Nothing short of falling into a pot bunker and breaking his leg or being
struck by a bolt of lightning can stop Tiger Woods from becoming the youngest
player to win a Grand Slam of Majors here tomorrow evening.
The world No 1 proved he was a world apart in stretching his lead in the
third round of the Open to six strokes after shooting a five-under par 67 and
leaving his nearest rivals again fighting for the title of best of the rest.
It was a mind-numbing performance from the 24-year-old American who is poised
to win his second major in the space of five weeks.
Last month at Pebble Beach he won the US Open by a record shattering 15 shots.
This week he is on the verge of beating the Open aggregate record score at
the Home of Golf - 18-under par set by Nick Faldo ten years ago, also over
the Old Course.
For a short while it looked as though Woods might be human when he dropped a
shot on the second to record his first bogey in a Major championship in 64
holes, but any such idea was quickly dispelled when he promptly birdied the
next hole.
Tiger Woods after holing out on the 8th. Allsport.
"It was tough to get going," said Woods afterwards. "I played conservatively
for most of the day".
Germany's Bernhard Langer, three-years without a win, shot a blistering
six-under 66 earlier in the day and warned that the course was there to be
had.
"There is a 63 or a 64 to be had out there if the conditions stay the
same." he said. "I would be surprised if Tiger does not finish today 15 or 16
under or even better."
In the end, nobody beat 66, but David Duval will find it hard to believe he
managed to shoot the same score - only one off the course record - and still
be six shots behind Woods. But the world No 2 refused to concede defeat.
"I believe I can win this tournament," insisted Duval, who has not won a
tournament for nearly 17 months. "I feel in the last couple of weeks my game
has come back. I'm going to be trying to win my first Major championship;
he's going for the Slam so there is going to be pressure on both parties. I
know I need to score a 66 again if not a few better," he added.
He may be correct but no one in the world is playing the same game as Woods.
Faldo - a three-time Open champion - has no doubts.
"He is on a different wavelength. He is just not making a mistake," said the
Englishman.
"Right now, he's almost the best player ever but, if he wins this one, he
will be the best," said Colin Montgomerie, the top European money winner for
the past seven years.
Chasing Duval for the best-of-the-rest title are Northern Ireland's Darren
Clarke and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn. The cigar-smoking Clarke, who was reared
on links golf, and Bjorn both shot a four-under 68.
Bjorn accepted that second place was all that was available to him on the
final day.
"I know I can't win," said the Danish Ryder Cup player. "I think Tiger will
be on his A game with the Slam in his grasp. It seems he just gets better and
better and the other players back off. I suppose miracles do happen and
someone could grab six birdies in the first nine but what are the chances of
that?
"We need to put pressure on Tiger to make him trip up but he is just so far
ahead I can't see anyone managing to do it," he added.
Clarke knows that the championship is Woods' to win or lose. "He's playing
fantastic," said the 31-year-old Ulsterman.
A bitter Ernie Els stormed off the 18th green and straight into a waiting car
after a double-bogey shattered his chances of challenging Woods and avenging
his crushing defeat at Pebble Beach.
At one point the South African had moved to within two shots of Woods but
when he dropped two shots at the 12th it halted his momentum and he limped
home with a two-under 70 - eight shots behind the American.
Sergio Garcia's dream of playing in tomorrow's final group were killed when
his putting deserted him and then buried at the infamous 17th Road Hole when
he went into the greenside bunker, got trapped against the wall and had to
putt back into the center of the bunker to get a shot to make the green.
In the end it was a double bogey and although he birdied the last at ten
shots behind Woods his victory hopes had been dashed.
