2010 Masters Midpoint: Union Jacks are Better

While everyone is infatuated with Tiger Woods and his return and return to form at Augusta, it's the Brits that are leading the charge.

First there's 36-year old Lee Westwood, the one-time phenom whose steady climb has got him up to the world's #4 ranking. But he is just the co-leader, joining his countryman Ian Poulter...He of the ultra-flashy clothes and the ultra-steady game.

Poulter, 34, won the prestigious matchplay event earlier this year (his first PGA win) and has climbed to #7 in the world rankings.

Poulter is notorious for a quote from 2008:

"I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

Now Poulter has his chance to back up his words and his wardrobe. He is playing the best golf of his career, and while he will be playing with his chum Westwood in their 3rd round pairing, neither seems likely to self-destruct. That's two Top-10 guys in the world sharing a two stroke lead. Tiger's not chasing Chris DiMarco or Rocco Mediate, not in this Major.

There are more factors that forecast Tiger's chance for a 5th Green Jacket as slim at best. Forget the two guys ahead of him for a second. He's still tied with Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim (who won last week), as well as Saturday playing partner K.J. Choi. Those are all world class guys.

But most importantly Tiger's aura of invincibility is seemingly gone. The events of the last several months have shown Woods to be at least human if not vulnerable. And even more tangible to the golfing world, in Tiger Woods' last Major, he was thumped head-to-head.

It was one of the most surreal moments in sports history watching relatively unknown Korean Y.E. Yang celebrate on the 18th at Hazeltine last year while Woods finished up in his shadow. Yang is also in this mix at -5, just one back of Woods & company and three shots back of the leaders.

Traditionally, Saturday at The Masters is about hanging on. The historic runs are made Sunday on the back nine (final six actually). So expect Tiger to be very much alive for Sunday even if he shoots 72-74 in the 3rd Round. It will surely be a blockbuster for CBS.

But the bottom line is too many others will be there with him, and ahead of him. Especially with Bangers and Mash at the top.

I just hope Poulter's not wearing pink trousers when he puts on the Green Jacket.

Backtime Sunday Masters LiveBlog: "Green Jacket" Edition

I know it's Easter Sunday and you're not supposed to put all your eggs in one basket, but I will assert that the Masters Champion will absolutely come from the final pairing. The Tiger/Phil show kicks off an hour ahead of the leaders at 1:35, and the opening act may well be more entertaining than the headliners. But if you think Woods or Mickelson can actually win, you'd better curb your enthusiasm.

Angel Cabrera has 17 wins worldwide. Kenny Perry has 13 wins on the PGA tour. Both know how to close. Cabrera may be a little hotter, coming off a 69 yesterday. But don't underestimate the southern crowd cheering on Western Kentucky's good ol' boy Kenny Perry.

Besides, the green jacket would fit a Hilltopper nicely. Pretty, pretty, pretty...good.

When TV coverage begins at 2 PM today, Tiger and Phil should be putting for eagle or birdie on the 2nd hole.

Check in later for frequent updates.

7:22 ET Final thoughts are sad ones. Hate to see someone lose a tournament rather than win it. But what a day of drama. Cabrera's par save on the first playoff hole was both lucky and incredible. At 48, this was Perry's best and possibly last shot at a Major.

7:10 ET Oh my, Campbell's putter again. And after being all over the course, Perry and Cabrera survive with pars and head to 10.

6:50 ET Playoff preview. Campbell hasn't made a putt in forever. It was Perry's tournament to lose, and he might have with that finish. Cabrera is the Major champion in the group and I think he has the edge.

6:46 ET Holy cow. 3-Man Playoff. In 2005, Tiger finished bogey-bogey to let Chris DiMarco into the playoff, then Tiger birdied 18 for the win.

6:35 ET Campbell missed his birdie putt. Perry drove it in the trap. Cabrera could conceivably win this outright with a birdie on the last.

6:31 ET Kenny Perry picked a terrible time for his first bogey of the round. He heads to the 72nd hole, up just one on Campbell and Cabrera. Campbell has a chance to tie before KP tees off.

6:13 ET Now THAT is the shot of the tournament. A tap-in, near hole-in-one on 16 will give KP a 2-shot lead on Campbell, whose putter deserted him on the same hole.

6:05 ET Perry cleans up his birdie on 15. Campbell's great tee shot on 16 may make him a co-favorite right now. New round of fireworks coming home.

