Shortly before his tee time, Phil Mickelson blasted a few drives and long irons down the practice range. Standing behind him, Butch Harmon, Lefty’s coach for the past year or so, made some final observations.

The two shook hands, and a grinning, confident Mickelson headed to the chipping area.

A few minutes before Mickelson began his third round, I talked with Harmon as he sat down for lunch in Augusta National’s grill room.

“He’s playing so well. He’s in complete control of what he’s doing more than he was in the past,” Harmon said. “He’s so confident right now. The thing he’s done so beautifully the first two rounds is being patient. He’s taken what the course has given him and hasn’t forced the issue.”

Assessing the leader board, Harmon pointed to a renewal of Mickelson’s and Woods’ rivalry. Harmon also predicted a score of 7- or 8-under would lead heading into Sunday.

“You’d be surprised if Tiger didn’t make a run today,” he said.

“It’s gonna be a tough day for the two leaders,” Harmon said of Trevor Immelman and Brandt Snedeker. “They’re in virgin territory. It’ll be interesting to see how they settle down and get into the flow of their rounds.”

The state of Mickelson’s game, and the fact he’s already won two Masters titles, has Harmon feeling as confident as Lefty.

“In the past, he’d have to save himself with his short game,” Harmon said. “He’s gotten so much better with everything. If his ball striking was off, then he’d take chances and that’s when he’d get into trouble.

“He knows he’s playing well. He knows you don’t want to push the envelope and take too many chances, until the back nine on Sunday, if you have to.”

The days of Mickelson's meltdowns appear in the distant past. We'll see, but Lefty might soon become as tough to beat here as Woods.