| AP Sports Headlines |
Sunday, July 21, 2002
By GLENN SHEELEY
Cox News Service
GULLANE, Scotland - Tiger Woods has one more thing in common with Jack Nicklaus. It appears that both of them will have lost a Grand Slam opportunity in a British Open at Muirfield.
At least the sun was shining when Nicklaus lost to Lee Trevino in 1972. Saturday at Muirfield brought cold, rainy conditions that would have caused grumbling at a Bears-Packers game.
The 131st British Open is Ernie Els' to win today after the soft-spoken South African remained sufficiently cool-headed to manage a 1-over-par 72 Saturday, taking a two-stroke lead at 5-under-par 208.
As for Woods' Grand Slam bid after wins in the Masters and U.S. Open, it's, well, history.
Woods all but officially vanished from the Muirfield picture with a third-round 81 - the highest of his pro career - and is 11 shots back, tied for 67th.
If Woods crawls out of this hole to win, you can proclaim him the greatest ever, send the ticker-tape parade up Broadway and just mail him next month's PGA trophy.
The chase is over and Woods knows it.
"Probably," he said. "There's too many guys between me and the lead. But all you can do is go out and try and shoot a low round tomorrow. You never know. . . . But it was frustrating to put myself this far back."
The best way for a player to score Saturday was to sit in his hotel room after a hot bath and watch the field back up. Only nine scores under par were shot, all from players who teed off before 10:20 a.m. Less than four hours later, the weather pounded Muirfield, pushing the wind-chill to 39 degrees with gusts to 25 mph. Not had for a Dunhill Cup in October. This was even bad for summer in Scotland.
"I'm sure the Scottish people enjoyed it today, watching us play," Els said. "They must have really been laughing because they probably play in this 80 percent of the time. It was one of the most difficult days I can ever remember in an Open Championship. . . . You could have shot anything today."
Els' closest challenger is Denmark's Soren Hansen, who refuses to fold, hanging at 3-under 210 through a hard-earned 73.
"I can't even remember playing for fun in that weather," he said. "It was hammering straight in our faces. You couldn't hardly hold an umbrella."
The big gainers Saturday were those who took advantage of good scoring conditions in the morning, such as the two Justins - England's Rose and America's Leonard, the 1997 champion. Both shot 3-under 68s and went from a tie for 50th after 36 holes to a tie for third.
Also at 2-under are Spain's Sergio Garcia (71), American Scott McCarron (72), a two-time BellSouth Classic champion; Dane Thomas Bjorn (73), 49-year-old Des Smyth of Ireland (74), who bogeyed the last two holes; and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama (75).
Bob Tway, a co-leader after 36 holes, slipped to a 78 during the nastiness and is tied for 23rd at 1-over.
Nick Price, the 1994 champion, got to the lead at 4-under at mid-afternoon with an eagle at the par-5 ninth, then slid back to even par and trails by five.
There were swings of comical proportions. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie went from a 64 Friday to an 84. American Duffy Waldorf shot 45 on the front nine, then 32 on the back when the front finally moved out. Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen started the day tied for 17th. With an 84, he was tied for last at 10-over 223 with PGA champion David Toms, who has produced rounds of 75-81 since his opening 67.
"I had like four different jackets in the bag, and my caddie thought we were going to have to take a trolley (pull cart) just to carry my extra clothing," McCarron said. "I think I went through about all of it by about the fourth hole."
Els, who has two U.S. Open titles but no majors since 1997, finished second to Woods at the U.S. Open and British Open in 2000. While respectful of those near him, Els had to be relieved of Woods' disappearance.
"If Tiger was at 2-under," Els said, "not taking anything away from the other guys, but we all know Tiger is . . . I'll leave it at that."
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