5:45 ET Tiger and Phil thrilled us all, but ran out of gas with a pair of bogeys on 18. Neither player ever led or tied for the lead today. Perry failed to take advantage on 13 & 14, so Campbell has an opening.

5:29 ET Looks to be a fairly pedestrian end to a surreal day for Tiger and Phil. Both hit terrible drives on 18. Campbell's back-to-back birds have him within one. Perry will likely make birdie on 13 though. Waiting for Tiger and Phil's warm embrace when they finish up.

5:18 ET The fire was a good thing. Perry birdied 12 to go to -12. Campbell will have an eagle putt on 13 to tie him there. Phil and Tiger have put on one of the greatest spectacles of all-time, but are running out of holes.

5:08 ET Tiger birdied 16 to get within one of Perry. He and Mickelson are now tied for 2nd place. Perry made his best putt of the day on 11, but just missed and threw his club. First sign of emotion/frustration/fire from KP. Good thing or bad thing for him?

4:55 ET Fireworks indeed. Mickelson's got an eagle putt to tie for the lead on 15. Tiger has a less-favorable eagle putt to get within one. But at the beginning of the day, they needed both Perry & Cabrera to falter, and thus far only Cabrera has. The last group still have both par 5s left on the back. Still Perry's tournament to lose.

4:38 ET Kenny Perry with a gutsy sand save & putt on 9 for a bogey-free (and birdie-free) front. He still leads by himself. Mickelson's got a chance at birdie on 14 to get back within one shot.

4:16 ET Wow. Mickelson put it in the water on the famed 12th. Campbell birdied 8 to tie for the lead for the umteenth time this week. Perry is still spinning his wheels. Cabrera's wheels are coming off.

4:07 ET Kenny Perry missed his best birdie opportunity. That makes 7 straight pars. Cabrera and Campbell haven't made any moves either. Mickelson has cooled off a little and it's still Perry's to lose.

3:55 ET Kenny Perry's 6th straight par still has him leading by himself. At the start of the day, I would have said 18 pars from the lead group may have done it. No longer. Lefty still may give a couple back, but is likely to pick up more than he drops.

3:38 ET A great scramble par by Lefty on 9, and he finishes the front side with a final round record-tying 30, just one shot back of the lead. Cabrera seems to be unraveling a bit on 5. Perry's still in very good position.

3:26 ET Phil is going from uncanny to unprecedented. Until his drive on 9 anyway. Gonna have some tree trouble. Sixth birdie on 8. Tiger eagled it, but also drove the woods on his tee shot on 9. Cabrera found the beach on 4 and Perry plods along, likely looking at another par.

3:17 ET First salvo from the lead group as Cabrera birdies 3rd to go to -12. He leads Perry by one, Campbell by two, and Lefty by three.

3:05 ET Now this is just uncanny. Mickelson's 5th birdie on the front nine has him just 2 shots back. Our solid veteran co-leaders both failed to take advantage of the par-5.

2:55 ET Mickelson is 4-under on the day thru 6. Can he keep it up? Golfers ahead of him haven't built any momentum yet. Both Perry and Cabrera hit poor drives on the par-5 2nd.

2:40 ET Looks like the fireworks are on, long before the back nine. Lefty's got 3 birdies in the first 5 holes, a pair of shots ahead of Tiger.

2:28 ET Steve Stricker, 4 shots back, just missed a gimme birdie putt on 1 - must be the dubious New York Stock Exchange logo on his shirt.

2:14 ET Mickelson gets the first skin on Tiger with his second straight birdie on 3. Lefty's at -6, now 5 back of the leaders.

1:43 ET If there's a 64 or 65 out there to be had, the early scores show no indication of that. There are 36 of the top players in the world out on the course, and the best score going is -2.

Backtime Saturday Masters LiveBlog: "Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude" Edition

After the Friday Masters coverage concluded, I was one of 2,125 to see the Sand Gnats defeat the Augusta Green Jackets (nice name) for the second straight night. Good A-Ball action too. Gnats got out of a bases-loaded jam in the 8th and ended it on a 6-4-3 DP. Then fireworks.

But it was also Jimmy Buffett night. Temps were in the 60s and breezy, and people were bundled up with blankets and fleeces. I was in my aztec-print beach shirt (the one my wife hates). Changes in latitude, changes in attitude, indeed.

