BAD WEATHER MEANS FEWER GOLF ROUNDS IN UNITED STATES

FROM THE GOLFWEEK WEBSITE
Rounds of golf played in the United States fell by 23 percent in March compared with the same month a year ago, according to the industry's latest participation report.
More rain or colder temperatures, and, in some cases, both, led to significant percentage declines, especially in regions stretching from America's Heartland, through the Midwest, and to the Mid-Atlantic.
For the first three months of the year, rounds played nationally declined 15.45% compared with the same period in 2012. Play at public-access courses dropped 23.1% in March and 14.4% for the year-to-date period. 
By comparison, private facilities reported declines of 22.7% and 18.2%, respectively.
The National Golf Rounds Played Report is a joint venture produced collaboratively with Golf Datatech LLC, PGA of America, National Golf Course Owners Association and National Golf Foundation. The March report represents 3,675 participating courses.
The following is a regional breakdown:

CALDWELL GC DOMINATES RENFREWSHIRE BOYS'CHAMPIONSHIP

RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION

PRESS RELEASE

 turnberry.db@gmail.com

When the 16 qualifiers gathered at Kilmacolm Golf Club to compete in the Renfrewshire Golf Union boys’ match-play championship, there were three boys from Caldwell Golf Club in the field.   

At the end of the first two rounds in wet and windy conditions, there were four players left, three of them from Caldwell – a 100% survival record!  

As far as can be ascertained, this has never happened before in the history of the event and it will be up to Old Ranfurly’s Jamie Stewart to put a spoke in the Caldwell wheel.  

His 3 and 1 victory over Jamie Sinnamon (Whinhill) means that he will face Lewis Smith (pictured below) in the semi-final.  Lewis had a 4 and 3 victory over Stephen Wilson (Whinhill).   

Alistair McNaughton (pictured top right) beat Josh Beatt (Fereneze) and Sean Burns (picture on right) eventually overcame Elderslie’s Scott Ewing and they will contest the other semi final.

RENFREWSHIRE NAME AREA TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP LINE-UP FOR CRAIL

Team Manager, David MacFarlane has announced Renfrewshire’s team for the Scottish Area Team Championship to be held at Crail Golf Club. There is only one change from last year with Michael Daily of Erskine replacing Ranfurly Castle’s Sam Binning. 
The rest of the team is:
Matthew Clark and Andrew Farmer (Kilmacolm), Ronnie Clark (Erskine), Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) and Craig Watson (East Renfrewshire).

Renfrewshire won the event the last time that it was hosted by the Crail Golfing Society in 2009 and MacFarlane has been encouraged by early season performances by squad members with Matt Clark second and the team taking six places in the top twelve at the Champion of Champions event.  This coupled with Clark’s win in the Edward Trophy and Michael Daily’s second place in the Battle Trophy augur well for a repeat of the 2009 success.

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TIGER'S PRACTICE PARTNER COOK TELLS GARCIA TO GROW UP AND STOP WHINING

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN
As Tiger Woods was still celebrating winning his fourth event of a season at an earlier stage than ever, one of his closest friends was warning Sergio García to drop the “victim” act.

There were many raised eyebrows when in the aftermath of his dramatic collapse at the Players Championship, Garcia declared: “I’m not the bad guy here – I’m the victim.”

But in the Woods camp, the feeling was that they had heard it all before and that the Spaniard was blaming the petty squabble he had with the world No 1 for a defeat ultimately caused by a quadruple bogey on the penultimate hole.

John Cook, the former tour professional who finished runner-up in two majors, is in absolutely no doubt about what is holding back García.

“Until Sergio accepts the fact that he alone is the guy who can change things, not the golfing gods, then he’s going to end up every week saying the same thing – ‘I’m the victim’, ‘why me?”, said Woods’ regular practice partner.

“Sergio’s got to get over that and accept that as he’s a really good golfer he needs to win big championships. But until he changes his whole persona and attitude he’s not going to win the really big events.”

It is difficult to disagree with Cook, regardless of his bias. While Woods was not without fault in the incident during Saturday’s third round – which featured the Tiger fans screaming on García’s backswing as their hero pulled out a five wood for is next shot in the trees – García took his complaint way too far.

