Saturday, July 7, 2001
Love takes three-stroke lead,
Woods makes cut
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
LEMONT, Ill. (AP) — For a guy who wasn't
even supposed to be here, Davis Love III is making the most of
the Western Open.
Love, who only entered the Western field
after missing the cut at last weekend's Greater Hartford Open,
shot a 5-under-par 67 Friday to take a three-stroke lead after
the second round. He's at 11-under 133 for the tournament.
“After missing the cut last week and
committing at the last minute, it is fun to get off to a great
start,” he said. “I am the most excited guy to be here
because I haven't been playing much.”
Tiger Woods, in danger of missing the cut
after finishing the first round tied for 92nd, rebounded with
a 68 and was eight strokes back. Phil Mickelson, who was one shot
off the lead after the first round, is seven strokes off the lead.
He double-bogeyed the 18th after putting his second shot in the
water and finished with a 2-over 74.
“When you're out there playing, I don't
really think about the cut,” Woods said. “I'm trying
to get back in the tournament, at least give myself a chance going
into the weekend. ... At least now I'm somewhat within striking
distance going into the weekend.”
Brandel Chamblee was second after a 67,
and Scott Hoch (68) and Frank Nobilo (69) were another stroke
behind at 137.
The cut was 1-under 143 and 71 players advanced
to the final two rounds of the tournament, sponsored by Advil.
Love got off to a strong start this season,
winning at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and finishing second
in a playoff the next week at the Buick Invitational.
He had two more top 10 finishes, but then
a bulging disc in his neck caught up with him and he missed the
cut at The Players Championship.
“I started probably overworking, putting
myself in a position that I wasn't competitive,” he said.
“That was frustrating. It wasn't because I wasn't working
hard or swinging bad. It was just because physically, I couldn't
do it.”
He took two months off after the Masters,
finally returning for the U.S. Open, where he tied for seventh.
Worried about overextending himself before the British Open, Love
decided to play the GHO and take this week off.
But when he missed the cut, his plans changed.
“I'm just trying to get back healthy
and competitive, and this was going to be a week to come back
and make another step forward to get ready for the Open,”
Love said. “As soon as I got off to a good start (Thursday),
I said, `All right, last week was just a bad one. I'm still on
the same path.'”
With none of the leaders breaking away Friday
morning, Love made his move in the afternoon. He eagled the par-5
5th when he made a 35-foot downhill putt, and made the turn at
9 under. He just missed birdie putts on Nos. 10, 11 and 12, but
came through with the shot of the day on the par-4 13th.
After his drive landed in a bunker on the
right side, Love blasted out — and flew right into another
trap, this one on the side of the green. His sand shot from about
15 yards hit the green and rolled ever so slowly toward the cup.
The crowd roared as it finally dropped in,
and Love responded with a little wave. He added another birdie
on 18 with a 25-foot putt.
“I'm very happy with the way I'm playing,”
Love said. “It's fun to not only be hitting it good and scoring
well, but then to also have the chip-ins and the fun putts go
in.”
Woods was just glad to finally get his swing
back. He's been in what, for him, almost qualifies as a slump,
finishing out of the top 10 in consecutive tournaments for the
first time since 1999, and struggling mightily Thursday to finish
at 1-over 73.
He didn't seem to be having any fun, either,
yelling at himself, throwing clubs and looking stonefaced throughout
the round.
“You just need to go home and relax
and unwind and know you need to come out and play well the following
day,” Woods said. “Put it behind you because, in the
end, the round's over, you can't do anything about it.”
And a new day brought a new Woods. Not only
did he play better — he had birdies on three of his first
six holes — he was smiling and laughing.
On the 18th, he raised his putter triumphantly
as his 25-foot birdie putt headed for the hole. But it rolled
on, missing by an inch. He looked crushed for a moment and then
smiled as the crowd groaned.
He thrilled the crowd again on his final
hole, the par-5 9th. After reaching the green in two, his 40-foot
eagle putt hit the cup, bounced up and then settled back down
at the edge, leaving him with a birdie.
Divots:
It was Woods' 72nd consecutive cut, tying Dow Finsterwald for
the fourth-longest run in PGA Tour history. Byron Nelson holds
the record with 113. ... First-round leader Mark Wiebe is seven
strokes back after shooting a 2-over 74. ... White Sox manager
Jerry Manuel and one of his sons were in the gallery Friday morning.
... Mark Wilson, who played his way into the Western Open in Monday's
qualifier, is five strokes off the lead after shooting a 5-under
67.
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