One round to go in United States Open
Tiger leads from Westwood after
birdie-eagle finish
Tiger Woods produced a superb finish to his third round on Saturday to take the lead of the US Open ahead of Lee Westwood.
The world number one played the final two holes of his third round in three-under-par, carding an eagle at the par-five 18th to take a one-stroke lead at Torrey Pines, San Diego in southern California.
It means Woods is in great shape to win his third US Open and 14th major championship.
Westwood finished two groups ahead of Woods after carding a 70 and, at two-under 211, he was alone in the lead at the time. However, Woods chipped in from the rough at 17, his ball taking one bounce before gently glancing the flagstick and dropping into the cup. And on 18, Woods split the fairway and launched his second shot onto the green with a fairway wood, grimacing in pain after the shot. It didn't affect him on his putt, as he dropped a 35-footer that was never headed anywhere but the hole.
"It's more sore," Woods said of his leg. "As soon as I get out of here I'm going to put some ice on it.It does affect what I'm trying to do. It acts up on certain shots, I can't say it's a driver and I can't say it's a wedge. Certain shots I just feel it more on."
Woods' closing eagle may have taken the lead away from Westwood, but it didn't take the Englishman out of contention. In fact, while Woods was flashier in posting his 70, Westwood was more steady in his, carding 15 pars with two birdies and a bogey in the par-three eighth where he three-putted.
"I'm very pleased. It's just the position I wanted to be in," Westwood said. "I've played very solidly the first three days and was good today. I've been thinking well out there."
Westwood is one of only three players under-par, the other being Rocco Mediate who shot a one-over 72 and is in third at one-under 212. Mediate had the lead for much of the day and was at four-under after a birdie at 10. He bogeyed 15 and then doubled 15 followed by a bogey at 16 to drop to even-par. A birdie at 17 got him back in red numbers and kept him with a chance entering Sunday.
"I hit my ball really, really good most of the day," Mediate said. "It was in front of me. I missed a couple of shots, but I really liked the way I reacted."
DJ Trahan and 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy are tied for fourth at one-over 214. Robert Allenby, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karklsson, Hunter Mahan and Camilo Villegas are another stroke back.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
209 Tiger Woods (US) 72 68 70.
211 Lee Westwood (Eng) 70 71 70 .
212 Rocco Mediate (US) 69 71 72.
214 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 73 72, D.J. Trahan 72 69 73
215 Hunter Mahan 72 74 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 72 73, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 75 66 74, Camilo Villegas (Col) 73 71 71, R Karlsson (Swe) 70 70 75
216 John Merrick 73 72 71, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 76 70 70, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 72 74, Mike Weir (Can) 73 74 69
217 Davis Love III 72 69 76, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 72 71 74, Brandt Jobe 73 75 69, Brandt Snedeker 76 73 68
218 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 74 73 71, Jim Furyk 74 71 73, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 75 70 73, Scott Verplank 72 72 74
219 Patrick Sheehan 71 74 74, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 74 70 75, Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 71 75, Eric Axley 69 79 71, Jeff Quinney 79 70 70, Anthony Kim 74 75 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 74 75 70, Boo Weekley 73 76 70, Luke Donald (Eng) 71 71 77, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 71 77, Tim Clark (Rsa) 73 72 74
220 Steve Stricker 73 76 71, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 73 72 75, Michael Thompson 74 73 73, Chad Campbell 77 72 71, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 75 73 72, Joe Ogilvie 71 76 73, David Toms 76 72 72
221 Dustin Johnson 74 72 75, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 73 75, Andres Romero (Arg) 71 73 77, Woody Austin 72 72 77, Todd Hamilton 74 74 73
222 Stewart Cink 72 73 77, Matt Kuchar 73 73 76, Andrew Svoboda 77 71 74, Jon Mills (Can) 72 75 75, Phil Mickelson 71 75 76, D.A. Points 74 71 77, John Rollins 75 68 79, Justin Leonard 75 72 75, Brett Quigley 73 72 77, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 76 69 77, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 78 67 77
223 Pat Perez 75 73 75, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 73 75 75, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 75 74 74, Bart Bryant 75 70 78, Justin Hicks 68 80 75, Alastair Forsyth (Sco) 76 73 74, Heath Slocum 75 74 74, Kevin Streelman 68 77 78
224 Derek Fathauer 73 73 78, Ben Crane 75 72 77, Soren Hansen (Den) 78 70 76, Ian Leggatt (Can) 72 76 76
225 Nick Watney 73 75 77, Paul Casey (Eng) 79 70 76, Vijay Singh (Fij) 71 78 76, Rickie Fowler 70 79 76, Stephen Ames (Can) 74 74 77
226 John Mallinger 73 75 78, Ross McGowan (Eng) 76 72 78, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 77 72 77
227 Chris Kirk 75 74 78
228 Rich Beem 74 74 80, Andrew Dresser 76 73 79k. Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, John Merrick and Mike Weir are tied for 11th at three-over 216.
birdie-eagle finish
Tiger Woods produced a superb finish to his third round on Saturday to take the lead of the US Open ahead of Lee Westwood.
The world number one played the final two holes of his third round in three-under-par, carding an eagle at the par-five 18th to take a one-stroke lead at Torrey Pines, San Diego in southern California.
