Sunday, December 3, 2000
Garcia, Woods set up showdown
By KEN PETERS
AP Sports Writer
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Sergio
Garcia and Tiger Woods go one more round for $1 million.
Virtually turning the World Challenge into
a two-man show, the pair will be separated by one shot as they
head into the final 18 holes.
The 20-year-old Garcia, four years younger
than Woods, hit in the water and took a double bogey on No. 18
Saturday, but still had a 3-under 69 to lead Woods by one shot.
Garcia was at 18-under 198 through three
rounds, and Woods had a 67 to narrow the gap on a warm, sunny
day at Sherwood Country Club.
Although both cautioned that another player
in the 12-man field could break through and win, only Davis Love
III, at 14 under after a 71, was within nine shots of the lead.
Garcia won $1.1 million by beating Woods
in their match play “Battle of Bighorn” in August.
“This will be the first time I've played
with Tiger on Sunday (in medal play) and I'm looking forward to
that,” said Garcia, who finished second behind Woods in the
1999 PGA Championship.
Garcia grinned and added, “I would
be looking forward to it more if I were up by three.”
Garcia's 5-iron into the lake in front of
the 18th green cut his lead from three shots to one.
Woods was pleased with his third round and
also looked forward to the final day.
“I feel I didn't get as much out of
the round as I could have, but I put myself in a good situation
for Sunday,” he said.
He added, “Even though Sergio and I
have separated ourselves a little from the field, we all know
that anything can happen on Sunday.”
After Love, it was six shots back to Fred
Couples, in fourth place after his 68 left him 8 under.
Garcia and Woods both played extremely well
the first three days. Garcia opened with a 65, then he, Woods
and Love all had second-round 64s.
While the two frontrunners have gone low
over the 7,025-yard layout nestled in the foothills of the Santa
Monica Mountains, the course hasn't yielded low scores for some
of the other players in the elite field.
Hal Sutton again failed to break par, with
his second consecutive 73 leaving him last at 4 over. Stewart
Cink, whose opening 79 knocked him out of any realistic chance
of winning, had his second 70 in a row and was 3-over 219 with
Mark O'Meara, who struggled to a 76.
Masters champion Vijay Singh, who had a
third-round 67, is 7 under, followed by defending champion Tom
Lehman at 4 under and Jesper Parnevik at 1 under.
Woods, who began the third day three shots
behind Garcia and one back of Love, caught Garcia when he birdied
No. 7 to go 16 under.
Woods, playing with Couples in the twosome
in front of Garcia and Love, made the turn at 4-under 32, while
Garcia had a 35, five shots more than he took on the front as
he built his lead a day earlier.
Woods three-putted from 15 feet for bogey
on No. 10, and Garcia moved back in front alone with a birdie
on No. 11.
Garcia was at 20 under, three shots in front
of Woods, until Garcia ran into trouble on No. 18.
The $3.5 million Williams World Challenge
benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation, which in turn benefits youth
programs. Woods will donate his prize money in the event to the
foundation.
The runner-up in the 72-hole tournament
gets $500,000, with even the last-place finisher getting a $120,000
check.
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