And his lament at the end of the tournament – after he had hit two balls into water on the 17th when level with Woods – was little short of embarrassing.
The Spaniard will head to Wentworth for next week’s BMW PGA Championship looking for his first win of the year.
It is unfair to compare anyone with Woods in this form. Never before has Woods completed his four-timer at this stage of the calendar and all roads now lead to Merion for next month’s US Open.
All that is missing from this resurrection of an icon is the major. Sunday, June 16 is the fifth anniversary since his last major triumph. That is the date of this year’s final day of the US Open.
That stat would obviously resonate, but for now golf can just drop its jaw at Woods’ continued rewriting of the record books. Sawgrass was his 300th event on the US PGA Tour.
He has won 78 of them, finished in the top three 125 times and the top 25 240 times. The last time he won four events before June 1 was in 2001 – and he went on to win the next four majors.
Yet perhaps the most foreboding numbers of all for his rivals were his putting stats at Sawgrass. He was only 38th on the strokes-gained-on-the-greens charts. At his last two wins, he was first and second respectively.
The point is, Woods won his first Players title in 12 years by dint of his ball-striking. The three-year overhaul of his swing under Sean Foley is all but complete. He can move it either way at will, as he showed with two beautifully-controlled draws down the 18th.
Woods will play at the Memorial at the end of the month before the season’s second major in Philadelphia in five weeks. He will also make a reconnaissance mission to Merion as he has yet to visit the revered lay-out.
Perhaps there is a little hope for the rest to cling on to.

ROYAL DORNOCH STAR-STUDDED TEAM WINS LEAGUE TARGE

 Neil Hampton and his Royal Dornoch team with the Dornoch Firth League Targe.L to R: Alex MacDonald, David Pearson, Daniel Holden, Neil  Hampton, Jamie Shepherd, Kevin Matheson and Neil   Munro.

 

By ROBIN WILSON

In the Tain Golf Clubhouse last weekend Royal Dornoch Golf Club handed back the Miller Quaich to Brora  then quickly replaced it in their trophy room with the Dornoch Firth League Targe.

Unlike the Miller Quaich scenario there was no asking for  a recount after Royal Dornoch crept closer to Brora's record league- winning years with a repeat of their success from five years ago over the Tain links with a star-studded team of two Sutherland county champions, Kevin Matheson and Davie Pearson, Carnegie Shield winner Alex MacDonald and captained by their club manager and past North District champion, Neil Hampton.

Matheson and Pearson were the only two players who completed the weekend unbeaten in the fixtures against Brora, Golspie, Tain and Invergordon.

The Dornoch line- up was completed by Dean O'Brien, Neil Munro, Daniel Holden and Jamie Shepherd.

On Saturday morning the 2013 winners opened their account with a 6-1 win over Golspie. In the afternoon they took their points to 10½, with a win 4.5 to 2.5 result over the hosts by winning the top three games before Billy Ferries got Tain's first point.

Mike Sangster earned them a half point and Iain Cowper Tain's second full point.

Saturday afternoon saw also a result that could not be recalled in the history of the league, Golspie beat Brora! 

Over many years Michael Bonner has been Golspie's battle warhorse and still good enough to take a point from the Brora secretary, Tony Gill, but even Bonner was eclipsed when Colin (Scooty) Sutherland beat the great Jim Miller on the final green for Golspie to emerge with their memorable 4-3 result.

Last season's winners, Invergordon became the whipping boys on Sunday, Golspie beating them  in the morning 4-3. In an afternoon of embarrassment all seven Invergordon players failed to win a game in the triple match against Brora and Royal Dornoch.

The Dornoch team arrived for their Sunday ties with Jamie Shepherd in for Dean O'Brien and proceeded to whip Brora 4.5 to 2.5, Shepherd losing to Gill, but against their Invergordon opposition they both won comfortably to bring in the whitewash 7-0 results.

Royal Dornoch's final points tally rose to 22, Tain came second with 19.5, then Brora 14, Golspie 9 and Invergordon 5.5.  The league fixtures in 2014 will return to Brora Golf Club.

Match Results

Saturday

Tain 4.5, Invergordon 2.5

Golspie 1, Royal Dornoch 6

Royal Dornoch 4.5, Tain 2.5

Brora 3, Golspie 4

Sunday

Tain 5.5, Brora 1.5

Golspie 4, Invergordon 3

Tain 7, Invergordon 0

Brora 2.5, Royal Dornoch 4.5

Brora 7, Invergordon 0

Royal Dornoch 7, Invergordon 0. 

