BellSouth Classic
TPC at Sugarloaf
Duluth,Georgia
7th - 10th May 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $1.8 million

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Woods surges to lead by three-shots

Associated Press

Duluth, Georgia, 9th May 1998 -  This is the Tiger Woods we all remember -- fist pumping, putts dropping and opponents standing around in awe, fully aware that he's playing a different game than everyone else.

Woods took a major step toward ending the longest winless streak of his PGA Tour career, shooting an 8-under-par 63 Saturday to take a three-shot lead after the third round of the BellSouth Classic.

"All I want is a victory," he said.

Woods equaled the best round of his two-year career and is threatening to run away from the field with a 17-under 199 heading to Sunday's final round.

"I have hit the ball better and putted better," Woods said, referring to his play this year. "But I've never had them both together. Today, I hit it good and putted well."

Woods actually was 10 under for the day, shooting a 34 in the morning to finish his final nine holes of the second round. After two days of rain and fog, it was hazy and humid when Woods started his afternoon round one shot behind co-leaders Jay Don Blake and Craig Parry.

With a huge crowd following his every step around the 7,259-yard TPC at Sugarloaf course, Woods started slowly, missing three straight birdie putts of no more than 12 feet.

But he got things rolling at the par-5 5th, hitting a 2-iron within 15 feet and dropping the eagle putt. Woods then seized the lead with three straight birdies.

He had a chance for the best round of his career but missed a 14-footer for birdie at 18. He waved his cap limply to the gallery and let out a deep sigh, obviously exhausted after 27 holes on the hilly course, but already he is three shots better than the 1997 score of Scott McCarron, who won the inaugural BellSouth played at Sugarloaf.

"I'm tired," the 22-year-old Woods said. "The ground is so soft, you feel like you are sinking, walking in sand all day. It takes a lot out of you."

Woods will go to the final round of a PGA Tour event with a lead for the first time since his most recent victory, the Motorola Western Open in July. After winning six of his first 21 PGA events, it's been 10 months since Tiger held a winner's trophy in America. He did manage to win a non-tour event in Thailand, his mother's native country.

"You have to go out and establish yourself and play a good front nine," said Woods, playing his first tournament since the Masters. "You can't slack off and let the field catch up with you, give them hope."

Woods, who had failed to break 70 in 11 consecutive rounds before he arrived at Sugarloaf, did it three days in a row to lead Blake, who was 14 under after a 67 Saturday.

"Tiger is a different style," Blake said, pondering a head-to-head duel with Woods on Sunday. "He brings 30,000 out just to watch him play. It's going to be a madhouse tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how I cope with it."

Stewart Cink, who shot a third-round 65, is four shots behind Woods and is the only other player in serious contention. Clearly, this tournament is Tiger's to lose. His five closest competitors have a grand total of two PGA victories among them.

Woods slumped in the middle of the third round but showed that he's more than just booming drives and thousands of fans yelling, "You're the man!"

He escaped a sand trap at No. 8, getting within four feet for a par putt. His approach at 9 was left of the green, leaving him little room to work with on the chip, but he managed a delicate shot that gave him another short putt for par.

After squandering a birdie chance on the 608-yard, par-5 10th when a 7-footer skidded past the cup, he had to wait around for several minutes while playing partner Spike McRoy tried to locate his ball at the edge of a pond.

After McRoy finally finished at 10, Woods put his tee shot in the bunker at the par-3 11th and barely reached the green with his sand wedge. But he made a 15-footer to save par, which may have been the most important shot of the round.

"It was one of those putts that to keep the momentum going, I had to get the ball in the hole," Woods said. "I knew if I made that putt, I could probably get going again."

When the putt dropped in, Woods pumped his fist and seemed rejuvenated. He carved out birdies at 12, 14, 16 and 17 to extend his lead after Blake had pulled into a brief tie with a birdie at 11.

Parry, an Australian who has 14 international victories but has never won in the United States, faded from contention with a 72. He's at nine under.