AUGUSTA, Ga. » Fred Couples, as sockless as June Jones, bent down to put his tee in the ground at the 17th as the fading sunlight sliced through the pines, casting long shadows all about.

He stretched his back a bit, looked over at the 16th tee where close friend Phil Mickelson had just arrived to roars usually reserved for the queen at Wembley Stadium. After just missing a birdie at 16 that would have dropped him to 9 under for the tournament, Couples was as relaxed as a farmer after harvest.

The man who finished second to Tom Watson at Hualalai and has won three consecutive Champions Tour events since, smacked his drive steady and true as he tried to keep up with the kids on this picture-postcard day at Augusta National.

Nearly 18 years ago, Couples won his green jacket, a bit faded now in the Masters closet where they put them away for safe keeping. Had anybody told him he would begin today's final round in fifth, only five shots off the pace of Lee Westwood, he'd have snatched it like a burglar making a quick getaway.

Can he win today? Probably not. But what he might do is show that a man in his 50s can still play this game as well as a kid half his age. Two teenagers standing just off the 17th tee argued about Couples' chances, with the older boy closing the conversation this way, “;I told you that old man has still got game.”;

You betcha.

Had he not been forced to go out early Friday in the morning chill where a bad back can get no rest, it's possible Couples would be in the final pairing with Westwood today. As it stands, he will go off in the third-to-last group with Hunter Mahan at 7-under 209. The 75 on Friday was a disappointment, but not enough to keep Couples from making it interesting if he can go low again today and post a number.

“;Well, I feel good,”; Couples said. “;Once I warm up, it doesn't feel like it's going to break in half. I leaked a 6-iron on 18 (that led to a bogey), but I'm thrilled. Once again, I just love this place. I have a shot at it if I can shoot a crazy score, and we'll see what happens.”;

Westwood remains calm

Englishman Lee Westwood would like nothing better than help restore the dominance the foreigners once displayed at the Masters a couple of decades ago. He made the turn yesterday with a comfortable five-shot margin, only to watch it disappear like invisible ink over the next nine holes.

“;It was probably one of those great days in golf, a major championship,”; Westwood said. “;I obviously wasn't privy to the things that you have been seeing in all that. But you know, I was well aware that somebody was making a charge, and I figured it was Phil.”;

Mickelson turned a five-shot disadvantage into a one-shot lead by going eagle, eagle, birdie on Nos. 13 through 15, much to the delight of the Masters patrons. Those who had spent the day following Tiger Woods, broke off in droves after Mickelson went eagle, eagle a couple of holes away.

He delighted them again with a near birdie at the 16th, forcing Westwood to close with a birdie and four pars to take a one-shot advantage over Mickelson entering today's final round. Westwood went 3 under on the difficult front nine to build a big enough lead to hold off the fabulous charges by Mickelson and even Woods, who had four birdies on the closing nine.

“;This is what major championships are all about,”; Westwood said. “;They are tough ones to win because great players do great things at major championships.”;

Inside the numbers

The most difficult hole yesterday was the par-4 17th with a scoring average of 4.458. There were no birdies at the 17th, 24 pars, 14 bogeys and three double bogeys. The easiest hole was the par-5 15th with a scoring average of 4.437 with four eagles, 22 birdies, 19 pars and three bogeys.

Four of the toughest holes at the Masters are among the first seven, including Nos. 5 and 6. The par-3 sixth was the second-toughest hole with a scoring average of 3.437. The fifth is the third-toughest hole with a scoring average of 4.291. There were only two birdies on that hole.

Most longtime observers feel if you can play the first seven holes in even par or better, you have a great chance to win. Yesterday, Westwood played the first seven in 2 under par. Mickelson was 1 under, and K.J. Choi and Woods were 1 over.