AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) _ Trevor Immelman watched one last shot turn
out better than he expected today in the Masters, each one keeping
him atop the leaderboard and Tiger Woods farther behind.

First came a wedge that spun off the green and rolled down the
slope toward the pond in front of the 15th green until it somehow
stopped, allowing him to escape with par. Immelman finished with an
approach he feared might be too long, only to see it stop 30 inches
from the cup on the 18th hole for a final birdie and a 3-under 69.
That gave him a two-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker, two players
in their 20s who will get their first taste of major championship
pressure in the final group at Augusta National.

Perhaps more importantly, Immelman stayed six shots ahead of
Woods. Under the easiest conditions at Augusta in three years, Woods
had to settle for a bogey-free round of 68 that was probably the
worst he could have shot. He has never won a major when trailing
going into the final round, and he has never won a PGA Tour event
when trailing by more than five shots after 54 holes. Woods said, ``If I had made a few more putts, I'd be right there. But I'm right there anyway.'' That depends on the four guys in front of him, none of whom has ever won a major.

It starts with Immelman, who was at 11-under 205 on a damp, cloudy afternoon that included a 40-minute delay because of rain.
Snedeker steadied himself after three straight bogeys around
Amen Corner, getting those shots back over the final five holes,
including a 10-foot birdie on the 18th for a 2-under 70 that put
him in the final group. Steve Flesch was the best Lefty in his pairing with Phil Mickelson, also finishing with a birdie for a 69 to reach 8-under
208. Paul Casey, among four players who had a share of the lead,
shot a 69 and was another shot back.

And then there was Woods, the only player within seven shots of
the lead who has won a major. Six shots is a lot to make up in the final round at the Masters. No one has done that since Nick Faldo beat Greg Norman in 1996.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)