Hunter Mahan's 68 puts him in Masters hunt

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Hunter Mahan walks off the 18th green after finishing his third round. He finished at 4-under.

Hunter Mahan doesn’t know what it would take to finally stop the talk about the 2010 Ryder Cup collapse.

A green jacket may be a step in silencing all those critics.

“I have no idea what it’s going to take for people to forget that,” Mahan said with a smile after Saturday’s 4-under round. “It was a big moment I guess. I guess I sucked at it. I couldn’t tell you what it’s going to take. I don’t think winning by 10 (Sunday) would make anyone forget it. I don’t know.”

Mahan flubbed his chip shot against Graeme McDowell on the 17th hole that helped the Northern Irishman secure the winning point for the European squad.

Regardless of what’s needed to end that talk, Mahan moved into Masters contention Saturday, shooting a 68 to enter today’s final round at 4-under for the tournament.

Mahan was at his best on the second nine, holing three birdies in a four-hole span.

He has dominated the par 5s. He birdied three of them in his third round and has seven of his 13 total birdies on those holes.

“That’s always an important key at Augusta here, if you can play the par 5s well, make some birdies, because they are almost all reachable,” he said.

Despite his round, Mahan was aware of the low scores being posted Saturday. He heard the roars after Phil Mickelson made eagle on No. 13, part of his 66 Saturday.

“I think that’s the greatest example of Augusta in purest form right there,” Mahan said. “That’s very Phil and that’s very Augusta.”