Verplank takes over at the top

For those who wondered why Scott Verplank was a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup team, he might have an answer in the Canadian Open.

Verplank, the first Ryder Cup rookie to make the team as a wild card, emerged from a pack of players who battled hot swirling winds at Royal Montreal to post a 4-under-par 66 for a one-stroke lead today.

"I did a nice job of getting out of the round what the course would give you," said Verplank, who was at 11-under 199, the lowest 54-hole score ever at Royal Montreal.

Dicky Pride bounced his approach off the bleachers on the 18th and made bogey for a 69. He was one stroke behind along with Paul Gow (66), trying to become the first Australian to win at Royal Montreal since Jim Ferrier in 1950.

Ferrier was also the last man to repeat as Canadian Open champion, something Tiger Woods can't do anything about.

Woods stumbled at the start and never got on track. He finished with a 69 and was eight strokes out of the lead.

Bob Estes had his seventh straight round in the 60s, a 3-under 67 and was at 201. Another stroke back was Sergio Garcia and Sam Randolph, the 1985 U.S. Amateur champion who got in as the 22nd alternate.

A dozen players were within five strokes of the lead, which should lead to a shootout on the suburban island of Ile Bizard. Among them is John Daly, who had a 64.

That's nothing new to Verplank. In May, he had a one-stroke lead in the Byron Nelson Classic in which 32 players were within six strokes. He lost to Robert Damron after a four-hole playoff.

"If I play my game and I'm doing well, I'm not going to worry about what the other guys are doing," Verplank said. "Hopefully, I won't have to look at a leaderboard until the last hole. There's a lot of people close, but you can only take what the golf course gives you."

Verplank isn't worried what others think about his selection to the Ryder Cup.

Even though he has never played in the matches, and hasn't won since the Reno-Tahoe Open last year, U.S. captain Curtis Strange took Verplank over three others who finished higher in the standings -- including Tom Lehman.

Verplank doesn't feel like he needs to win to justify his selection. Still, a victory in the third-oldest national golf championship would be nice.

"Any time you win, it's always good," Verplank said. "I'm not worried about The Belfry right now. I'm just trying to play as well as I can."

Gow, a PGA Tour rookie, will be in the final pairing for the second time this year. He was tied with Jeff Sluman at the B.C. Open and held his own on Sunday until losing on the second playoff hole when his drive hit a tree and went back 100 yards into a creek.

"It's another day to prove how good of a player who are," Gow said.

He gave himself 10-1 odds of winning, which seem high for a man only one stroke back.

"I'm a betting man," he said. "I like big odds."

Garcia likes his chances, too.

Despite a three-putt from the fringe for bogey on No. 4 that left him muttering in Spanish, he drove the ball well and took advantage of numerous birdie opportunities for a 65 and was only three strokes out of the lead.

Asked if he felt he was due this week, the 21-year-old Spaniard said, "I feel like I've been ready to break out the entire year."

He already has, winning at Colonial and the Buick Classic, both traditional, tree-lined courses that put a premium on driving it straight. Royal Montreal requires no less, an indication of how well Garcia is playing.

Still, he's got some work left.

"I'm going to try to make a lot of birdies," he said. "If I'm able to do that, I should be able to have a good chance."

Woods was out of the picture, despite opening with a 65 on Thursday that gave him a share of the lead. He chopped up the second hole again, this time without losing a ball in the tree, and struggled throughout the day with his tee shots.

"I'm surprised after starting the way I did to end up the way I am now," Woods said. "That's just part of playing. Unfortunately, yesterday I got one bad break that really hurt my chances."

Divots: David Morland had two double bogeys on his way to a 73. He was six strokes out of the lead in his bid to become the first Canadian to win his national open in 47 years. ... Randolph, who was changing the oil in his car when he learned he got in the tournament, used a frequent flyer ticket to get to Montreal just 10 hours before his tee time Thursday morning. He hasn't had a top 10 since the 1991 Nissan Open. ... What's the best way to learn how to count to 14 in French? Listen to a Montreal gallery tick off the number of waggles Garcia takes before he hits the ball. The young Spaniard was annoyed when asked whether he was aware of all the talk about his pre-shot routine. "There was a guy -- a sir -- who played a lot of great golf whose name was Jack Nicklaus," Garcia said. "He used to take a lot of time over the ball. And no one said anything about it. If he used to take a lot of time, it's not such a bad thing. So, think about that."

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page