Tiger extends PGA lead to three
IN: News | US PGA | US PGA Championship (2007) | Round Three | by Bruce Young | 12 Aug 2007
Tiger Woods has a stranglehold on the USPGA Championship following a convincing third round of 69 that sees him three ahead of Canada’s Stephen Ames and four ahead of Woody Austin. It might not have been the record equalling round of yesterday but to a large extent it was just as impressive as Woods played with almost total control on a day where so many others fell victim to the disasters laying in wait at Southern Hills.
Woods’ two shot overnight lead was briefly reduced to one today after Scott Verplank had birdied the 4th hole to move to five under. Minutes later, Woods followed Verplank’s birdie with one of his own and the margin was back to two. A hole later, after Verplank had struggled his way to a bogey at the 5th, the margin was three and it extended to five when Woods birdied the 12th from ten feet to get to 8 under.
With Verplank making a mess of that same 12th hole, Woods nearest challengers were Stephen Ames and Woody Austin. Australian Geoff Ogilvy looked a possible danger to Woods when he moved to four under for the tournament through four holes but Ogilvy began to struggle over the remaining holes and a double bogey at the last, after driving it in the hazard saw him finish with 74 and at one over his chances appears to be gone.
Ames made a nice 20 foot putt for birdie at the 12th to move to three under and had a great chance at the 15th to move within three but missed from 6 feet. He then made a marvellous par at the 17th after missing the fairway and the green and at the last, kept his chances of victory alive, if only just, by holing a lengthy birdie putt to finish at four under and within three of the leader Woods.
“Yeah, it’s probably because you’re playing with Tiger,” said Ames when asked about those who had struggled when playing with Tiger in the last group on Sundays. “He has that influence on players. It’s probably going to happen to me. I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t been in this situation.”
“My game plan tomorrow is to be conscious of what I’m doing and not to be conscious of what Tiger’s doing, that’s the only thing I have control over is myself, not him. That’s the biggest concern that I have is being me. I’ve gotta be me, myself.”
By his own admission Austin struggled early in his round but began to produce some good quality shots over the closing stages of his round. He missed a couple of very good chances before a birdie at the 15th from 6 feet moved him to three under and then he followed up at the 16th from 5 feet to move with three of Woods. Austin’s approach at the last finished just off the back edge and he would miss a par saving putt to slip to three under and into third alone and four behind the leader.
John Senden has never finished better than 35th in a major championship but tomorrow he stands a chance of not only his best ever finish at this level but maybe his most significant moment in the game. His recent wins at the John Deere and at the Australian Open probably mean the most to him at present but if he can find a way to produce a sub par round tomorrow it might be that a top three finish awaits him. That is still a long way off but either way this has been a very impressive performance by the Queenslander. He stands at two under and alone in 4th place.
“Yeah, I felt good, you know, going into today after the last couple of rounds,” said Senden after his round. “I just tried to really stick to my plan of, you know, playing the golf course smart because there’s a lot of slope on the greens and I just really felt that I just had to really do what I had to do best rather than worry about what everyone else is doing out there.”
“I know Tiger Woods has got a nice lead but anything can happen tomorrow as well. So I’m feeling good for tomorrow. I felt a little bit nervous down the first couple of holes but once I played those first couple of holes I settled in nicely and did a good job all day.”
At one under par and in 5th place and perhaps, given his experience, still Woods greatest threat is Ernie Els who will need something very special but there is a look about Els game at present that suggests he is not far off producing just that. The South African’s brilliant closing nine of 32 today has kept him in the hunt. Earlier in the week and against the predictions of most, Els indicated that he felt there was a 63 available at Southern Hills. Yesterday Woods was the first to do just that. If Els was able to add another tomorrow and fulfill that prediction himself he might yet be champion.
“Somebody just mentioned to me that I’ve made 14 birdies this week and I’m 1-under par,” said Els. “So it means that I’m doing a lot of good things out there. But the frustrating thing which drives me nuts is that I’m making soft mistakes, soft errors.”
“A three putt here, or a bogey or a double from nowhere on No. 4 which is a short little par 4. That drives me crazy and that’s the frustrating part. But my swing has been pretty good. My putting stroke’s not too bad. My whole game as a whole is pretty good. And it’s been like that for a while. But for some reason, you know, the game is just kind of testing me at the moment.”
Seven players are at even par including Australians Adam Scott and Nathan Green. Scott was derailed somewhat by a double bogey at the 5th but an eagle at the 13th after a brilliant second to 12 feet has him in the hunt for perhaps a top three finish.
Green turned a round a slow start with a run of five under in five holes through the turn and early part of the back nine. At that point he had moved to 2 under for the tournament and with just four holes to play he was inside the top five. Green three putted the 14th then missed a seven foot recovery par saving putt at the 16th. That disappointment was softened by a very important par saving 12 foot putt at the last. Green has played only four previous major championships, his best finish being when 49th at this event last year.
Clearly this is his best opportunity to feature at this level. “Again I did not hit the ball all that well today,” said Green after his round. “I missed a lot of fairways and greens but my short game was good early and my good shots were definitely a lot better. The putt on the last was very nice.”
Most are predicting a Woods victory tomorrow and that is clearly the likely outcome but it might just be that Southern Hills has a couple of twists and turns yet.
