68 Gets Harrington Par for the Course

On his way to a four-under-par 68, Padraig Harrington hit his ball behind a tree at the first hole and then clipped it with the head of his seven-iron when he chopped the ball out. Harrington saved par with a 20-foot putt and birdied the second with another 20-footer.

It was an adventurous day for Harrington, who also ended with a birdie at the 18th when he rolled in a 10-footer.

He is at even par 216 after three rounds and will begin today’s fourth round with probably too many players in front of him to have much of a chance, but Harrington said being in the first group out Saturday was something to enjoy nonetheless.

“The conditions are perfect, you are only interested in getting a good score,” he said. “How often do you get to play Augusta on Saturday morning?”

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What is this, amateur hour?

Well, yes. Augusta National founder Bobby Jones always wanted his Masters tournament represented by non-professionals. Jones was a five-time U.S. Amateur champion and also won a British Amateur title.

Masters slots are provided for the current U.S. Amateur champion, the runner-up, the U.S. Public Links and Mid-Amateur champions and the British Amateur champion.

Only two are left to battle for title of low amateur this year.

Casey Wittenberg, the U.S. Amateur runner-up, shot one-under 71 and is three-over 219 for the tournament. He has a four-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker, the Public Links champion, who shot 75 on Saturday.

Wittenberg, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma State, is tied for 20th in his first Masters, and he had the shot of the day when he holed out for an eagle on the par-four 10th hole.

“I heard the crowd reaction and I knew was either close or went in,” Wittenberg said. “It was unbelievable that it was on that hole and in this tournament.”

Wittenberg also led the field in putts during the third round, needing only 23.

Oh, one more thing. Snedeker announced Saturday that he wouldn’t be an amateur for long.

“I’m turning pro on Monday,” he said.

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Because of a dim weather forecast that calls for thunderstorms in the afternoon, tee times for the final round were moved up one hour, beginning at 7:30 a.m. PDT. The last group of Chris DiMarco and Phil Mickelson goes off at 11 a.m. PDT.

The coverage on CBS begins at 10:30 a.m.

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DiMarco aced the sixth hole Thursday. The last time a player made a hole in one and went on to win a major was David Toms at the 2001 PGA Championship, which he won by one shot over ... Mickelson.

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Famous last words, from Harrington: “Justin Rose is a great front-runner.”

Rose, the 36-hole leader, bogeyed seven of his first 11 holes and shot 81, matching Lee Trevino’s score in 1989, the worst by the 36-hole leader.

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Retief Goosen posted a 70, his best score in three rounds, but he isn’t impressed with the changes that have lengthened and toughened Augusta National.

“This has become probably more of a driver course,” he said. “Not about irons anymore. It’s not playing quite as long as the past two years.

“This course is not what it used to be. It’s playing like a U.S. Open.”

Goosen might have some knowledge about that. He won the 2001 Open at Southern Hills.

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Now it can be told: Sweden’s Fredrick Jacobson, who was six over through 11 holes Thursday, worried he might finish worse than Christian Hardin, the Swedish amateur who shot 85-85 at the 1989 Masters.

Jacobson pulled himself together, made the cut on the number and fired a 67 on Saturday in a six-birdie round spoiled only by a bogey at the 18th.

“I felt I had a good score in me,” he said. “The main thing was getting the putter to work.”

Jacobson tied for fifth at the U.S. Open and tied for sixth at the British Open and his ranking has improved to 19th.

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If two-time champion Bernhard Langer wins today (and he trails by only three shots), he will be the oldest Masters champion at 46 years, 7 months, 15 days, breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record (46 years, 2 months, 23 days) in 1986.

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There were 13 scores under par Saturday, which brings the total to 59 for three rounds -- four more than last year’s total of 55 in four rounds.