It's Moving Day at Augusta and the latitude lines on the leaderboard will be sure to shift dramatically. History tells us that Saturday at the Masters is a day to try and hold on, and Sunday is when things ease up and you see the fireworks. So for today, if Tiger and Phil shoot around 69 or 70 and go into Sunday around -5, they will be in position to pounce in the final round.

TV coverage begins today at 3:30. Check back for live updates.

7:10 ET Final Thoughts.

Saturday was about hanging on. Perry shot 70 and Cabrera shot 69. At -11, they lead Campbell by 2 and Furyk by 3.

What about Tiger and Phil both at -4, seven back? They will tee off together - how cool is that? - just over an hour ahead of the leaders. Should I reconsider those tombstones I handed out? No. They trail a pair of rock-solid seasoned winners by 7. The chance of both backsliding is extremely unlikely.

I would consider only 4 possible winners tomorrow, with co-leaders Perry and Cabrera as co-favorites.

6:47 ET Gutsy touch putt for Campbell. He's back to -10. With Cabrera's drive into the trees on 18, Campbell may wind up in the last group with Perry.

6:32 ET Chad Campbell hadn't made bogey, then made a doozy double on 16. Cabrera made birdie at 17 to tie Perry at -11. Furyk finished with a 68 for -8. So it will likely be Cabrera paired with Perry in the final group Sunday.

6:21 ET Check that leading score. After the co-leaders both settled for par on 15 and Campbell found some trouble on 16, the lead will likely be -11 or -12 after 54 holes.

6:08 ET Stricker finishes with a bogey-free 68. He's 4 back, but that lead will likely widen. Furyk just made his first bogey. I think the lead going into Sunday will be -13.

5:40 ET We have a Final Four. Three straight makes for Furyk on 13-14-15 gets him within 2 of the lead, very temporarily, as Perry has an eagle putt coming.

5:29 ET A couple of Amen Corner bogeys for Perry while Campbell made par. Campbell at -11 leads Perry and Cabrera by one. They all have a pair of par-5s left that everyone's been ringing up. Mickelson finishes with 71. At -4, RIP PHIL. But he and Tiger have the same score...could they be paired together tomorrow???

5:15 ET Tiger finishes with a 70 to close Saturday -4. That's one shot behind the number he needed to have a chance Sunday. Perry (-12) and Campbell (-11) haven't even made bogey today. RIP TIGER.

4:51 ET Tiger and Phil make birdies here and there, but haven't gotten serious streaks going. Cabrera just birdied 10 to get within one. CBS continues to follow Stricker, Furyk, and Clark, but this is looking like a 3-man race.

4:35 ET Tiger birdied both holes that he absolutely needed, now he needs 2 more from 16-18 to get to the house at -5. Any worse, and he's out.

4:29 ET OK, Campbell has tied Perry at -11. Cabrera is at -9. Tim Clark just made a great save to stay -7. I don't think anyone else is a threat beyond that...yet.

3:58 ET Sean O'Hair and Ian Poulter have joined Steve Flesch in the clubhouse with 68s. I'm going to let Tiger get through the par-5s on 13 & 15 before I put him in the ground. And Lefty just gave another one back.

3:36 ET CBS live coverage begins with Kenny Perry birdie putt on 4 to go to -11. Tiger 3 putts on 11 to drop to -1. He is now officially 10 shots back. Done? I'll let you know when it's time to call it. Mickelson just dropped a shot on 10 to fall seven back.

3:17 ET As expected, nobody has yet taken a serious run at the leaders (Campbell and Perry have each moved to -10). The best round going is Steve Flesch at 4-under, bringing his total to -3. Phil Mickelson has played it smart with birdies on both par-5s on the front, and even on the rest. He's at -5. Tiger is level for the day at the turn and still eight shots back. I am about an hour from dismissing his chances.

1:55 ET Tiger started his day with a "double" on 1, but has rebounded with a bird on 3. He's 8 shots back. Mickelson and Oglivy both birdied the par-5 2nd (which Paddy Harrington scored a "9" on earlier - he's done) to get to -4, five shots behind the leaders who don't tee off for about 50 minutes.

Backtime Friday Masters LiveBlog: "Shrimp on the Barbie" Edition

One of the storylines heading into the 2009 Masters was would this be the year that the Australians finally break through? If Thursday is any indicator, the answer will again be: no.

