McIlroy still leads, and he just hit a very solid tee shot on 4. So he is still in a very strong position:
1. R. McIlroy (NIR): -11 (57 holes)
2. C. Schwartzel (RSA): -10 (58)
T3. T. Woods: -8 (61)
T3. L. Donald (ENG): -8 (60)
T3. J. Day (AUS): -8 (59)
T3. K.J. Choi (KOR): -8 (58)
T3. A. Cabrera (ARG): -8 (58)
Tiger Woods just played one of the all-time great holes on number 8 -- the very long uphill par 5. After bombing his drive to the middle of the fairway, he hit a spectacular shot that rolled up onto the green, caught the slope, and rolled all the way across to within about 8 feet. He then made the eagle putt -- which brought another fist pump and another huge roar. He is now 10 under for the tournament -- and only one shot off the lead.
ReplyDeleteTiger, very pumped up now, whacks his drive on 9 off into the pine needles right of the fairway.
ReplyDeleteWoods fires at the green from off the pine needles, but he misses. I think he's in a greenside bunker.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, these guys keep talking about whether McIlroy's "nerves" are up to withstanding Tiger's charge. Obviously, that could be a factor. But I'll bet Tiger would pay $100 right now to trade all of his experience for the nerves he had at age 23 or whatever McIlroy is now. McIlroy has got to believe he's going to be a great player for a decade; he's just trying to decide whether that decade is going to start this year, 2012 or 2013. Until the last, glorious 45 minutes, Tiger was probably wondering whether Friday was going to be the last great day of his career.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy hits a weak approach to the 5th green, and cannot get up and down to save par. He falls to 10 under, in a tie with Charl Schwartzel and TIGER WOODS.
ReplyDeleteThat's as good a par putt as you're ever going to see.
ReplyDeleteI think Eric makes a good point. I think Tiger has to be feeling tremendous pressure. I would be willing to bet a win today would mean almost more to him than any of his prior wins.
ReplyDeleteTiger blasts out of the sand and leaves himself with a 25-foot putt for par. BUT HE MAKES THE PUTT, keeping himself in a tie for the lead.
ReplyDeleteHe is out in 31, and is heading to Amen Corner.
When he teed off, he was seven shots behind, and now he is in the lead.
Woods now has to decide whether he wants to keep playing aggressively. He's tied for the lead, and he's going to feel like he can birdie 13 and 15. So if he pars the rest, he would finish at 12 under. And 12 under could win. On the other hand, he may feel like he needs to keep his foot on the gas. He hasn't played like this in almost three years, and he may want to keep it going.
ReplyDeleteI remember coming in to our house on Cairo Road in Paducah on the Sunday afternoon of Jack Nicklaus's last win, and my dad was in a white T-shirt and boxer shorts, sitting upright on his and Mom's bed, with tears literally rolling down his cheeks.
ReplyDeleteMcIlroy almost curls in a long birdie putt on 6, but it rolls just past the hole.
ReplyDeleteNote to readers: We will be starting a new thread at 4 PM.
ReplyDeleteI was at Vandy when Nicklaus won that tournament, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.
ReplyDelete