Everyone wants to ride momentum all the way to Masters

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HUMBLE, Texas -- If say they they're nothing thinking about it, they're fibbing.

Big time.

Chad Campbell is thinking about winning now and playing next week. (Feldman/WireImage)

They certainly don't think about it standing over a shot in competition, but every player who tees it up in Sunday's final round at Redstone will have Augusta National on his mind at some point during the day. Maybe all day.

They might be walking down the fairway thinking about a shot they need exiting Amen Corner. Or what it would be like to drive down Magnolia Lane. Or how their lives might change forever after slipping their arms into the green jacket.

They might go to sleep and dream about it.

Some want to get back. Some don't want to miss it for the first time in mumblesome years. Some have to win the Shell Houston Open just to get into the Masters for the first time.

All of them are feeling at least a little pressure.

Johnson Wagner, who has slept on some portion of the lead the past two nights and has one more to go, has to win to get to Augusta National for the first time. And he is thinking about the Masters -- and the next chance for his first PGA TOUR win.

"Last night and this morning, definitely,'' Wagner said when asked if thought about the Masters. "It's hard not to think about it but, you know, I'm not too worried about it. I want the play tomorrow's round. If I were to win here, then obviously that would be just an incredible bonus.

"But no, I'm not -- I didn't think about it once on the golf course, and I'm not going to think about it tomorrow, hopefully."

Winning one tournament, he said, "That's more than enough pressure for me.''

Former U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy threw out a third-round 66 that had him thinking about momentum going into next week. Ogilvy, who won last month's World Golf Championships-CA Championship to end Tiger Woods' winning streak, will be on most short lists anyway, but it never hurts to be playing well going into the week.

Fred Couples, who shot 29 on his second nine -- the real front nine -- Saturday, was in a zone when he headed to Augusta in 1992. He was the hands-down favorite. He was playing well. And he was more worried about getting chips and salsa Monday night for that Final Four than his game.

That Sunday night, he slipped on the green jacket.

Couples' 67 on Saturday left him at 7 under, eight shots behind Wagner, but playing well.

"If I don't play well tomorrow, I'm not going to be frightened to go play Augusta, but it can work the other way a lot better than it can the other way,'' said Couples, who won here in 2003. "I'm hoping to have a little more confidence.

"Like I said today, the round, didn't really worry about my score and I was trying to work on a couple things, which is not easy to do when you're hitting out some of these shoots you have. . . . If I can putt well, I'll compete.''

Couples spent five days with teacher Butch Harmon last week -- defending Houston champion Adam Scott was there, too -- and worked on tightening up his swing, which had gotten sloppy. It was, he chuckled, long enough.

"I was tired of seeing Butch and he got tired of seeing my swing,'' Couples said.

Scott, who struggled in the cold and wind withdrew Saturday morning with strep throat -- Couples said Harmon was sick, too -- but even that might not slow his momentum. And he would be another of those on the short list next week.

"He's a tough kid,'' Couples said. "I think he'll be fine.''

So will Couples, who made the cut last year despite back problems that sidelined him most of the year.

"I, quote, made the cut, which didn't really matter to me, but I did make it and fun to play on the weekend,'' he said. "This year my goal is to go play in the tournament and do well. And if I happen to make the cut one more time, that's a nice thing. But I don't want to worry about making the cut because if you do that, then you're going to barely make the cut.

"You're going to play to make the cut. I got to go out there and play like I can get myself in position to do well. It's not easy to do. It's an extremely, extremely hard course and the main thing when I get through will be putting. I don't think I'm going to all of a sudden hit it 50 percent better than I am now, but if I can go putt well, I think I can compete.''

Couples, Ogilvy, K.J. Choi, Steve Stricker and Aaron Baddeley are all examples of players in the Masters who are rounding into form for next week, but the majority of the field is pressing to get that last invitation that'll go to the winner in Houston.

Bob Estes thinks his experience might give him an edge on Sunday. (Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)

Brett Quigley's 68 left him seven shots back; Charley Hoffman is three back. And Chad Campbell, who is just one shot behind Wagner, would love to get back to the course where he finished tied for third in 2006.

But more than that, Campbell loves the idea of going into the final round with a chance to win another event in the Houston area. He came out of nowhere to win the 2003 TOUR Championship at Champions Golf Club.

"That's why you play tournaments,'' Campbell said. "That's what I wanted coming into the week, and, you know, got off to a little bit of a bad start there on the first round, but kind of got -- obviously got it back the last two, and definitely I want to win to go to Augusta. But, you know, mainly focus just trying to get the job done here and worry about next week later.''

Phil Mickelson, who is 10 shots back after a third-round 71, is already looking toward next week.

"I'm starting -- my game is totally coming around and starting to drive the ball well,'' he said. "I just got to put together that last bit with the putter.''

Regardless of who's on the tee Sunday, there will be pressure. To improve. To finish the prep for Augusta. To make it there.

Or like Bob Estes, who trails Wagner by three shots, to get back.

"I do plan on going back, but I'm not overly concerned about that,'' he said. "I mean, I'm going to try to win the golf tournament no matter what. It might be tough for somebody who had maybe never been to Augusta before. I've played the Masters eight, 10 times.

"It might be a little tougher for somebody who hasn't been there before. It might put more pressure on them thinking 'This is my chance.' Could be your only chance. Anyway, so I'm aware of the situation. Nice place, isn't it?

Indeed it is.

And when they do get there?

Like Couples said, there's even more serious pressure waiting for them.

"There's pressure on Tiger to win his fifth,'' he said, "and on some other guys to win their first.''