Masters 2013 Leaderboard: Updates on Golf's Top Stars on Day 3

While the leaders aren't scheduled to tee off until later in the afternoon, there are plenty of top players currently trying to move up the leaderboard at the 2013 Masters.

None of them are considered to be in contention at the moment, but a strong third round as well as a slide by the leaders could make things interesting.

Defending Masters champion Bubba Watson didn't get off to the start he had hoped for, but his play has improved over the course of the tournament and he is suddenly back in the mix to some degree. Phil Mickelson had a tough second round, but he is on the course for the third and can never be counted out.

In addition to that, 14-year-old prodigy Tianlang Guan is in action after narrowly making the cut. He may not be a true factor in this tournament, but there isn't a golf fan out there who doesn't want to see what the kid can do.

Check back later for further updates once the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and others get going, but for now, here is how the most recognizable names on the course are faring.

Bubba Watson

With rounds of 75 and 73 to begin his defense of the green jacket, things didn't look particularly good for Bubba Watson. In fact, he barely made the cut, but Watson has gone on a tear during the third round. Through 11 holes, Watson is an impressive two under for the round and has managed to get back to plus-two for the tournament.

That still places him eight shots behind leader Jason Day, but if Watson can pick up a couple more strokes as the round goes on, then his dream of consecutive Masters victories may not quite be over.

He will likely need some help in the form of the leaders coming back to him, but that certainly isn't unheard of.

Watson knows how to win this tournament and has an advantage over pretty much everyone off the tee, so he is a definite threat moving forward.

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson was in ideal position after the first round of the Masters, as he sat at one under and was within striking distance of the leaders. The wheels came off to some degree in the second round, though, as Mickelson shot a four-over.

Lefty hasn't been able to bounce back in the third round thus far, as he is one over for the round and four over for the entire tournament.

Mickelson is easily one of the most talented players on the PGA Tour and he can do some incredible things when he's on his game. With that said, he tends to be inconsistent, so he is either extremely good or extremely bad. Mickelson's current play unfortunately falls in the latter category.

Even if Lefty goes on one of his signature runs, it will be very tough for him to get back in contention. If he starts to turn things around now, though, there is enough time to get back to even and hope for some help.

Tianlang Guan

There is obviously a ton of interest when it comes to who might win the Masters, but it can be argued that the most intriguing storyline of the weekend is the play of 14-year-old Tianlang Guan.

Not much was expected of the youngster coming into the tournament, but he was able to make the cut at four over despite a penalty for slow play during the second round.

Guan has continued to play steady golf, as he is just one stroke over par through eight holes today. That puts him at five over par for the tournament and pretty much ensures that he won't pose a threat to anyone near the top of the leaderboard, but his first Masters experience was more about getting his feet wet and playing with the big boys.

Guan has done an admirable job in that regard and it will be fun to see how he fares over the next round-and-a-half.

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