Martin Laird victim of new US Tour cut rule
TIGER WOODS LEADS BY EIGHT STROKES
AFTER 66 FOR 18-UNDER-PAR 198
IN BUICK INVITATIONAL
Tiger Woods drove the ball on average "only" 280 yards but he missed only one green in regulation and had only 27 putts in a third-round 66 for 18-under-par 198, a tally that put him an astonishing EIGHT strokes clear of the field with one round to play in the Buck Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Club, San Diego in California.
Torrey Pines, by the way, is the venue for this year's US Open - so that's one major almost in the bag already.
Eight strokes is the biggest lead on the US PGA Tour since Phil MIckelson in the 2006 BellSouth Classic.
If Woods can make all the running, it would be his 62nd career victory, tieing the record of Arnold Palmer who is fourth on the all-time US PGA Tour total-wins list behind Sam Snead (82), Jack Nicklaus (73) and Ben Hogan (64).
Woods' 18-under 198 equalled the 54-hole record at Torrey Pines set by Woody B lackburn in 1985. It will be his fourth straight Buck Invitational triumph and his sixth in all in the tournament.
Tiger's lead woould have been nine shots but for second-placed Stewart Cink holing a 35ft eagle putt on the 18th hole for a 69 and 206. On 207, alone in third place, is Joe Durant after a 67.
Heavy rain is forecast for Sunday's final round. Somehow you feel Tiger will walk on water if it comes to that!
Unbelievably there was someone who played better than Woods in the third round. Former Open champion Justin Leonard with eight birdies in a 65 for joint fourth place on 209. That improved his standing by 44 spots over 18 holes.
"There's two tournaments going on," said Leonard. "I'm going to try to win the tournament that Tiger's not playing."
It is Tiger's largest 54-hole lead since he led by 10 on his way to a 15-shot victory in the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach.
"If it was over, they'd be handing out the trophy," Woods said. "Tomorrow, conditions are going to be tough. You just plod along and be steady and not make any bogeys."
English rookie Kenneth Ferrie, who only got into the starting line-up due to a late withdrawal, is heading for a high finish and a sizeable cheque. He is meantime in joint 11th place on 211 after a third-round 71.
MARTIN LAIRD VICTIM OF NEW CUT RULE
Apologies for Scottishgolfview readers for giving the impression that Scot Martin Laird had survived the 36-hole cut for the third time in a row on his first year on the US PGA Tour. He did - and he didn't!
Laird had a 74 for 145 and joint 67th place after 36 holes on Friday. Last season he would have been one of 85 players who would have made the cut.
But the new rule on the US PGA Tour decrees that only a maximum of 70 players can actually play in the final two rounds.The Scot became one of the new "MDF" (made cut, did not finish) category.
He missed the cut but gets last place prize money, as opposed to players with 36-hole totals of 146 and worse. They missed the cut but did not win any dollars.The catastrophe for Laird was a double bogey 6 at the 15th in his second round.
Still, collecting a pay cheque for the third week in a row on the American circuit can't be bad.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
198 Tiger Woods 67 65 66.
206 Stewart Cink 68 69 69.
207 Joe Durant 70 70 67
209 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 71 67 71, Justin Leonard 76 68 65, Boo Weekley 72 66 71, Douglas Labelle 68 72 69
210 Jeff Quinney 69 71 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 69 72 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 67 72 71
211 John Senden (Aus) 70 69 72, Kevin Sutherland 73 68 70, Kenneth Ferrie (Eng) 73 67 71, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71 69, Kevin Streelman 67 69 75, Charles Howell III 68 72 71, Fred Couples 71 69 71, Phil Mickelson 70 73 68, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 72 70, Carlos Franco (Par) 71 69 71
212 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 67 75 70, Nathan Green (Aus) 68 72 72, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 70 72, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 70 72 70, John Mallinger 74 66 72, Matthew Jones (Aus) 72 70 70
213 Dean Wilson 69 71 73, Hunter Mahan 71 69 73, Justin Bolli 74 69 70, Bill Haas 72 68 73, Troy Matteson 65 75 73, Briny Baird 71 71 71
214 Jim Furyk 73 68 73, Tag Ridings 73 71 70, Matt Kuchar 71 72 71
215 Steve Marino 74 70 71, Jeff Maggert 71 72 72, Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 68 74, Parker McLachlin 69 73 73, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 71 71 73, Frank Lickliter II 72 70 73
216 Jin Park (Kor) 71 73 72, J.B. Holmes 71 73 72, Chris Stroud 73 70 73, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 72 74, Jon Mills (Can) 73 70 73
217 Dustin Johnson 72 70 75, Tim Herron 72 72 73, Roland Thatcher 73 71 73, Cliff Kresge 76 67 74, Jamie Lovemark 73 71 73, Jason Gore 73 71 73
218 Brad Adamonis 66 72 80, Kevin Stadler 68 74 76, Sean O'Hair 76 68 74, Brett Wetterich 72 72 74
219 George McNeill 72 72 75, Mark O'Meara 72 72 75, Craig Barlow 71 73 75, Bubba Watson 73 71 75, Marc Turnesa 73 70 76, Tom Pernice Jnr. 71 73 75, Jason Day 72 72 75
220 John Rollins 71 71 78
221 Travis Perkins 76 68 77, Cody Freeman 70 74 77
AFTER 66 FOR 18-UNDER-PAR 198
IN BUICK INVITATIONAL
Tiger Woods drove the ball on average "only" 280 yards but he missed only one green in regulation and had only 27 putts in a third-round 66 for 18-under-par 198, a tally that put him an astonishing EIGHT strokes clear of the field with one round to play in the Buck Invitational at Torrey Pines Golf Club, San Diego in California.