Let's roll call the Aussies thru Round 1:

Oglivy, Geoff? -1

Scott, Adam? -1

Allenby? Appleby? +1, Even

54-year old Greg Norman out-did all those guys with a -2. And the best Aussie finish of the day belonged to this guy:

Aaron Baddeley, whose surname is also an adverb for the way he wears his hair (not that I'm one to talk), shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday.

If no Australians are in the Top 10 going into the weekend, I'm going to pour a Foster's over my wife's flower beds.

Check in this afternoon for live updates.

7:33 ET Final thoughts. Sergio just birdied 18 to go to -4. He looked strong coming in too.

For the record, Geoff Oglivy is the top Aussie at T-11. Guess the flowers will have to die a drunken death. A little surprised Jim Furyk didn't capitalize on his Day 1 performance. He shot 74 to fall 5 back at -4. Watch out for co-leader Kenny Perry, he knows how to close with 13 career PGA wins. ¡Hasta mañana!

7:17 ET Nice job by Phil Mickelson, giving everyone something to think about with the birdie putt on 18. He's -3 and in a tie for 10th. He has the champion look, but he trails a couple of strong players by 6 shots and another by 5. May be too far to climb for he or Tiger.

6:54 ET Jim Nantz just made reference to the "luminaries" at -2: Tiger, Mickelson, Harrington. Garcia was there at the time, but just birdied the Par-3 16th to go to -3, joining household names Vijay Singh and Geoff Oglivy.

6:32 ET The Left-hander just picked a spot. Birdie at 15 puts him at 2-under, tied with Tiger. Cabrera birdied thed 36th hole, so he's at -8 headed into Saturday.

6:15 ET Some controversy here as a gust of wind blew Harrington's ball from its spot as he was about to hit it and he backed away. I don't know the rule exactly but Mother Nature may have just cost the 3-time Major winner a 1-stroke penalty.

5:48 ET I think you can go ahead and reserve a seat for Lefty this weekend. Followed up birdie on 12 with a tap-in eagle on 13. Now can he pick his spots the rest of the way, or will he get too aggressive and hit a house? Mickelson is -1.

5:35 ET Now, besides Angel Cabrera at -8 (one back), the drama is about who will make the cut. The cutline is +1 now and looks like it's going to stay there. Mickelson is on the line at +1. Retief Goosen is +2. Ernie Els is +3. And Greg Norman needs a birdie to get to +1 after a rough "7" on one of the Par-5s.

5:11 ET It's official. I am a jinx. In Stephen Ames' first appearance on TV, he lipped out a 3-foot birdie putt.

5:01 ET Top of the hour. Perfect time for a TV reset with the full video recap of Tiger's day. Meanwhile, Stephen Ames is at -3 and cooking. Haven't seen him on the air yet.

4:47 ET A little lull in the action. TV broadcast just kissed off Fuzzy Zoeller. Gary Player's swansong isn't too far away.

4:23 ET Anthony Kim just birdied 18 for a 65. His 11th birdie of the day, a Masters record. He is five behind the leaders and obviously has the game to make those strokes up. We have to get the former Sooner great a theme room at the Sooner Legends Inn. I'll call Val and try to make that happen.

4:15 ET Morning play was slow enough for TV to catch Tiger's adventure on the 18th live - he bogeyed and now trails by seven going into the weekend. Tiger predictably said nothing quotable in his post-round interview with Tom Rinaldi. Veteran Major champs are making their moves. Angel Cabrera is -6. Vijay Singh is -4.

3:59 ET TV coverage is moments away. Here are Backtime's top stories:

1. Kenny Perry is in the house, tied with Chad Campbell at -9, three clear of the field.

2. Tiger is -3, 6 back, -1 on the day. No significant move, but far from finished.

3. Young guns are blazing. Nick Watney (27) is -4. Anthony Kim (23) has the round of the day going at 6-under thru 16. Rory McIlroy (19) is at -2.

4. Phil Mickelson is still 10 back at +1.

2:33 ET Chad Campbell avoided another dubious bogey-bogey finish with a birdie on 18. He is through 2 rounds at 9-under. He's got a champion's score, but does he have that look? He leads Kenny Perry by two, and Todd Hamilton (done) by three. Tiger is seven shots back, and Lefty is ten behind with almost all of his round left.

12:53 ET Chad Campbell had gotten it to -11, with a 5-shot lead. He's come back to earth a little with Amen Corner bogeys on 11 & 12. Kenny Perry is on the course at -6, 3 shots back. Tiger is still at -2, even thru 7 holes today.

