood, Mickelson lauded his third-round performance as his best for some time. Mickelson, a two-time Masters winner, delighted the Augusta crowd by recording two successive eagles on the back nine during his surge up the leaderboard.

"I haven't played this well in a long time and I feel like my game's as good as it's been," he said. "I love this tournament more than any other. I love Sunday being in contention. And I'm excited."

Westwood's countryman Ian Poulter, who started the penultimate day tied for the lead, fell back into the field after struggling to find the fairways in his two-over round of 74. Poulter, ever brimming with self-confidence, insisted that he is still in with a chance of securing his first Major.

"I'm a few shots adrift of where I wanted to be and I'm not overly happy right now," he said. "But I have a chance. This course can give up eagles quite easily and I have to go out and try to do that."

Like Poulter, Tiger Woods struggled for rhythm - although the world No. 1 managed, via sporadic exhibitions of high-calibre shot making, to finish day three just four strokes off the lead. "I was fighting it all day," he said. "I really struggled with the pace of the greens and I was fighting my swing.

"It was a tough day. I just wanted to put myself back in contention and I did that. At one point I was seven back and to fight back to only being four behind is a pretty big accomplishment. But we have a long way to go."

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