Nissan Open
Valencia Country Club
Valencia, California
26th February - 1st March 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $2.1 million

Third Round Report

Third Round Scores
Second Round Report
Second Round Scores
First Round Report
First Round Scores

Armour leads but Woods moves into contention

Valencia, California, 28th February 1998 - Tiger Woods has moved into contention at the Nissan Open after a third round of six under par 65. Woods is tied with Skip Kendall, Bob Estes and Scott Hoch at 7-under par. At 9-under and in the lead is Tommy Armour, III. In solo second is Billy Mayfair.

Woods bogeyed the 17th hole (as did Mayfair) for the second consecutive day; then settled for par on the par-5 18th, a hole he reached in two in the second round.

Skip Kendall set a course record with a 64, beating Billy Mayfair's record of 65 which was fired in the first round.

Tommy Armour, III, playing on a sponsor's exemption, continued his string of strong play and finds himself in solo second place behind Mayfair.

Woods, who hasn't won a tour event since last July but has finished no worse than third in three starts this year, got rolling when his second shot, from 142 yards on the par-4, 422-yard No. 4, went into the cup.

"I didn't see it; you can't see anything on that hole," Woods said. "But the people went really crazy and the amplitude went up, up, up, and then there were people screaming and you could see hats flying into the air.

"There was a pretty good assumption that it went in."

Woods said he's playing well now, his game more consistent than it was last year.

"I was kind of bummed out that I haven't won, but I've been right there," he said.

Among the others within close striking range of the lead after three rounds was Hal Sutton, winner of the 1983 PGA Championship and seven other titles, who had a 66 to go to 6-under at Valencia Country Club.

The tournament is being played in Valencia because the usual host course, Riviera Country Club, is being prepared for the U.S. Senior Open in July.

John Daly, who started the tournament with a 73, then had a 71 the second day, shot a third-round 66 that put him within six shots of the lead. ... Defending champion Nick Faldo has never really been in contention this year and is at 3-over. His victory came at Riviera.

David Duval, who won last week's Tucson Chrysler Classic, is not entered.

The par-72 Valencia Country Club course measures 6,977 yards.

First prize is $378,000.