Backtime Thursday Masters LiveBlog: "Yes Masters" Edition

Ever since Jeannie popped out of the bottle, she was all about her master's wishes. She always dialed it up for the Majors (Major Nelson, Major Healy).

This morning I feel like the master of my domain, like I just found a genie in a bottle.



The taxes are done, I've run a couple of miles, and I just pulled a chorizo and egg stuffed pepper off the grill (is there any doubt now that my wife's out of town).

I checked in on Augusta, and if Stephen Ames wished for an eagle on his 2nd Hole, he got it and is off to a nice start. Check back mid-afternoon for real-time updates.

7:36 ET Final Thoughts: Campell's 65 was huge, but it isn't clear ofthe masses. Thirteen players are within 3 shots. And Padraig Harrington looms at -3 with Woods and Zach Johnson at -2. Coverage was geat. Light on interviews and flashbacks. Lots of action. See You Tomorrow!

7:21 ET Tiger Woods air-mailed the green on 18 to settle for bogey. After missing makeable birdie putts on 16 and 17, his -2 round could have been much better. He's T-20 and 5 shots back from 1st round leader Chad Campbell.

7:02 ET Again Tiger and Immelman fail to convert brilliant approaches on 17 & 18 respectively.

6:44 ET Tiger missed the putt, as did Trevor Immelman on 17 to stop his own string of 3 straight birdies.

6:34 ET Tiger's got 3 in a row. He's -3 and just stuck it on 16.

Here's a fun fact about Tiger: Barring a rain delay, you won't see a single shot of his live on TV tomorrow. Tiger tees off at 10:45 Friday and Augusta National is strict about the limits on the TV coverage. I'm sure you'll see the Tiger 2nd Round recaps frequently. To credit the CBS/ESPN coverage so far today, they haven't over-Tigered us at all. Let's see if he finishes strong today, 17 and 18 have been claiming victims.

6:05 ET Tiger Woods just made back-to-back birdies on 13 & 14. After Campbell finished bogey-bogey, and Hunter Mahan is making a total mess of 18, it's ON.

5:34 ET Nice to see Kenny Perry birdie at 13 to go to -4. In 2008, he didn't play the Masters (didn't qualify), US Open (didn't try to qualify), British Open (didn't choose to attend), then withdrew after first round of PGA. Even though he was a no-show in the Majors, he rocked the Minors, winning 3 times in '08 and he won in Scottsdale earlier this year.

5:03 ET A little bit about Chad Campbell who just went to -9. Earned a "battlefield promotion" after winning 3 times on the Nationwide Tour in 2001. Runner-up to Shaun Micheel in 2003 PGA before winning the Tour Championship later that season, his best year. Didn't qualify for last year's Masters, but was a captain's pick on the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup team, so somebody knows something.

4:49 ET Yankees 11, Orioles 2. First win of the season. AJ Burnett is 1-0. Nick Swisher had 5 RBI and Robinson Cano is rakin'. Just thought I'd throw that in.

4:37 ET Mike Tirico is actually interviewing Larry Mize, who had a first round 67. Other former champs: Mike Weir is in at -4 and Bernhard Langer at -2. Meanwhile, Chad Campbell just went to 8 under.

4:14 ET Obligatory first Augusta scenic montage with pink flowers and azaleas (are they the same thing? Beats me). Defending champ Trevor Immelman is +2. Robert Allenby just shouted "you bastard" at an insect on his tee shot at 12.

3:59 ET ESPN coverage begins in 1 minute. Here are Backtime's top stories:

1. Tiger struggling (+1 thru 7)
2. Mickelson struggling (+1, first round complete)
3. Surprising since the field is kicking it. Furyk is in at -6
4. Chad Campbell's 5 birdies in first 5 holes
5. Greg Norman with a 70 (-2) in his return to Augusta

3:06 ET Right now, 39 of 96 entrants are under par. So today the course can be had. Shingo Katayama is complete with -5. Chad Campbell is -5 at the turn. Tiger (even through 4) and Lefty (even thru 15) haven't yet taken advantage.

1:10 ET South African Tim Clark, listed (generously) at 5'7" is in the house with a 68 (-4). Clark won the Par 3 event on Wednesday, defeated Tiger in the matchplay event about a month ago, and was runner-up to Lefty at Augusta in 2006. So he's legit.