Perez holds on to four stroke lead

Pat Perez made birdie on his last two holes to double his lead to four strokes in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. That was worth a little extra cushion Saturday, but not much more than that.

Not when you consider recent history at Pebble Beach.

And not when you consider his own personal setbacks on the Monterey Peninsula.

The 25-year-old rookie still remembers blowing a four-shot lead with eight holes to play at Bayonet during a Buy.com Tour event two years ago.

``Hopefully, I'll have a different result,'' Perez said after a 70 on Spyglass Hill.

Perez finished the three-course rotation at 15-under 201 and led by four strokes over two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen and Matt Gogel.

A big lead? Yes, the largest in 23 years at this tournament.

A safe lead? Not at Pebble Beach.

A year ago, Davis Love III came from seven strokes behind on the last day to win with a 63. The year before that, Tiger Woods made up seven strokes in the last seven holes to win.

``We all know how leads can disappear very quickly,'' said Gogel, the victim of Woods' incredible comeback in 2000. ``If he continues to play the way he's playing, I don't think it will be a contest.''

That's the way Perez is looking at the final round.

``I can't protect anything,'' Perez said. ``With a four-shot lead? That's nothing. I'm going to try to make all the birdies I can.''

Janzen had a 70 on Poppy Hills, while Gogel turned in a 67 on Spyglass to get to 205. Gogel was the co-leader through 54 holes in 2000 until he had a 40 on the back nine and Woods finished eagle-birdie-par-birdie for a 64 to pass him by.

There won't be one of those finishes Sunday -- at least not by Woods.

Frustrated by the bumpy, spongy greens of Pebble Beach, Woods was closer to missing the cut than making a move. He saved par from the bunker on No. 12 to stay at 1 under, then picked up a late birdie for breathing room.

Woods finished with a 71 and was 13 strokes out of the lead.

Love had a 72 to extend a bizarre trend on tour -- it was the third consecutive week that a defending champion missed the cut. Joe Durant failed to make it in Palm Springs, and Mark Calcavecchia took the weekend off in Phoenix.

Phil Mickelson is the defending champion next week, and he hardly goes to San Diego on a high note. He posted a 79 on Poppy, his highest round since an 83 in the first round of The Players Championship two years ago. Mickelson finished at 13-over 229.

The 70 by Perez was especially impressive considering he had never seen the back nine at Spyglass because he was sick earlier in the week.

That hardly mattered on another sunny, spectacular afternoon on the Monterey Peninsula. Relying heavily on his caddie, Mike Hartford, he turned in three birdies on the back and one huge par save, holing a 40-foot putt on No. 13 to keep it steady.

``That was the round right there,'' Perez said.

Perez has won before on smaller stages. He was the medalist at Q-school, and he picked up a celebrated victory in junior golf by winning the Junior World at Torrey Pines, finished eight strokes ahead of Woods.

His goal after winning Q-school in December was to earn $1 million his rookie season, which he didn't think was too much ask given the prize money on tour. A victory on Sunday would be worth $720,000, and a two-year exemption on tour.

``I've never been in this position,'' Perez said.

But he knows what to expect -- someone likely making a charge, and a lot of attention on a rookie trying to hold another lead.

``Four shots can be made up,'' said Janzen, who overcame three straight bogeys early in his round to get back in the hunt. ``If anyone knows, it's Gogel.''

Gogel was a rookie in 2000 and cruising toward a victory. Janzen recalls finishing up that Monday round and driving to the airport, waiting on Justin Leonard. When Leonard arrived, he told him Woods had won the tournament.

``I thought he was pulling my leg,'' Janzen said.

At Pebble Beach, anything is possible.

Divots

Jeff Julian, the 40-year-old with Lou Gehrig's disease, closed out a memorable week with a 74 at Spyglass to finish at 13-over 229. Julian has the most severe form of Lou Gehrig's disease, and received a sponsor's exemption to the Pebble Beach. ... Fred Couples was only three out of the lead until taking bogey on the two par 5s on the back nine at Pebble Beach. On the final hole, Couples had to take a drop from the cart path, but elected not to take relief from a fence because he would have had to drop in the trees. His biggest problem was moving the gallery. ``You can go stand in the fairway, for all I care,'' he said. ``I just need you out of my way, please.'' One fan tried to take him up on his offer, but was escorted back by a marshal. ... Boo Weekley's first trip to Pebble was a short one. He had an 81 on Poppy Hills to finish at 230. ``Coming to Pebble Beach, I thought it was a place with big high-rises,like Dothan, Alabama,'' he said.

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