Masters Sunday: Tiger Woods leaves Phil Mickelson in the dust, but what about the rest?

It’s funny how, in the early stages of the final round, Tiger Woods is looking up at golfers we’d never have imagined in contention. With Ernie Els now working with Butch Harmon, the Big Easy might have made an inspired early run. Not to be. With Phil a good year into Mr. Las Vegas’ tutelage, he ought to be farther along than he is, making better decisions than he has. Neither is true.

Instead, we have Stewart Cink -2 through four holes, Paul Casey and Brandt Snedeker -1 through a similar number, and Tiger stuck on even…whoops, make that +1. Woods failed to birdie 2, a hole palying .2 under par, then bogeyed 4, a hole barely over par on average.

We’ll know more after nine holes but for the moment, look to a new Masters champion for 2008.