Woods pulls into share of lead after three
rounds
By MIKE NADEL / AP Sports Writer
LEMONT, Ill. (AP) - Tiger Woods' mini-slump was about more
than missed putts, missed greens and missed opportunities. He
now realizes that what he really missed was the feeling of being
in contention.
"It gives you not only a chance of winning but also to
feel the pressure - the nerves, the butterflies going through
your stomach, palms a little sweaty," Woods said. "These
are things I haven't felt in a little while."
He'll get those feelings Sunday when he tries to win the Western
Open for his fourth victory of the year and sixth since turning
pro last August.
Woods sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Saturday,
putting him in a tie for the lead with Justin Leonard and Loren
Roberts at 9-under-par. Six players are within two strokes of
the leaders, so the final round at Cog Hill's Dubsdread course
promises to be memorable.
Woods won the Masters in April and the Byron Nelson Classic
in May. But in three June tournaments, he finished 67th, 19th
and 43rd. In the process, he broke par only once in 12 rounds.
So the 21-year-old wonder took a week off to relax and collect
his thoughts, and he has returned with the intensity he had lacked.
"I'm hitting a lot more greens, driving the ball more
consistently," said Woods, who shot a 4-under 68 Saturday
after rounds of 67 and 72. "Without a doubt, I feel a lot
more fresh."
Roberts, who will be paired with Woods for the final round
of the $2 million Motorola-sponsored tournament, shot a 66 for
Saturday's low score.
"I'm just going to play my game. I'm not going to beat
anybody with my distance off the tee," said Roberts, whose
average drive of 248 yards ranks 170th on the tour compared to
Woods' top-ranked 293-yard norm. "I've got to get the job
done with my putter. It's going to be a great experience."
Leonard, who led the field by two strokes and Woods by four
going into Saturday, shot a 72 after a 64 Friday.
"After yesterday, anything would have been considered
kind of a struggle," Leonard said. "Today was not the
prettiest round, but I hung in there ... and kept myself in the
tournament."
Steve Lowery, Jim Furyk and Frank Nobilo were one stroke behind
the leaders. Another shot back were Steve Pate, Davis Love III
and Jay Delsing. Scott Hoch was three back at 6-under.
On the 18th hole, Woods' 9-iron approach hit the green about
10 feet from the pin but spun backward and kept rolling away.
An angry Woods snatched his putter from caddy Fluff Cowan as he
walked toward the green.
But Woods regained his composure and calmly sank the 18-footer
for his sixth birdie of the day. The thousands of people in his
gallery cheered, and he pumped his fist in celebration.
"After hitting two good shots in there, to have that length
of putt ... was pretty disappointing," Woods said. "But
it was simple putt - just gun it up the hill. I didn't know if
it had enough energy to get there, so I was kind of walking after
it, trying to push it along.
"I got pretty pumped because it was the first putt I've
made over 10 feet all tournament."
Divots: Tom Watson, whose 33 tour victories include
the 1974, 1977 and 1984 Westerns, quietly has had a good tournament
and goes into the final round only five strokes back. He shot
a 68 Saturday. ... Lowery eagled the fifth and 15th holes. He
had a 66 to tie Roberts for the day's low round. ... After shooting
75 to fall out of contention, Scott Simpson handed his ball to
caddy Bill Murray. The comedian of "Caddyshack" fame
then threw the ball into the crowd. ... Nobilo, Simpson's playing
partner, said Murray's occasional silliness was a welcome distraction.
"It gives you a chance to have a break, gather yourself and
then concentrate again," Nobilo said. "He's trying to
do a good job, trying to keep everybody happy with a few one-liners
and trying to keep out of everybody's way." ... Woods hasn't
been quite as big a draw as tournament officials expected. Saturday's
attendance, announced at 44,865, was the largest in Western Open
history, but it disappointed officials who had predicted at least
50,000 for the beautiful, sunny day. Before the tournament, there
had been talk of daily attendance approaching 80,000.
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