Torrey Pines, by the way, is the venue for this year's US Open - so that's one major almost in the bag already.
Eight strokes is the biggest lead on the US PGA Tour since Phil MIckelson in the 2006 BellSouth Classic.
If Woods can make all the running, it would be his 62nd career victory, tieing the record of Arnold Palmer who is fourth on the all-time US PGA Tour total-wins list behind Sam Snead (82), Jack Nicklaus (73) and Ben Hogan (64).
Woods' 18-under 198 equalled the 54-hole record at Torrey Pines set by Woody B lackburn in 1985. It will be his fourth straight Buck Invitational triumph and his sixth in all in the tournament.
Tiger's lead woould have been nine shots but for second-placed Stewart Cink holing a 35ft eagle putt on the 18th hole for a 69 and 206. On 207, alone in third place, is Joe Durant after a 67.
Heavy rain is forecast for Sunday's final round. Somehow you feel Tiger will walk on water if it comes to that!
Unbelievably there was someone who played better than Woods in the third round. Former Open champion Justin Leonard with eight birdies in a 65 for joint fourth place on 209. That improved his standing by 44 spots over 18 holes.
"There's two tournaments going on," said Leonard. "I'm going to try to win the tournament that Tiger's not playing."
It is Tiger's largest 54-hole lead since he led by 10 on his way to a 15-shot victory in the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach.
"If it was over, they'd be handing out the trophy," Woods said. "Tomorrow, conditions are going to be tough. You just plod along and be steady and not make any bogeys."
English rookie Kenneth Ferrie, who only got into the starting line-up due to a late withdrawal, is heading for a high finish and a sizeable cheque. He is meantime in joint 11th place on 211 after a third-round 71.
MARTIN LAIRD VICTIM OF NEW CUT RULE
Apologies for Scottishgolfview readers for giving the impression that Scot Martin Laird had survived the 36-hole cut for the third time in a row on his first year on the US PGA Tour. He did - and he didn't!
Laird had a 74 for 145 and joint 67th place after 36 holes on Friday. Last season he would have been one of 85 players who would have made the cut.
But the new rule on the US PGA Tour decrees that only a maximum of 70 players can actually play in the final two rounds.The Scot became one of the new "MDF" (made cut, did not finish) category.
He missed the cut but gets last place prize money, as opposed to players with 36-hole totals of 146 and worse. They missed the cut but did not win any dollars.The catastrophe for Laird was a double bogey 6 at the 15th in his second round.
Still, collecting a pay cheque for the third week in a row on the American circuit can't be bad.
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
198 Tiger Woods 67 65 66.
206 Stewart Cink 68 69 69.
207 Joe Durant 70 70 67
209 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 71 67 71, Justin Leonard 76 68 65, Boo Weekley 72 66 71, Douglas Labelle 68 72 69
210 Jeff Quinney 69 71 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 69 72 69, Stuart Appleby (Aus) 67 72 71
211 John Senden (Aus) 70 69 72, Kevin Sutherland 73 68 70, Kenneth Ferrie (Eng) 73 67 71, Steve Elkington (Aus) 71 71 69, Kevin Streelman 67 69 75, Charles Howell III 68 72 71, Fred Couples 71 69 71, Phil Mickelson 70 73 68, Camilo Villegas (Col) 69 72 70, Carlos Franco (Par) 71 69 71
212 Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 67 75 70, Nathan Green (Aus) 68 72 72, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 70 72, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 70 72 70, John Mallinger 74 66 72, Matthew Jones (Aus) 72 70 70
213 Dean Wilson 69 71 73, Hunter Mahan 71 69 73, Justin Bolli 74 69 70, Bill Haas 72 68 73, Troy Matteson 65 75 73, Briny Baird 71 71 71
214 Jim Furyk 73 68 73, Tag Ridings 73 71 70, Matt Kuchar 71 72 71
215 Steve Marino 74 70 71, Jeff Maggert 71 72 72, Vijay Singh (Fij) 73 68 74, Parker McLachlin 69 73 73, Shigeki Maruyama (Jpn) 71 71 73, Frank Lickliter II 72 70 73
216 Jin Park (Kor) 71 73 72, J.B. Holmes 71 73 72, Chris Stroud 73 70 73, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 70 72 74, Jon Mills (Can) 73 70 73
217 Dustin Johnson 72 70 75, Tim Herron 72 72 73, Roland Thatcher 73 71 73, Cliff Kresge 76 67 74, Jamie Lovemark 73 71 73, Jason Gore 73 71 73
218 Brad Adamonis 66 72 80, Kevin Stadler 68 74 76, Sean O'Hair 76 68 74, Brett Wetterich 72 72 74
219 George McNeill 72 72 75, Mark O'Meara 72 72 75, Craig Barlow 71 73 75, Bubba Watson 73 71 75, Marc Turnesa 73 70 76, Tom Pernice Jnr. 71 73 75, Jason Day 72 72 75
220 John Rollins 71 71 78
221 Travis Perkins 76 68 77, Cody Freeman 70 74 77
Labels: Pro Men
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Saturday, January 26, 2008
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