Johnson closes in on title

GOLF:One by one on Masters Sunday, they filed the10 yards from the practice green to the first tee; many without hope, some with a glimmer that this could be their time and a few firmly believing that it would be.

And such days, with a green jacket on the line and in his sights, Tiger Woods often takes the step onto the first tee with a sense of infallibility, that it is his chosen duty in life to collect majors.

Yet, as the 71st Masters unfolded in yesterday's final round, Woods - a four-time winner of the Masters and in pursuit of a career 13th major - found that the traditional fear factor that has a hold over opponents in the final round was absent, and, for much of the way, his A-game had somehow deserted him and he was forced to grind hard to stay in touch with a whole series of leaders who were seeking a first green jacket.

The vibes of Woods's fallibility, it seemed, were felt by his fellow-players, many stepping up to the plate in their quests for glory.

As Phil Mickelson's defence of his crown, and outside chance of mounting a final-day charge, disappeared from his very first drive - on the way to running up a triple-bogey seven on the opening hole, where he was twice in bunkers, firstly off his drive and then short-siding himself by putting his third shot into a greenside bunker - there was a line of potential champions to take his place.

At various stages of the final round, those with most claims to the title seemed to be playing a game of musical chairs as Stuart Appleby, who had carried the 54-hole lead into the final round, Zach Johnson, Tiger Woods, Rory Sabbatini and Retief Goosen swapped the lead or shared it.

As for Padraig Harrington, who had started out two shots back in the penultimate grouping, a first-hole bogey and another dropped shot on the fourth, where he came up short of the green off the tee, it was proving to be a day without spark.

Seeking to become the first Irish winner of a major since Fred Daly in 1947, Harrington reached the turn in 38, two-over, which moved him to six-over for the tournament, at which point he was four shots adrift of the pace set by Sabbatini.

Harrington had to wait until the 12th hole for his first birdie, which moved him back to six-under.

But that birdie galvanised his challenge, and the 35-year-old Dubliner eagled the par-5 13th, the final hole around Amen Corner, to move to four over, just two adrift of Johnson, who promptly birdied the 14th to move a further stroke ahead.

In a year that Gary Player made history by equalling the record 50th appearance in the Masters set by Arnold Palmer, the most significant moves of all came from two South Africans - Goosen and Sabbatini - who were between them attempting to make sure this Masters was remembered for their deeds, rather than Player's of old.

In contrast to the extremely difficult conditions of Saturday, the final round was played in warmer weather and more accessible pin placements.

"The course is playable, it's not playing that hard. The pins are doable," said Fred Couples, who had finished with a 71 for 301.

Easier? Ask Woods. On the par-4 11th, the most difficult hole of the tournament, the four-time champion's desperation to find inspiration resulted in him wrapping an iron around a tree, breaking the shaft in the process, in his attempt to play a recovery shot after his tee shot finished in the pine needles and he was blocked out by trees. At that stage, Woods was three shots behind a quartet of leaders that featured Appleby, Goosen, Johnson and Sabbatini.

Goosen, a two-time US Open champion, continued his remarkable weekend in yesterday's final round. When Goosen double-bogeyed his 18th hole of Friday's second round, he believed it might have cost him a ticket into the weekend. However, he was ultimately saved by the 10-shot rule which decreed the cut fell on eight over, and, on Saturday, he was the only player to shoot a sub-par round (of 70) as he raced up the leader board.

Yesterday, Goosen covered the front nine in a best-of-the-day 32, while among others to also fight the good fight were Sabbatini, who holed an outrageous 70-foot putt for eagle on the eighth.

One roar after another resonated around the course as one deed or another came from those in pursuit. Luke Donald, who had holed out for eagle on the second hole in Friday's third round, again saw his pitch - this time on the eighth - fall into the hole for an eagle, as he moved into contention.

But Donald was to find Augusta National a fickle temptress, suffering a triple-bogey seven on the ninth where his original approach shot spun back off the green and back down the hill.

It took him a further three efforts to finally negotiate a route to the green and, with that, his brief challenge had ended as quickly as it started.

While Harrington hung onto the slipstream of those setting the pace, Johnson's two birdies moved him to one over to claim the lead on his own at that juncture.