Strong finish gives Harrington Augusta lift

Three birdies in the last four holes put a smile on the face of British Open champion Padraig Harrington after Saturday's third round at the US Masters.

The 36-year-old Irishman, nine strokes off the lead overnight, carded a three-under-par 69 in rain-softened conditions at Augusta National to climb into a tie for seventh spot.

'I feel reasonably happy with the score, although I should have done a little bit better,' Harrington told reporters after posting a two-under total of 214 to lie nine shots behind pacesetting South African Trevor Immelman.

'It was a good day for scoring with the greens soft after the storms.'

Play was suspended for 40 minutes earlier in the day because of heavy rain and the threat of lightning.

'I was trying to do the right thing early in the round and things weren't happening so it was nice to make three birdies in the last four holes,' added Harrington. 'I am pleased but certainly the opportunity was there to shoot a low score.'

The 12-times European Tour winner had been level for the day after bogeying the par-five 13th where he found water with his second shot.

'If I look back at my round today, that was where two shots went,' the Dubliner said.

'That would have made it a very sweet round if I had birdied 13th but you can't go all out at every pin position. You have to choose the right shots at the right time.'

Tiger Woods put the heat on the leaders with a superb four-under-par 68 Tiger Woods but, helped by a huge stroke of luck, South African Immelman is two ahead with a round to play.

The 28-year-old from Cape Town, chasing his first major title just four months after a cancer scare, led by three when his pitch to the long 15th spun and looked for all the world as if it would go into the water.

It had been raining earlier, however, and there was enough softness in the ground to stop the ball halfway down the slope.
Immelman saved par and with a closing two-foot birdie returned a three-under-par 69 to finish the day on 11 under par.

American Brandt Snedeker remains his closest challenger after he also birdied the 465-yard last, while left-handed compatriot Steve Flesch is one further behind, Britain's Paul Casey four back after an action-packed 69 - and then Woods on five under.