BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL REPLAYS HOYLAKE LAST-DAY DUEL
- FROM THE US PGA TOUR WEBSITE
-
Rory McIlroy narrowed Sergio Garcia's lead Saturday with five birdies and only one bogey to shoot a 4-under 66. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
GARCIA LEADS BY THREE FROM
McILROY THIS TIME ROUND
AKRON, Ohio -- It will be Rory McIlroy-Sergio Garcia on Sunday with the Northern Irisman McIlroy doing the chasing at Firestone Country Club.
Garcia shot 67 Saturday at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, where he has a three-stroke lead over McIlroy going into the final round.
McIlroy birdied each of his last two holes, including the 18th, where he poured in a 35ft putt to cap a 66 and play his way into the last group.
“It's going to be nice,” Garcia said of being paired with his good friend McIlroy.
“I think we're both excited about it. It will be nice to see if I can do the same thing he did to me a couple of weeks ago.”
That was when McIlroy took a six-shot lead into the final day at The Open Championship. Playing in the second-to-last group and seven shots back, Garcia forged a brilliant 66 to finish in a tie for second, two strokes behind winner McIlroy.
This time the pressure will be on the Spaniard.
It can’t be ignored that Garcia has held a 54-hole lead 11 times in his career on the US PGA Tour and only converted three of them.
He is also one of just six players to enter a final round with a six-stroke lead and lose -- at the 2005 Wells Fargo Championship.
But all week and all season Garcia has talked about how happy he is, on and off the course. It has shown in the results.
In 11 starts on the US PGA Tour, Garcia has finished in the top 5 five times. The only thing missing, of course, is a win.
“More than anything, yeah, it's easy to manage your emotions a little bit better,” Garcia said when asked about finding balance outside the ropes and the impact it can have inside them.
“It's easier to take mistakes in a better way. That probably comes down to saving shots at the end of the day, not letting mistakes affect you as much. If you make them, just kind of deal with them and move on.”
Garcia hasn’t made many this week. He has two bogeys over three rounds, is tied for first in distance of putts made and fourth in strokes gained-putting.
Neither has McIlroy, though. He’s second in driving distance and fourth in greens in regulation.
“I've never driven the ball better,” said McIlroy, who is averaging 319 yards off the tee this week.
“I feel really comfortable with that part of my game, and that part of my game is the foundation of my game.
“It will be nice to play alongside Sergio on Sunday and at least keep an eye on what's going on. I’ll try to apply a bit of pressure when I can, but just really looking forward to getting in there and having another chance to win a tournament so soon after what happened at Hoylake a few weeks ago.”
So is Garcia.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
par 210 (3x70) Players from USA unless stated otherwise
196 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 61 67
199 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 69 64 66
201 Marc Leishman (Australia) 64 69 68
202 Adam Scott (Australia) 69 68 65, Keegan Bradley 68 67 67, Justin Rose (England) 65 67 70
204 Brandt Snedeker 68 68 68
205 J B Holmes 69 69 67, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 66 68
SELECTED OTHER SCORES
206 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 69 68 69, Jim Furyk 69 68 69, Patrick Reed 67 68 71, Rickie Fowler 67 67 72 (T10)
207 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 71 70 66 (T18).
209 Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 68 70 71 (T26)
210 Ernie Els (Africa) 71 69 70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 69 69 72, Francesco Molinari (Italy) 67 70 73 (T32)
211 David Howell (England) 69 71 71, Victori Dubuisson (France) 72 70 69, Tiger Woods 68 71 72 (T36)
213 Lee Westwood (England) 72 71 70, Phil Mickelson 71 73 69 (T44)
214 Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 74 71 69 (T49)
215 Luke Donald (England) 73 70 72 (T52)
216 Ian Poulter (England) 73 73 70 (T58)
217 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 72 68 72, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 79 71 67 (T60)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
McILROY THIS TIME ROUND
AKRON, Ohio -- It will be Rory McIlroy-Sergio Garcia on Sunday with the Northern Irisman McIlroy doing the chasing at Firestone Country Club.
Garcia shot 67 Saturday at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational, where he has a three-stroke lead over McIlroy going into the final round.
McIlroy birdied each of his last two holes, including the 18th, where he poured in a 35ft putt to cap a 66 and play his way into the last group.
“It's going to be nice,” Garcia said of being paired with his good friend McIlroy.
“I think we're both excited about it. It will be nice to see if I can do the same thing he did to me a couple of weeks ago.”
That was when McIlroy took a six-shot lead into the final day at The Open Championship. Playing in the second-to-last group and seven shots back, Garcia forged a brilliant 66 to finish in a tie for second, two strokes behind winner McIlroy.
This time the pressure will be on the Spaniard.
It can’t be ignored that Garcia has held a 54-hole lead 11 times in his career on the US PGA Tour and only converted three of them.
He is also one of just six players to enter a final round with a six-stroke lead and lose -- at the 2005 Wells Fargo Championship.
But all week and all season Garcia has talked about how happy he is, on and off the course. It has shown in the results.
In 11 starts on the US PGA Tour, Garcia has finished in the top 5 five times. The only thing missing, of course, is a win.
“More than anything, yeah, it's easy to manage your emotions a little bit better,” Garcia said when asked about finding balance outside the ropes and the impact it can have inside them.
“It's easier to take mistakes in a better way. That probably comes down to saving shots at the end of the day, not letting mistakes affect you as much. If you make them, just kind of deal with them and move on.”
Garcia hasn’t made many this week. He has two bogeys over three rounds, is tied for first in distance of putts made and fourth in strokes gained-putting.
Neither has McIlroy, though. He’s second in driving distance and fourth in greens in regulation.
“I've never driven the ball better,” said McIlroy, who is averaging 319 yards off the tee this week.
“I feel really comfortable with that part of my game, and that part of my game is the foundation of my game.
“It will be nice to play alongside Sergio on Sunday and at least keep an eye on what's going on. I’ll try to apply a bit of pressure when I can, but just really looking forward to getting in there and having another chance to win a tournament so soon after what happened at Hoylake a few weeks ago.”
So is Garcia.
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
par 210 (3x70) Players from USA unless stated otherwise
196 Sergio Garcia (Spain) 68 61 67
199 Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) 69 64 66
201 Marc Leishman (Australia) 64 69 68
202 Adam Scott (Australia) 69 68 65, Keegan Bradley 68 67 67, Justin Rose (England) 65 67 70
204 Brandt Snedeker 68 68 68
205 J B Holmes 69 69 67, Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 71 66 68
SELECTED OTHER SCORES
206 Thomas Bjorn (Denmark) 69 68 69, Jim Furyk 69 68 69, Patrick Reed 67 68 71, Rickie Fowler 67 67 72 (T10)
207 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland) 71 70 66 (T18).
209 Jamie Donaldson (Wales) 68 70 71 (T26)
210 Ernie Els (Africa) 71 69 70, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 69 69 72, Francesco Molinari (Italy) 67 70 73 (T32)
211 David Howell (England) 69 71 71, Victori Dubuisson (France) 72 70 69, Tiger Woods 68 71 72 (T36)
213 Lee Westwood (England) 72 71 70, Phil Mickelson 71 73 69 (T44)
214 Stephen Gallacher (Scotland) 74 71 69 (T49)
215 Luke Donald (England) 73 70 72 (T52)
216 Ian Poulter (England) 73 73 70 (T58)
217 Martin Kaymer (Germany) 72 68 72, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain) 79 71 67 (T60)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 03, 2014
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