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Field closes in on Tiger Woods
With Tiger Woods hitting into one bush and then another, maybe this won't be another British Open runaway, after all.
The brilliant play of the first two days was replaced by a guy scrambling to hold it together Saturday against a horde of major champions and big names, all eager to deny Woods his 10th title in golf's biggest events.
Still, as the sun dipped on another warm, breezy day along the Scottish coast, the lead was intact.
Woods managed a 1-under 71 in the third round at St. Andrews, slicing in half his four-stroke margin and giving hope to a field he seemed on the verge of blowing away.
``I think we all know that Tiger had his hiccup today,'' said Colin Montgomerie, who played with Woods in the final group, ``and he still got around under par.''
Two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal made an eagle at No. 12 and finished off a round of 68 with a birdie at the 18th. Woods came along at the end, made a brilliant putt from off the green for a birdie of his own and signed for a 12-under 204 after 54 holes.
``I'm happy to be in the lead,'' he said. ``You could see guys making birdie around the loop. I tried not to drop any shots coming home.''
Retief Goosen, twice a U.S. Open champion, was three strokes back after shooting 66. Montgomerie stayed in contention for his first major title, tied with Goosen at 207 after the Scotsman's last putt hung on the edge of the cup before tumbling in for a 70, sending local fans into a frenzy.
``I gained one shot today and I've got to find another three at least tomorrow,'' Montgomerie said.
Michael Campbell, just three weeks removed from a U.S. Open victory, still had hope after shooting 68 for a 209. Vijay Singh also was at 7 under, looking to win his fourth major championship. Just ahead at 208: Sergio Garcia and Brad Faxon.
All had hopes of catching Woods on the final day.
``One of us has got to put pressure on him,'' Montgomerie said.
Woods opened with rounds of 66 and 67 for his largest 36-hole lead in a major since that magical run five years ago, when four rounds in the 60s gave him a 19-under 269 -- the lowest score in relation to par in major championship history -- and an eight-stroke victory.
This time, a couple of early bogeys hinted at a different kind of tournament. Woods three-putted at No. 2 and drove into a bush at the sixth, forcing him to take a drop.
He also wasted a birdie chance at the ninth, a short par-4, after driving into the bushes again, leading to another one-stroke penalty.
But he held on, showing just what kind of day it was when he pumped his fist after saving par at the 17th.
Goosen must avoid the sort of final-round meltdown that cost him a shot at his third U.S. Open victory at Pinehurst -- a three-stroke lead disappeared when he soared to an 81 on the final day.
``It was just one of those things that happened,'' Goosen said. ``I'd just like to give myself a chance every time on Sunday and hopefully one day it works out and you win again.''
Goosen's collapse at Pinehurst opened the door for Campbell to pull off a stunning victory. The New Zealander held off Woods for a two-stroke victory and was in contention again.
``It looks like Pinehurst revisited,'' Campbell said. ``Goose is up there two shots in front of me, and there's Tiger and a bunch of guys.''
After giving Jack Nicklaus the proper sendoff on Friday, Scottish fans shifted their allegiance to one of their own. Monty didn't make a big move but at least he didn't collapse, as he did while playing with Woods at the 1997 Masters.
Montgomerie is hopeful of becoming the first British champion at the Open since Paul Lawrie in 1999 and checking off the last thing on his agenda: a major championship.
Olazabal didn't qualify for the Open, but got in when countryman Seve Ballesteros withdrew.
``Obviously, it's a bonus to be here,'' Olazabal said. ``I do have a lot of respect for the golf course, for the tradition, for what it means, and just being able to be part of it this year is wonderful.''
John Daly, who won the 1995 British Open at St. Andrews, started the day with three straight birdies but couldn't keep it going. He settled for a 70 and 210 total.
``Maybe there's a chance tomorrow if the wind blows,'' Daly said.
Soren Hansen of Denmark shot a 66, matching Woods' first-round score. Maarten Lafeber of the Netherlands and Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland cruised to 67s before Woods even teed off in the final group.
Everyone knew Woods would be difficult to catch, though he's not as dominating as he was on the way to his ``Tiger Slam.''
``Obviously, the whole tournament depends on Tiger,'' Clarke said. ``If he's going well, it's going to be very difficult for Monty or anyone else to catch him.''
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