AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – When Brandt Snedeker let a Masters title slip through his fingers in 2008 the American was left in tears.

On Sunday it was Snedeker’s daughter left sobbing, as she watched her father tumble down the Augusta National leaderboard and a green jacket once again pulled from his grasp.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Brandt Snedeker is a man with a plan and it is a simple one after he surged into a share of the third-round lead at Augusta National on Saturday – win the Masters.

After firing a bogey-free three-under 69 to join Argentine Angel Cabrera in the final pair on Sunday, Snedeker promised he had learned his lessons from five years ago when he also played in the last group and left his news conference in tears.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Caution and ‘Bubba Golf’ do not normally appear in the same sentence but Masters champion Bubba Watson showed his deliberate side on Saturday as golf’s rule book took the Augusta National spotlight.

On a day when Tiger Woods was handed a two-stroke penalty for an improper ball drop, Watson, who claimed his green jacket with a daring display of shot-making, admitted there is one thing he will not risk on a golf course: taking a chance with the rules.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Tiger Woods again found himself at the center of controversy and a target of Twitter-verse on Saturday when he avoided disqualification from the Masters after taking an illegal drop in the second round.

While golf’s rules are clear that a disqualification was in order, Woods escaped with a two-shot penalty even after admitting in his post-round interview on Friday that he failed to drop his ball as close as possible to the original spot after it ended up in water at the par-five 15th.

AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 12 (Reuters) – There were no tears but a few sighs of relief as Bubba Watson kept his Masters title defence alive on Friday just sneaking in under the cut with a wild one-over second round 73.

The galleries were treated to a day of classic “Bubba Golf”, as Watson took fans on an Augusta National roller-coaster ride that featured six bogeys, a double-bogey and seven birdies.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Argentina’s former Masters champion Angel Cabrera scorched the back nine at Augusta National on Friday en route to a three-under 69 to sit two off the midway lead and in contention for a second green jacket.

Cabrera had looked headed for a disappointing day after back-to-back bogeys at four and five and his round stalled at two-over with six to play.

AUGUSTA, Georgia, April 12 (Reuters) – Argentina’s former Masters champion Angel Cabrera scorched the back nine at Augusta National on Friday en route to a three-under 69 to sit two off the midway lead and in contention for a second green jacket.

Cabrera had looked headed for a disappointing day after back-to-back bogeys at four and five and his round stalled at two-over with six to play.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – A recovering marketplace and an improving Tiger Woods have given a boost to the Masters underground economy that operates just outside the walls of the world’s most exclusive golf club.

Washington Road is the Masters bazaar, an unappealing four-lane corridor of strip malls, gas stations, fast food joints and budget hotels that runs straight past the picturesque Magnolia Lane, the short road leading to the Augusta National clubhouse.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Sergio Garcia has not had much good to say about Augusta National over the years but after carding an opening round six-under 66 to grab a share of the Masters lead on Thursday, the Spaniard seemed willing to give it another chance.

In 15 visits to Augusta, Garcia has not had many good days with a tie for fourth in 2004 and eighth in 2002 his only top 10 finishes.

AUGUSTA, Georgia (Reuters) – Tiger Woods got his Masters campaign off to a solid start on Thursday but the world number one was forced to share the Augusta spotlight.

When first round action began it seemed for a moment as if the 14-times major winner was part of girlfriend Lindsey Vonn’s ‘Vonn-tourage’ as hundreds of media and thousands of spectators scrambled to catch glimpse of the Olympic skiing champion.