Logjam atop leaderboard heading to back nine at Augusta National

<p>Phil Mickelson doggedly guarded his lead at the Masters, homing in on his second green jacket as he went to the back nine of Sunday's final round with a one-stroke edge over Fred Couples.</p><p>Mickelson, the 2004 Masters champion, pushed his score to 6 under and fended off a tightly bunched field that at one point produced a five-way tie atop the leaderboard. It seemed as though everyone was taking aim at Lefty, but he kept at least a share of the lead all the way around the front nine.</p><p>Mickelson sank a 10-footer for birdie at No. 7, then made it two in a row with a dead-on pitch at the par-5 eighth that stopped just 2 feet from the hole.</p><p>No one was charging harder than Jose Maria Olazabal, playing 10 groups ahead of the final one. The two-time Masters champion was six strokes behind at the start of the day, but he posted a 32 on the front side, shook off a bogey at No. 11, and closed to within a shot of the lead with an eagle at the 15th.</p><p>But a three-putt bogey at No. 16 severely damaged his hopes of putting up a score that would put the pressure on Mickelson heading to the back nine.</p><p>No one endured more heartache than Rocco Mediate, who at one point grabbed a share of the lead. He should have known it wouldn't be his day when a brilliant approach at No. 9 struck the flagstick _ and rolled back off the front of the green, forcing him to settle for par.</p><p>Mediate fell apart in Amen Corner. After a double bogey at No. 11, he dumped two shots into the water at the par-3 12th and wound up with a 10.</p><p>Couples, trying to become the oldest winner in Masters history, played in the final group with Mickelson and was hanging tough. He began the round one shot behind _ tied with second-round leader Chad Campbell _ and matched Mickelson with a 34 on the front side.</p><p>Couples' score could have been even better, but he missed a pair of birdie chances from inside 10 feet.</p><p>This is the 20th anniversary of Jack Nicklaus' sixth _ and final _ Masters triumph, which made him the oldest winner in tournament history at 46. Couples is about three months older than the Golden Bear was when he won in 1986.</p><p>The field was starting to thin out by the time Mickelson and Couples made the turn. Campbell, Olazabal, Vijay Singh and Tim Clark were at 4 under. No one else was within four strokes of the lead.</p><p>Defending champion Tiger Woods wasn't making much of a run at his fifth green jacket. He shot 36 on the front side, losing two shots to Mickelson, and dropped another stroke back with a three-putt bogey at the 11th.</p><p>Woods was at 1 under and needing an improbable rally or choke job to get back in contention _ especially with eight players and five strokes between Woods and the leader.</p><p>Olazabal wasn't the only Spaniard who threatened Mickelson. Miguel Angel Jimenez shot 33 on the front side, giving him 34 consecutive holes with nothing worse than a par and a brief share of the lead.</p><p>But the amazing streak ended at No. 10, where the golfer known as the "Mechanic" took bogey with an ugly three-putt. The wheels came off again with another bogey at the 12th.</p><p>The rain-delayed third round was completed Sunday morning. Mickelson finished off a 2-under 70 that gave him a one-stroke leading heading to the afternoon. His three-round total was a 4-under 212.</p><p>Ten players were within three strokes, including Woods, Singh, Couples, Campbell and two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen.</p><p>Mickelson won his first major in 2004 at Augusta National. After ditching the moniker "Best Player Never To Win A Major," Lefty picked up his second title last year at the PGA Championship.</p><p>"To win two is kind of a bonus," Mickelson said after finishing the third round. "I can go out and freewheel it a little bit, play loose. I think that could be a benefit. But a few other guys who've won this tournament are going to be in a similar situation."</p>

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