Sunday, June 3, 2001
Azinger holds lead over Woods in suspended
third round
By TIM DAHLBERG
AP Sports Writer
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Paul Azinger was trying hard not to get
frustrated. Two straight bogeys had given Tiger Woods the lead,
and now Azinger was deep in the left rough on the sixth hole after
a wayward drive.
A bit irritated, Azinger leaned on his driver and it snapped in
two. It could have been a disaster. It turned out to be just what
he needed.
Playing without his driver, Azinger promptly went 3 under par
over his last nine holes Saturday to regain the lead before play
was suspended in the rain-plagued Memorial tournament.
“I didn't miss a fairway after that,” Azinger said.
Azinger held off Woods but couldn't finish what he started as
the Memorial went into the early evening hours Saturday before
play was stopped with Azinger through 14 holes and Woods and Sergio
Garcia on the 15th green.
A long, soggy day ended with Azinger at 11 under and Woods and
Garcia — who were at 9 under — looking at eagle putts
on the 15th hole when they return Sunday morning to complete the
third round.
“I will be dreaming about the break on 15,” Garcia said.
“Hopefully I will dream I will make it.”
Azinger made two birdies on the back nine as darkness began to
set on the course to keep the lead on a day when rain delays pushed
back play so much the leaders were unable to finish their rounds.
Play was suspended twice and the leaders waited four hours past
their tee times to actually play as rain, hail and lightning moved
across the Muirfield Village Golf Club once again.
“I didn't get frustrated. I really just felt like, you know,
I could not win the tournament today,” Azinger said. “The
conditions are tough and you are going to make some bogeys.”
Azinger couldn't win it, but he could have lost it if he hadn't
come back from back-to-back bogeys on the front nine to play 3
under the final eight holes and regain the lead.
“The conditions were really severe and I just had to keep
patient,” Azinger said.
He knocked in a 12-footer on the 13th hole to get to 11 under,
two strokes ahead of Woods and Garcia, who were playing together
in the group ahead. Also at 9 under was Stuart Appleby, who birdied
the 15th hole before quitting for the day.
A total of 25 players were left on the course and were scheduled
to return at 8:30 a.m. Sunday to finish their third rounds before
the final 18 holes.
Woods hurried off the course without commenting to get ready for
a long Sunday.
“I'm disappointed we have to come out in the morning,”
Azinger said.
Woods was in the lead by himself after a birdie on the seventh
hole. But he didn't make another birdie, and he bogeyed the short
par-3 12th.
Azinger, meanwhile, birdied the par-5 11th hole with a middle
iron to within 18 inches and added a final birdie on 13 to get
to 2 under for the day and 11 under for the tournament.
The closest player to the leaders to finish his round was Stewart
Cink, who birdied Nos. 15-17 to get to 8 under and give himself
a chance to sleep in Sunday morning.
“I don't think it gives you an advantage,” Cink said.
“I think the guys who finish in the morning might get some
momentum if they get a birdie.”
Woods, trying to do something even he hasn't done as a pro —
win a tournament three straight years — was laughing and
loose on the driving range as his tee time was moved later and
later.
He ran off three birdies in the first seven holes and appeared
ready to seize command of the tournament, but then played his
final seven holes 1 over.
Garcia, meanwhile, had said Woods needed to watch him during the
round. But the Spaniard was shaky on the front nine, hitting it
into four greenside bunkers, and bogeyed the 10th hole. Garcia
then birdied 12 and 13 to move into the three-way tie for second.
Chris Smith, the first-round co-leader and local favorite who
was playing in the final group with Azinger, shot himself out
of contention with a 41 on the front nine and a double bogey on
the 10th hole.
The weather delays followed a delay of two hours on Friday and
made it 18 rounds out of 51 that have been interfered with by
weather in recent years in the Memorial.
Azinger joked with players while waiting for his tee time, saying
it was a time-honored way of passing time.
“You socialize, you tell a few stories and you solve the
world's problems,” he said.
Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
Send the URL (Address)
of This Story to A Friend:
|
