By Pete Pappas
GolfWRX Staff Writer

Arnold Palmer vs. Jack Nicklaus. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. Wile E. Coyote vs. Road Runner. Larry Bird vs Magic Johnson. Lindsay Lohan v. sobriety (OK, that one’s a stretch).

But when round 3 ended Saturday, and the skies cleared at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, an epic rivalry would be renewed, and the dream match-up that has the golf world abuzz would be in place.

And no I’m not talking about tournament leader Charlie Wi (15-under) vs. Ken Duke (12-under) who will battle in the final group on Sunday.

For only the 10th time in a final round, it will be Tiger Woods (11-under) and Phil Mickelson (9-under) paired in the next to last group on Sunday at Pebble. And the confidence born from a victory by either (only one win between them in their last 59 events combined) could go a long way towards making 2012 a very special season for the winner.

The significance was not lost on Tiger. “I need to get off to a good start, the first six or seven holes, and that’s where it can be had,” he said.

Golf pundits everywhere are now saying Woods finally appears comfortable with his new swing, and is beginning to look like the Tiger of old again. There’s statistical evidence to support these opinions.

Through the first three rounds, Tiger hit 43 of 54 greens in regulation, tying him for best in the field in that category. “The bad days and bad shots just aren’t as bad as they used to be,” Woods said.

And the last time Woods his 43 or more greens through 54 holes? Well he went on to win the 2009 Buick Open.

Wi carded an impressive bogey-free 3-under 69 at Spyglass Hill en route to building a three shot lead over Duke, and four shot lead over Woods. And by some accounts Wi remains the favorite to win the tournament despite being winless on tour.

But it’s worth noting, Woods came back from five shots down entering the final round in 2000 to win the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am that year, the same year he also won the U.S Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 strokes.

And it should also be pointed out that 54-hole leads thus far this season have been precariously difficult to maintain. Just ask Kyle Stanley who fell apart in a devastating loss at Torrey Pines blowing a five shot lead heading into Sunday. Or talk to Spencer Levine who threw away an even bigger lead of six shots the following week going into the final round at the Phoenix Open.

Duke did his part Saturday to ensure his spot in the final pairing, going low at 5-under on the Monterey Peninsula course (only Ryan Moore went lower at Monterey, shooting six-under for the day and seven-under for the tournament). Duke carded 5 birdies in his bogey-free third round at Monterey.

But Duke, like Wi, has never won on the PGA Tour, so Sunday will be a very new, very nerve wracking experience for them both.

And if the temperature in the pressure cooker they’re sitting in isn’t still high enough, consider that the group behind them, Woods and Mickelson, have combined for 18 majors and 110 career wins, both know how to close out wins on Sunday, and (though neither would openly admit it) both arguably need this win as much as anyone else in the field.

A host of other players sitting at 9-under also remain in contention Sunday, including Kevin Na (3-under on Saturday at Pebble), Dustin Johnson (who finished with a disappointing even-par Saturday at Monterey), Brendon Todd (1-under at Monterey Saturday), and Hunter Mahan (going 2-under at Spyglass on Saturday).

Final round coverage concludes at 10:00 am PST on Golf Channel, and at 12:00 pm PST on CBS.