Fascinating scenario for PGA's final day
IN: News | US PGA | US PGA Championship (2005) | Round Three | by Bruce Young | 14 Aug 2005
The age old tournament golf cliché of Saturday being moving day was perhaps no more in evidence than was the case during today's round three of the USPGA Championship. Some moved forward, some moved back, the end result being a third round leaderboard that has as many as 23 players within five shots of the lead. Given what we saw today, all have a mathematical chance of taking out the title tomorrow.
The biggest move of the day came from Thomas Bjorn, who first stamped himself as a player capable of competing at this level when he finished third to Tiger Woods and Bob May at this event five years ago. It has been a rollercoaster ride since then however with only two top tens in majors, one of those his late collapse at Royal St Georges when he let a lead slip and eventually finished runner up to Ben Curtis.
Today, Bjorn started his round some three hours and forty minutes ahead of the last group but by the time he had finished with a brilliant 63, he had closed within two of the faltering leader Mickelson and an hour or so later he was sharing the lead. Bjorn has had a good season in 2005, especially early, but his last few starts have not suggested that this situation was close at hand. His last round of 86 at the European Open when leading perhaps reignited memories of the Open in 2003 but in the grand manor of golf those are now behind him as he looks to the possibility of his first major championship.
In order to do so though, Bjorn will need to get past the second and now third round co-leader, Mickelson and his co-leader Davis Love in addition to holding off the many high quality players around and behind him.
At the start of the day it appeared in simplistic terms as if this was Mickelson's tournament to win or lose and for the first six holes it appeared Mickelson might have chosen the latter. Three bogeys in the first six holes had him back at 5 under and at that point sharing the lead with Bjorn who was safely in the clubhouse. Not only had Mickelson opened up the door for Bjorn but for the many others who had made a move, some significantly some less so, but all of a sudden this tournament was blown wide open.
Woods was one of those who gained heart from the early Mickelson demise. Despite a bogey at the first and a three putt par at the last he was round in 66 to let those who would not tee off for another nearly six hours later than he had, that he was still around. His round paled somewhat in comparison to Bjorn's, but it might yet be of more telling significance. He has a lot of talented players ahead of him but the Woods factor can not yet be dismissed entirely. He was unable to birdie either of the closing par fives which might yet be costly in the final wash up.
Davis Love III, who has been quietly going about his business in 2005, perhaps losing ranking points and profile but still earning a nice cheque on a regular basis, pounced early with birdies at the first and second an when Mickelson bogeyed his second hole Love was within one. He dropped back with bogeys over the next few holes but then turned his momentum around in dramatic fashion with a brilliant birdie from the fairway bunker at the difficult 11th. He followed with birdies at the 13th and 15th from 12 and 20 feet and although he three putted the 16th he made another birdie at the 17th when, perhaps reflecting how well he is hitting the ball, he hit his second through the green at the monster par five. He got up and down to move to 6 under and again share the lead with Mickelson.
Love was not able to birdie the last but at six under he shared the lead with Mickelson. Mickelson had the two closing par rives to establish a break but he missed from 10 feet at the 17th after laying up with his second and then at the 18th, after what was simply a brilliant and gutsy second from the left hand rough he was unable to convert from behind the green. His disappointing finish may yet be the winning or losing of the tournament for Mickelson although to be fair he continues to play beautifully from tee to green.
Four players are at four under and just two behind. Pat Perez is perhaps an unlikely inclusion in that group but there has been but less talented players than Perez win this event in recent years. However when Vijay Singh got his first birdie of the day at the 18th and joined that group, the alarm bells sounded for those ahead. He had recorded seventeen consecutive pars to that point and while that may have had its frustrations, it was important that he had neither recorded a bogey, ensuring that he maintained touch with those ahead of him on the scoreboard.
Also at 4 under and just two back, are Australia's two most successful players at the PGA in recent years, Steve Elkington and Stuart Appleby. Elkington is of course a previous champion here in 1995 while Appleby was 4th in this event in 2000. Neither had been expected to do quite this well and when Elkington dropped four shots in the first nine holes it appeared as if his impressive first two days might have been his only contribution here. On the way home however, Elkington found a second breath of wind and when he walked from the 18th green he wrote down a back nine score of 31 and he was well and truly back. It has been a display that may well already have cemented him a spot in the Presidents Cup team although further consolidation tomorrow would help.
Appleby closed with two birdies at the 17th and 18th to once again be right in the firing line for tomorrow. His round of 69 leaves him within two of the leading pair and he can't be discounted just yet. It has been ten long years since an Australian victory in a major of any sort and on day four of the 2005 USPGA Championship there are two with a real chance.
Retief Goosen will enjoy the chance of sneaking in the back door if he is able to do so tomorrow, rather than attempting to win from the front and at three under and just three back he is certainly well enough placed to do so.
There are others who still have a real chance with a hot round on Sunday including the likes of Woods and Michael Campbell but they will need to be staking their claim and making statement early.
This is a PGA Championship that has many possibilities yet and a leaderboard stacked full of established major winners and those looking to take their game to that level for the first time.
Sunday shapes as a gripping finale.
