AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson shouted, "Oh, no!" as he saw histee shot heading for an impossible bunker on the par-three 16thhole.
Tiger Woods said, "Dag-nabbit!" or something stronger, afteryanking his drive into the trees left of the 17th fairway.
And those are the superstars who have won five of the last sixMasters.
It was that kind of day at blustery, frigid Augusta National, thescene of some punishing records Saturday.
Despite making a triple bogey at No. 17, Stuart Appleby shot 73and leads the humbled field with a 2-over par 218, the highestscoring total by a third-round Masters leader. The previous highcame in 1966, when Jack Nicklaus and Tommy Jacobs were at an even-par 216.
Woods, who shot 72, and Justin Rose, the second-round co-leaderwho shot 75, are one shot back. Fifteen players are within fourshots of the lead, including defending champion Mickelson, who isfour back after shooting a 1-over-73.
But today, all the attention will be focused on Woods, who istrying to win his fifth green jacket and third consecutive major.
"Look. Tiger always has got an advantage," Appleby said whenasked if the weather, which is supposed to be slightly milder today,might be an equalizer. "It's obscene that he has an advantage. It'squite obvious. He has more experience than what's left of this fieldput together."
Saturday's icy scoring average of 77.350 is the fifth-highestscoring average in Masters history.
Retief Goosen, who shot 70, had the only round under par. It wasalso the roughest day in that category since 1966, when no one wentunder par. Woods and Lee Westwood, who also shot 72, were the onlyother players who weren't over par.
"We're supposed to get another cold one tomorrow," Appleby said."At least we all know what we're in for. It's not going to be abirdie-fest. It's going to be a battle of attrition, for sure."
Appleby might have gone into that battle with a commanding leadif not for his triple-bogey 7 on the 17th hole. He put his tee shotin a trap, caught the lip with his second shot, found a greensidebunker with his third and three-putted from about 14 feet.
"Can't we talk about my birdies?" said Appleby, who birdied Nos.2, 3 and 4. "I hit a bad tee shot [on 17], and it was a comedy oferrors from there. Stuff like that happens out here. The day on thewhole was very good. That's golf at Augusta. It's a tough opponent,and it will be a tough opponent tomorrow."
Appleby, who would be the first Australian to win the Masters,will be paired with Woods, who can move one step closer to a secondTiger Slam. Considering the Masters winner has come out of the finalpairing every year since 1991, anyone else will be bucking a serioustrend.
Woods, who has led or been tied going into the final round of his12 major victories, will try to come from behind for the first time.But he's only behind by an eyelash.
"He won't even know I'm there," Appleby said, joking about Woods'tunnel vision when he's stalking a championship. "I'm sure I'll knowhe's there. He'll be the other guy."
Woods, who began the day five shots behind the leaders, didn'tseem interested in the way the field was coming back to him. Butthat was before he knew Appleby's triple would leave him only oneshot behind.
"I didn't really look at leaderboards," he said when asked if herealized the field was coming back to him. "I was out there ploddingaround. It was one of the hardest rounds we've ever played out here.You'd hit quality shots and just get absolutely hosed."
No one had a rougher day than second-round co-leader BrettWetterich, who stumbled to an 83 and is seven shots off the lead.Wetterich's slide started early, with a demoralizing triple-bogey 7on No. 3.
For all the complaining and struggling amid undeniably toughconditions, Appleby said Augusta officials have not crossed theline.
"It's set up right on the safe limit of tournament play," hesaid. "The officials here know where the pins need to be. They knowwhat the winds are. They are not doing anything silly.
"You knew where the danger was. You knew where you needed toplay. The greens were consistent. That's what is so good about thisplace. It's not funky by any means. It's just a real test. It's ajoy to play."
That said, Appleby knows what he will be up against today in thefinal group with Woods.
hgould@suntimes.com
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