Tiger on course for crown
Source: Agencies |
March 26, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TIGER Woods, looking to end his long victory drought, will take a one-stroke lead over Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Florida, after shooting a 1-under 71 on Saturday.
"As a whole I played well," Woods told reporters. "I hit a lot of good shots and was just very consistent."
The former world No. 1, searching for his first win on the PGA Tour since September 2009, had a four-stroke lead before a bogey on the 14th and a double-bogey on the next where he drove out of bounds into a neighboring garden.
Woods revealed that shot had been the result of a scream from a woman in the crowd after a teenager fainted and that the noise came as he was already committed to his shot. "It happened midway on my downswing and I tried to stop it but I had passed the point of no return. I stopped it and flipped it out of bounds," he said.
A birdie on the par-5 16th restored some calm to Woods's round but McDowell kept up the pressure with a birdie on the par-3 17th, where he hit his tee shot to six feet from the hole on his way to posting 71.
Woods stood at 11-under 205 through 54 holes at a course where he has won six times. The 14-time major winner has a 37-2 record in tour events when leading into the final round.
South African Ernie Els, who needs a win here or this week in Houston to gain a berth at the US Masters, was well-placed for a final-round push after a fine 67 that left him just three strokes behind Woods, alongside Briton Ian Poulter.
"As a whole I played well," Woods told reporters. "I hit a lot of good shots and was just very consistent."
The former world No. 1, searching for his first win on the PGA Tour since September 2009, had a four-stroke lead before a bogey on the 14th and a double-bogey on the next where he drove out of bounds into a neighboring garden.
Woods revealed that shot had been the result of a scream from a woman in the crowd after a teenager fainted and that the noise came as he was already committed to his shot. "It happened midway on my downswing and I tried to stop it but I had passed the point of no return. I stopped it and flipped it out of bounds," he said.
A birdie on the par-5 16th restored some calm to Woods's round but McDowell kept up the pressure with a birdie on the par-3 17th, where he hit his tee shot to six feet from the hole on his way to posting 71.
Woods stood at 11-under 205 through 54 holes at a course where he has won six times. The 14-time major winner has a 37-2 record in tour events when leading into the final round.
South African Ernie Els, who needs a win here or this week in Houston to gain a berth at the US Masters, was well-placed for a final-round push after a fine 67 that left him just three strokes behind Woods, alongside Briton Ian Poulter.
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