Sunday, May 21, 2000
Woods grabs two-stroke lead
at Deutsche Bank with strong finish
By ROY KAMMERER
Associated Press Writer
ALVESLOHE, Germany (AP) - Tiger Woods is
two strokes ahead at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open with 18 holes
to play and that's bad news for the rest of the field.
Woods moved in front of one of Europe's
toughest fields of the year with birdies on the par-5 15th and
17th holes Saturday, chipping in from the edge of the greens to
set up easy birdies.
He finished with a 5-under-par 67 and a
three-round total of 9-under 207, heading into the final round
of the $2.3 million event with a two-stroke lead over five players.
Woods has won the last 13 tournaments that
he has led after three rounds.
"To be honest, I don't have an explanation,"
he said of his streak. "I just know I would rather be in
the lead than coming from behind."
Woods grinned broadly after the two birdies
as the large German crowds following him broke into cheers. The
shots came after eight straight pars and a day-long battle with
two-dozen golfers separated by just two strokes atop the leaderboard.
"I'm playing better day-by-day - I'm
very pleased. I just tried to make some solid shots and it worked."
said Woods, who had five birdies and no bogeys on another cool
breezy day at the event.
"I'm not far from my best game,"
he added.
The event, where Woods is defending his
title, has assembled one of Europe's toughest fields this year
with the entire Ryder Cup playing in the same tournament for the
first time since playing the Americans last year.
Three of them were second at 7-under 209,
including Europe's money-leader, Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland,
England's Lee Westwood and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez.
Two others were also at 209, Italy's Emanuele
Canonica, just 5-foot-2 but the longest hitter on the European
tour, and Australian Geoff Ogilvy
Woods, reportedly paid more than $1 million
in appearance money, trailed by four strokes starting his round,
but drew a loud roar from the gallery when he sank a 30-foot birdie
putt on his first hole. He then gained another stroke on the fourth
to move into a share of first.
Jimenez, the second-day leader, dropped
back with two early bogeys and that paved the way for a scramble
at the top of the leaderboard.
Late in the round, Woods was still sharing
the top with four or five players. He couldn't seem to shake free,
but then no one else made a move either.
"It was a tough day out there, a day
you had to be patient, a difficult one to make some birdies, but
just hang in and make as many pars as you possibly can,"
said Woods. "I hit a couple of loose shots but overall I'm
very pleased with the way I controlled the golf ball into the
wind."
Woods' late birdies, his only on the back
nine, added up to a far different finish than his second round,
when two late bogeys ended his bid to challenge Jimenez at the
top of the leaderboard.
If he wins, it would be the American's fifth
title in eight European events and 25th in 85 tournaments as a
pro.
Westwood, who won seven titles the past
two years, said Wood's presence has helped him break a slump that
left him without a win this year. The 28-year-old several times
led by a stroke before a final-hole bogey left him with a 69.
"It's helped having Tiger here,"
said Westwood. "I am certainly more up for it this week knowing
he's in the field."
Woods was still playing with a Nike ball,
instead of his usual Titleist, saying he had first tried it a
few before the Byron Nelson Classic in Dallas last week.
"I felt very comfortable with it,"
Woods said, but added he hadn't made up his mind about making
the switch permanent.
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