ARNIE INSPIRES PAUL O'HARA TO AUCHTERARDER WIN

Arnold Palmer with Paul O'Hara and Majorca-based, Scottish-born lady pro Lauren Mackin at Bay Hill Club, Florida

By COLIN FARQUHARSON

Colin@scottishgolfview.com

Paul O'Hara met Arnold Palmer on a recent trip to Florida. Something the Great Man told the Clydeway Golf assistant professional must have clicked with Paul because today (Monday) he headed the field for the Scottish qualifying round at Auchterarder Golf Club of the Powerade PGA Assistants championship.
In cold, wet - sleet showers! - and windy conditions, Steven O'Hara's kid brother  shot a one-under-par 68 with a bag of six birdies - the fifth, short eighth, long ninth, 10th, short 12th and long 15th.
Paul, settling down to PGA training after playing on the Alps Tour and other circuits, looked set to return at least a 66, which would have represented great golf in awful weather, but then the cold got to him and he bogeyed the last two holes.
Scott McGrenagahn (Cochrane Castle) and Colin Robinson (Prestonfield) were joint runners-up on par 69.
In all, the leading 18, with scores of 75 and better, qualified for the Powerade PGA Assistants Championship at Coventry from August 7 to 9.
Gullane female assistant Emma Fairnie was among those who failed by a shot on the 76 mark. But another Gullane assistant, Keir McNicoll did make it through on 73.
The 18 qualifiers were:
68 Paul O'Hara (Clydeway Golf).
69 Scott McGrenaghan (Cochrane Castle), Colin Robinson (Prestonfield).
71 Ewan Macpherson (Archerfield).
72 Neil Cameron (Blairgowrie), James Mackay (North Gailes).
73 Paul Wilson (Cawder), Keir McNicoll (Gullane), Paul Robinson (Largs), Calum Lawson (unatt), David Addison (Kilmarnock Barassie), Gordon Hillson (Dunbar), Oliver Huish (North Berwick).
74 Ian Anderson (Colville Park), Jordan Gallagher (Douglas Park), Martin Shaw (Whitecraigs), Christian MacLeod (Loch Ness).
75 Cameron Marr (Musselburgh).

NON-QUALIFIERS INCLUDED
76 Louis Gaughan (Bathgate), Ian Dean (Murrayfield), Michael Patterson (Kilmacolm), Ryan Stirling (Lanark), Emma Fairnie (Gullane), Andrew Munro (Musselburgh), Ross McConnachie (Peterculter), Murray Patterson (Cruden Bay).

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES

CLICK HERE

HUGH HUNTER'S CLACKMANNAN COUNTY NEWS

   ANOTHER THRILLING COUNTY FOURS. 

With great tenacity over the inward nine in both their semi-final and final , Alloa took the 2013 title at Tulliallan in difficult conditions.   In the semi-finals, Tulliallan won easily against Dollar, but Alloa had to go to the second extra hole in a sudden death to defeat the 2012 champions Braehead. 

The match was close and Alloa snatched a play off with a 10 ft putt, Braehead missing from shorter range.  In the increasing darkness, a birdie 3 at the second hole secured the tie.  

 In the final, the match went towards Alloa over the closing holes.

  SEMI - FINALS

Tulliallan beat Dollar by 10 holes. .

Alloa beat Braehead by one hole.

 Braehead names first:

Ross Benvie and Allan Watson bt Ian Ross and Andrew Main by    7 holes.

Rikky Alexander and Scott McChristie lost to Jamie Aitken and Craig White by 5 holes

Jim Muir and David Finlayson lost to David Milloy and Ian Guthrie by 2 holes

 Sudden-death play-off:

Hole 1 halved in 4
Hole 2 Alloa win with 3 to 4.    

Result-- Alloa win by  1 hole

FINAL     

ALLOA bt TULLIALLAN by one hole

Tulliallan names first

Bob Stewart and Gordon Lyons halved with Ian Ross/ Andrew Main.

James McAdam and Davie Fulton lost to David Milloy and David Abernethy by 1 hole

Steven Horne and John Maxwell halved with Craig White and Jamie Aitken.

 MURRAY TRIUMPHS IN COUNTY BOYS.

 In difficult rainy conditions, Braehead’s Grant Murray took the 2013 Clackmannan boys' title with a narrow win over the 2012 hampion Rikky Alexander and Brian McAdam.   

All three scored a scratch 75, but Murray took the trophy on the best inward nine.  

 In the Junior Boys' section,  Alloa’s Jamie McEwan took the title by six shots from Cameron McCorgray.

