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Magnificent 5 loom large entering finale

By JOHN ROMANO
Published April 9, 2006

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Picture them all at the breakfast table this morning, a box of Lucky Charms being passed around.

Or imagine them later, carpooling down Magnolia Lane. You could have Vijay at the wheel, with Ernie sitting shotgun. Phil and Retief in the backseat with little Tiger squeezed in between.

No matter how you envision it, the basic premise is the same.

When the leaderboard is turned on this morning for the final day of the Masters, the five best golfers in the world will be lumped together in the top 10.

Oh, sure, Chad Campbell is actually the leader. And Rocco Mediate and Tim Clark are tied for second, a stroke behind. But you get the sense they're like the Star Trek crewmen who are bound to be eviscerated after beaming down ahead of Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

This has the potential to be a day like few others at Augusta. A day when the stars have not only aligned, but have turned up the heat.

"The top five players in the world will be shooting it out. That's what everybody wants to see," said Australia's Mark Hensby, who was tied for 23rd. "It'll probably be one of the most exciting Masters finishes ever."

Maybe it will not match Greg Norman's collapse 10 years ago. And it probably won't compare to the charge of Jack Nicklaus 20 years ago.

But, still, there is something special about the very best showing up separated by a stroke and within striking distance of the lead. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson were tied for fourth, three strokes behind. Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Vijay Singh were tied for seventh, a stroke away.

It is the heavyweight title fight that took years to arrive. A NASCAR race with Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and David Pearson on the lead lap. The Capulets and Montagues clashing in Verona. It is glamor on top of drama.

And it is practically unprecedented around here. For not only are the very best peaking at the same time, but they'll be working overtime today.

Because Saturday's rain wiped out more than half of the third round, the leaders will have to play between 27 and 32 holes. There have been several times when a Masters has been forced to finish on Monday, but not since 1939 has a Sunday featured quite so much going on.

"No matter how the course plays," Clark said, "it's going to be a long, tough day."

That was assured when Augusta leaders inexplicably scheduled a late start to Saturday's third round while knowing rain was expected in the afternoon.

So Campbell wound up with less than an hour on the course and still managed to lose years off his life. That's what happens when you spend one more day as a Masters leader. One more day with doubt constantly tapping on the shoulder.

Campbell is Chris DiMarco with further to go on his scorecard. You recall DiMarco, right? The guy forever frozen in the glare of Augusta's glow.

DiMarco had a three-stroke lead last year with 27 holes to play on Sunday. The lead was gone within two holes.

"Chad is playing great," Woods said. "We're going to have to make some birdies to catch him."

Woods said this with utmost sincerity. Maybe, even, with a look of innocence. Of course, he added this reminder before walking away.

"But on this course," Woods said, "anything can happen."

If you had forgotten, Saturday's mini round was a quick reminder.

The first two days of this tournament had been about forgotten heroes and fairy tales. Of Ben Crenshaw ignoring the ticking of the clock and Mediate overcoming the suffering of his back.

You figured fate would eventually slow them down, and the rain may ultimately be responsible for finishing them off. Crenshaw had all but admitted that dry weather had given him more distance than he deserved because his ball was rolling on the fairways.

After the rain came Saturday, he bogeyed No. 1 and doubled on No. 2. He lost five strokes in eight holes.

Mediate managed to keep the dream alive with two birdies in his four holes Saturday but has to wonder if his back can survive 32 holes today.

"It'd better," he said.

Still, there may be hope for Mediate. For Campbell, too. The last time the leaders played more than 30 holes on the final day, there was another group of soon-to-be legends crowding around the leaderboard.

Back in '39, Sam Snead was in contention. So was Gene Sarazen and Byron Nelson. Ben Hogan was in the top 10, too.

Yet that Masters was won by a first-timer named Ralph Guldahl, who outlasted Snead by a stroke.

So maybe it will happen again. Maybe the big five - who have been the highest-ranked golfers in the world the past two seasons - will not have an impact. Maybe a surprise is still possible.

All we know for sure is their alarms will ring early this morning.

And history will be beckoning.

[Last modified April 9, 2006, 00:20:18]