|
Olazabal equals Major record with round of 63
Jose Maria Olazabal stood in the 18th
fairway, hands on hips in disappointment, after his approach to the
green landed on a ridge and rolled 35 feet from the hole.
"I was thinking 10-under par,'' he said.
But Olazabal two-putted for par and had to settle for a 9-under
63, which broke the course record by two shots and tied the lowest
score ever in a major tournament.
"That was one heck of a nice round,'' Olazabal's playing
partner, Blaine McCallister, said as the two walked off the green.
Olazabal was even par to start the third round at Valhalla Golf
Club and 11 strokes behind Tiger Woods. He became the 18th player
to record a 63 in a major, and the first since Greg Norman in the
first round of the 1996 Masters. Norman also accomplished the feat
in the 1986 British Open.
The last player to shoot 63 in the PGA was Brad Faxon, in the
final round at Riviera in 1995.
More than tying a record, however, the two-time Masters champion
gave himself a chance to win the PGA Championship. He finished at
9-under 207.
"As the round went on, I liked my chances a little better,''
said Olazabal, who missed the cut last week in the Buick Open. "I
wish I had played the first day like I did yesterday and I wouldn't
be lying six or seven behind.''
Olazabal said his tee shots were the key to his round. He missed
only one fairway -- on the par-5 second -- and repeatedly followed
perfect drives with precision iron shots.
"I don't feel like I made a lot of putts from long range,'' he
said. "It was a matter of hitting great iron shots. I hit fairways
and gave myself a chance to attack the flags. And I have to say, my
iron play was awesome.''
He scrambled for a birdie on No. 2 and added birdies on Nos. 4,
9 and 10.
"I knew around 10, that if I could keep on playing the same
way, with the same quality shots, it was going to be a special
day,'' he said.
Olazabal sank short birdie putts on Nos. 12, 13, 15, and 16
before missing a 15-footer by inches at No. 17. He clutched the
bill of his cap and cursed after the putt rolled past the hole.
"I hit a lovely putt. I thought it was in all the way,''
Olazabal said.
While Valhalla was yielding low scores, the 63 was still
somewhat of a surprise coming from Olazabal. He opened with a 76
and was trying Friday only to make the cut. And last week in the
Buick Open, he had an 81, his worst score of the year.
"It has been a long time since I really have enjoyed a round
this much on a golf course,'' Olazabal said. "To me, that is the
most important thing.''
Olazabal has won one tournament this year, the Benson & Hedges
International on the European Tour. He has become increasingly
frustrated in Europe, claiming tour officials are promoting Colin
Montgomerie and other British players while virtually ignoring a
man who has won two majors.
Olazabal is leaning toward playing a full schedule in America
next year.
63s IN MAJORS
Players who have scored 63s in major championships with round, year and course:
Masters
Nick Price, third, 1986
Greg Norman, first, 1996.
U.S. Open
Johnny Miller, fourth, 1973, Oakmont
Jack Nicklaus, first, 1980, Baltusrol
Tom Weiskopf, first, 1980, Baltusrol
British Open
Mark Hayes, second, 1977, Turnberry
Isao Aoki, third, 1980, Muirfield.
Greg Norman, second, 1986, Turnberry
Paul Broadhurst, third, 1990, St. Andrews
Jodie Mudd, fourth, 1991, Royal Birkdale
Nick Faldo, second, 1993, Royal St. George
Payne Stewart, fourth, 1993, Royal St. George
PGA Championship
Bruce Crampton, second, 1975, Firestone
Ray Floyd, first, 1982, Southern Hills
Gary Player, second, 1984, Shoal Creek
Vijay Singh, second, 1993, Inverness
Michael Bradley, first, 1995, Riviera
Brad Faxon, fourth, 1995, Riviera
Jose Maria Olazabal, third, 2000, Valhalla
Email this page to a friend
|