  RESULTS

SENIOR BOYS     

Scratch

1 Grant Murray (Braehead) 75

             2 Rikky Alexander (Braehead) 75

Handicap 

1 Jonathan Clark (Tillicoultry) 70.

2 Brian McAdam (Alloa) 70.

JUNIOR BOYS     
 Scratch 
1 Jamie McEwan   93

2 Cameron McCorgray 99.

Handicap
1 Harris McGrath 68.
2 Ross Logan 80.

The Boys' Match Play events will be held soon with the draws in the Clubs.

COUNTY SUMMER MEETING

 The County Summer Meeting was held last Saturday with over 70 golfers competing at Braehead.   Full results will be notified to Clubs--- the best scores  (to be confirmed) of the day were a scratch 67 by Steven Horne(Tulliallan) and net 66’s from N Cully and A McInness.

  The field for the County Match Play Championship is now complete, and the draw will be available shortly in local Clubs.  The first round is at Dollar Golf Club on Monday 27th May, teeing off at 5.30 pm.

 SCOTT CONTINUES THE GOOD WORK

Dollar’s Scott Borrowman continued his good work with a high placing in the Irish Amateur held at Royal Dublin.  In very tough, windy conditions, Scott was one of the six who made the cut out of the 18 Scottish entries.

He distinguished himself with the lowest and only sub-par round in the second round of the event, scoring 71.  He fell back with a run of bogeys in the third round, but steadied in the final round, finishing with an aggregate of 300  ( 78,71,76,75) and a 17th equal position.

   WEEKEND GOLF EVENTS

The highlight of the County calendar is the Area Team event at Crail this weekend when the Clackmannan team of six will be hoping to finish in the top four Areas out of the sixteen after 36 holes' stroke play.  A tall order indeed but best of luck!

Nearer home, the Tillicoultry Opens are on this weekend. Division 1 is on Saturday, Division 2 on Sunday) while there is  a four-ball Open at Braehead (Saturday), a Belhaven Invitational (Tulliallan) and a mixed open at Dollar, both Sunday.   

 Late entries may be available by contacting the golf clubs concerned.  

 

TIGER, TIGER BURNING BRIGHT AGAIN .. WINS THE 'FIFTH' MAJOR BY TWO

LEADING final totals in one of the most exciting and controversial  Players Championships for years. Americans like to call it the "Fifth Major." On this past weekend's showing, it deserves the tag.

Par 288

Players from USA unless stated
275 Tiger Woods 67 67 71 70
277 Kevin Streelman 69 70 71 67, Jeff Maggert 70 71 66 70, David Lingmerth (Sweden) 68 68 69 72.
278 Martin Laird (Scotland) 71 67 73 67, Ryan Palmer 67 69 70 72, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 68 67 71 72
281 Ben Crane 69 71 72 69, Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 66 72 73 70, Brandt Snedeker 71 69 71 7, Marc Leishman (Australia) 72 66  71 72, Lee Westwood (England) 69 66 74 72, Casey Wittenberg 67 69 70 75, Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 65 72 76  

SELECTED TOTALS
283 Luke Donald (England) 72 69 73 69, Adam Scott (Australia) 69 68 75 71, Roberto Castro 63 78 71 71, Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) 69 75 67 72 (T19).
284 David Lynn (England) 72 68 68 76 (T26)
286 Bubba Watson 73 70 70 73 (T37)
294 Brian Davis (England) 78 66 75 75 (T72)
295 Padraig Harrington (Ireland) 68 76 75 76 (T75).

+Picture of Tiger Woods with the trophy by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

TIGER WOODS HAS LAST LAUGH OVER SERGIO GARCIA - HE TAKES THE PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By James Corrigan at Ponte Vedra, Florida
Tiger Woods had the last laugh here on Sunday night when, in extraordinary scenes, Sergio García handed his nemesis The Players Championship title when hitting two balls into the water on Sawgrass’s notorious 17th.

What a weekend this was in the fraught, if highly entertaining, Woods-García narrative. The pair threw barbs at each other across the media after Garcia claimed he had been distracted in the third round, and then proceeded to throw birdies at each other yesterday – not to mention double and quadruple bogeys.

After Woods had conceded a two-shot lead when visiting the water on the par-four 14th, Garcia stepped on to the 17th tee chasing the birdie 2 which would take him ahead of Woods, who by now was on the 18th tee. 
But the Spaniard was too aggressive, hitting not one but two balls into the lake on his way to a catastrophic 7 at this signature Sawgrass hole..

At the denouement of a tournament in which Woods basically accused him of whinging, it was perhaps appropriate that García had nobody to blame but himself.