It means Woods is in great shape to win his third US Open and 14th major championship.
Westwood finished two groups ahead of Woods after carding a 70 and, at two-under 211, he was alone in the lead at the time. However, Woods chipped in from the rough at 17, his ball taking one bounce before gently glancing the flagstick and dropping into the cup. And on 18, Woods split the fairway and launched his second shot onto the green with a fairway wood, grimacing in pain after the shot. It didn't affect him on his putt, as he dropped a 35-footer that was never headed anywhere but the hole.
"It's more sore," Woods said of his leg. "As soon as I get out of here I'm going to put some ice on it.It does affect what I'm trying to do. It acts up on certain shots, I can't say it's a driver and I can't say it's a wedge. Certain shots I just feel it more on."
Woods' closing eagle may have taken the lead away from Westwood, but it didn't take the Englishman out of contention. In fact, while Woods was flashier in posting his 70, Westwood was more steady in his, carding 15 pars with two birdies and a bogey in the par-three eighth where he three-putted.
"I'm very pleased. It's just the position I wanted to be in," Westwood said. "I've played very solidly the first three days and was good today. I've been thinking well out there."
Westwood is one of only three players under-par, the other being Rocco Mediate who shot a one-over 72 and is in third at one-under 212. Mediate had the lead for much of the day and was at four-under after a birdie at 10. He bogeyed 15 and then doubled 15 followed by a bogey at 16 to drop to even-par. A birdie at 17 got him back in red numbers and kept him with a chance entering Sunday.
"I hit my ball really, really good most of the day," Mediate said. "It was in front of me. I missed a couple of shots, but I really liked the way I reacted."
DJ Trahan and 2006 US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy are tied for fourth at one-over 214. Robert Allenby, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karklsson, Hunter Mahan and Camilo Villegas are another stroke back.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 213 (3 x 71)
209 Tiger Woods (US) 72 68 70.
211 Lee Westwood (Eng) 70 71 70 .
212 Rocco Mediate (US) 69 71 72.
214 Geoff Ogilvy (Aus) 69 73 72, D.J. Trahan 72 69 73
215 Hunter Mahan 72 74 69, Robert Allenby (Aus) 70 72 73, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 75 66 74, Camilo Villegas (Col) 73 71 71, R Karlsson (Swe) 70 70 75
216 John Merrick 73 72 71, Sergio Garcia (Spa) 76 70 70, Ernie Els (Rsa) 70 72 74, Mike Weir (Can) 73 74 69
217 Davis Love III 72 69 76, Oliver Wilson (Eng) 72 71 74, Brandt Jobe 73 75 69, Brandt Snedeker 76 73 68
218 Aaron Baddeley (Aus) 74 73 71, Jim Furyk 74 71 73, Martin Kaymer (Ger) 75 70 73, Scott Verplank 72 72 74
219 Patrick Sheehan 71 74 74, Rodney Pampling (Aus) 74 70 75, Robert Dinwiddie (Eng) 73 71 75, Eric Axley 69 79 71, Jeff Quinney 79 70 70, Anthony Kim 74 75 70, Ryuji Imada (Jpn) 74 75 70, Boo Weekley 73 76 70, Luke Donald (Eng) 71 71 77, Carl Pettersson (Swe) 71 71 77, Tim Clark (Rsa) 73 72 74
220 Steve Stricker 73 76 71, Rory Sabbatini (Rsa) 73 72 75, Michael Thompson 74 73 73, Chad Campbell 77 72 71, Trevor Immelman (Rsa) 75 73 72, Joe Ogilvie 71 76 73, David Toms 76 72 72
221 Dustin Johnson 74 72 75, Adam Scott (Aus) 73 73 75, Andres Romero (Arg) 71 73 77, Woody Austin 72 72 77, Todd Hamilton 74 74 73
222 Stewart Cink 72 73 77, Matt Kuchar 73 73 76, Andrew Svoboda 77 71 74, Jon Mills (Can) 72 75 75, Phil Mickelson 71 75 76, D.A. Points 74 71 77, John Rollins 75 68 79, Justin Leonard 75 72 75, Brett Quigley 73 72 77, Retief Goosen (Rsa) 76 69 77, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 78 67 77
223 Pat Perez 75 73 75, Daniel Chopra (Swe) 73 75 75, Jarrod Lyle (Aus) 75 74 74, Bart Bryant 75 70 78, Justin Hicks 68 80 75, Alastair Forsyth (Sco) 76 73 74, Heath Slocum 75 74 74, Kevin Streelman 68 77 78
224 Derek Fathauer 73 73 78, Ben Crane 75 72 77, Soren Hansen (Den) 78 70 76, Ian Leggatt (Can) 72 76 76
225 Nick Watney 73 75 77, Paul Casey (Eng) 79 70 76, Vijay Singh (Fij) 71 78 76, Rickie Fowler 70 79 76, Stephen Ames (Can) 74 74 77
226 John Mallinger 73 75 78, Ross McGowan (Eng) 76 72 78, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 77 72 77
227 Chris Kirk 75 74 78
228 Rich Beem 74 74 80, Andrew Dresser 76 73 79k. Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, John Merrick and Mike Weir are tied for 11th at three-over 216.
Labels: US OPEN
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, June 15, 2008
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