A crestfallen García also found the water off the 18th tee and, having dropped six shots on the last two holes, his 76 left him outside the top five in a tale of personal woe which many will believe sums up his unfulfilled talent. From being in contention to win £1.2 million he collected under £200,000.

In contrast, Woods marched to his third win in his last four events and did so at a venue which has been anything but a happy hunting ground in recent years.

• Garcia and Woods trade insults
  12 May 2013
• Garcia riled by timing of Tiger
  12 May 2013

This was his second Players title and his first in 12 years after a decade with just one top 10 here. Having tapped in for a 70 and a 13-under total, Woods was two clear of the unheralded Swede David Lingmerth and two other Americans in Jeff Maggert and Kevin Streelman.
So the golf world will head to Merion for next month’s US Open with Woods having done everything but win a major in the last five years. In truth, only the fools will continue to ask “is he back?” The 37-year-old has a commanding lead in the rankings, having won four of the seven events he has played this season.
In his recent run he has prevailed in a WGC event and the tournament widely considered superior to all but the majors. The anticipation intensifies.
The squabble with García only serves to make this continued comeback from all his troubles that much more delicious.
On Saturday, García criticised Woods when he was put off in mid-swing by the Tiger fans cheering on their hero’s decision to use a wood to escape the trees. Woods hit back, saying he was not surprised that García had found something to complain about. Par for the course.
Back came Garcia with a retort – “at least I’m true to myself”.
On Sunday García went further, expressing his relief that he did not have to partner Woods again. “He’s not the nicest person on Tour,” García said.
No, but he is quite easily the best competitor and this is only exaggerated when he is angry. There is a list of rivals who would testify to that after having their words rammed back down their throat.
García added: "I'm coming across as the bad guy but I'm actually the victim here."
Of course, Woods should not be able to do what he pleases, but he did seem entirely innocent in this incident – he could not have known García was about to play – and one cannot help but wonder what García was hoping to accomplish.
They resumed their third rounds at 7.10am and closed out in a tie on 11-under with Lingmerth. But with a fine chip on the par-five second to five feet, an eight-footer on the fourth, a 14-footer on the seventh and a 15-footer on the 12th, Woods calmly moved clear.
Yet then came the 14th and a play-off with García suddenly seemed likely when the veteran Maggert found his own watery hell on the 17th.
Cue García’s disaster. In a tie for fifth came Scotland’s Martin Laird and in a tie for eighth were Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood. But this was all about Woods and García. Make that another score settled. 

GARCIA'S NIGHTMARE FINISH
REPORT FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
 By PGATOUR.COM wire services
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida -- A weekend filled with sharp words between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia came down to one last showdown Sunday in THE PLAYERS Championship, this one staged across the water in a tiny, terrifying section of TPC Sawgrass.

Final leaderboard
Final results, points
FedExCup standings
Winner's bag: Tiger
Video: Tiger's finish
Video: Sergio's 7 on 17
Woods interview

Tied for the lead with two holes to play, Woods kept his shots on land and made two pars.
Garcia hit three balls into the water for a quadruple bogey-double bogey finish.
If there was special satisfaction in beating Garcia again, Woods kept that to himself. What mattered was having a chance to win, closing it out like he does so often, and capturing the richest prize on the PGA TOUR for the first time in a dozen years.
"We just go out there and play," Woods said. "I had an opportunity to win the golf tournament when I was tied for the lead today, and I thought I handled the situation well and really played well today when I really needed to. And that's something I'm excited about it."
Woods picked up 600 FedExCup points with his victory to increase his lead in the season-long standings.
He allowed the final hour to turn into a tense duel by hooking his tee shot into the water on the 14th hole for double bogey. But his short game bailed him out to save par on the 15th and he made a critical birdie on the 16th, and he was solid on the final two holes for a 2-under 70.
If only it were that simple for the Spaniard.
Garcia was standing on the 17th tee shot, staring across to the island green to watch Woods make his par. He took aim at the flag with his wedge and hung his head when he saw the ball splashed down short of the green. Then, Garcia hit another one in the water on his way to a quadruple-bogey 7. The meltdown was complete when Garcia hit his tee shot into the water on the 18th.
"It's always nice to have a chance at beating the No. 1 player in the world, but unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to this week," Garcia said.
Woods was in the scoring trailer when he watched on TV as Swedish rookie David Lingmerth missed a long birdie putt that would have forced a playoff. It raced by the cup, and Lingmerth three-putted for bogey.
"How about that?" Woods said to his caddie, Joe LaCava as he gave him a hug.
Woods finished on 13-under 275.
He won THE PLAYERS for the first time since 2001 and became the fifth multiple winner at TPC Sawgrass since THE PLAYERS moved to this former swamp in 1982. It was his 78th career win on the PGA TOUR, four short of the record held by Sam Snead. And it was his first time winning with his girlfriend, Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn, at the tournament.
Lingmerth closed with a 72 and finished two shots behind along with Kevin Streelman (67) and Jeff Maggert, who also was tied for the lead until finding the water on the 17th to make double bogey. The 49-year-old Maggert birdied the 18th for a 70.
Garcia took 13 shots to cover the final two holes – 6 over -- and tumbled into a tie for eighth.
There was a four-way tie for the lead after Woods made his double bogey, and the infamous 17th green took out Maggert and Garcia. After Garcia went into the water twice, Lingmerth missed an 8-foot birdie putt that would have tied him for the lead.
Given their public sniping at each other over the weekend, it was only fitting that Garcia had the best chance to beat Woods.
Their dispute started Saturday when Garcia complained in a TV interview that his shot from the par-5 second fairway was disrupted by cheers from the crowd around Woods, who was some 50 yards away in the trees and fired them up by taking a fairway metal out of his bag. He said Woods should have been paying attention, and it became a war of the words the next two days.
"Not real surprising that he's complaining about something," Woods said.
"At least I'm true to myself," Garcia retorted. "I know what I'm doing, and he can do whatever he wants."
When they finished the storm-delayed third round Sunday morning, Garcia kept at it, saying that Woods is "not the nicest guy on TOUR."
Woods had the last laugh. He had the trophy.
Garcia, when asked if he would have changed anything about the flap with Woods, replied, "It sounds like I was the bad guy here. I was the victim. I don't have any regrets of anything."
The real villain was the infamous 17th hole.
"When you've got water in front of the green, that's not a good time to be short of the green. You know, it was close," Maggert said. "What can I say? A wrong shot at the wrong time and you get penalized on this golf course."
It was at the 17th hole five years ago where Garcia won THE PLAYERS Championship, when Paul Goydos hit into the water in a sudden-death playoff. This time, the island green got its revenge on him. Garcia hit a wedge and felt he caught it just a little bit thin, which is usually all it takes.
"That hole has been good to me for the most part," Garcia said. "Today, it wasn't. That's the way it is. That's the kind of hole it is. You've got to love it for what it is."
Woods earned $1.71 million, pushing his season total to over $5.8 million in just seven tournaments. This is the 12th season he has won at least four times -- that used to be the standard of a great year before he joined the PGA TOUR in 1996 -- and this was the quickest he has reached four wins in a year.
It was the second time has won on Mother's Day.
"Sorry, Mom," he said into the camera. "I think she might have had a heart attack. I was in control of the tournament, and I just hit the worst shot I could possibly hit."
Typical of Woods these days, there were questions about where he took the drop -- some 255 yards from the hole. NBC Sports analyst Johnny Miller suggested it was "borderline" where he took the drop. But Mark Russell, vice president of competition for the PGA TOUR, said there was nothing wrong with the drop. Woods conferred with Casey Wittenberg, who said there was "no doubt" that Woods took the drop in the right spot.
"He asked me exactly where it crossed," Wittenberg said. "I told him I thought it crossed on the corner of the bunker, right where he took his drop. And it's all good."
Woods wound up with a double bogey, and he nearly fell out of the lead on the 15th until he saved par with an 8-foot putt.
"The shot that turned the tide was the putt on 15," Woods said. "To go double bogey-bogey would have been huge. But to save a putt there and get some momentum going to the next three holes was big."
Woods and Garcia played four tension-free holes Sunday morning to complete the third round, and they shook hands without words when they finished -- Woods with a 71, Garcia with a 72 to share the 54-hole lead with Lingmerth.
With a three-way tie, Garcia wound up in the final group because he was first to play at the start of the third round.
Garcia, however, continued to fuel the bad feelings between them.
He told Sky Sports, "I'm not going to lie, he's not my favorite guy to play with. He's not the nicest guy on TOUR." 
And then he told Golf Channel, "We don't enjoy each other's company. You don't need to be a rocket engineer to figure that out."
Woods downplayed the episode and said it didn't matter who joined him on the tee. "I'm tied for the lead, so I'm right there."
And that's where he usually wins. Woods now is 53-4 in his PGA TOUR career when he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round.