Tiger writes blockbuster script
June 14th 2008 22:16
So, will Tiger bring them to their knees again?
Tiger's just teed off in the third round of the US Open and if he can managed to win tis thing it's a that'll hobble all the way up the road from San Diego Hollywood as the Woods legend grows in ways you'd never imagine.
Just when it looked like there was a literal handicap that could bring Woods back to the field, the world's best golfer found a way to dig himself out of a hole; a hole into which he then but dumped many of his rivals for the US Open title.
Out of action since early April, after opting to have arthroscopic surgery on a troublesome knee following the Masters, Woods came to the US Open under the vague suspicion his knee wasn't quite right after a delayed recovery forced him to miss a lead-up tournament.
He was s drifter on betting markets and after his opening round of one-over par 72, which featured two double-bogeys and a handful of temper tantrums, those fears were ready to be realised.
But yesterday, he screamed back into contention, ironing out his putting to string together four birdies in five holes on his way to a three-under par 68 to leave him one shot behind leader Stuart Appleby of Australia.
In his wake, among others, was playing partner and arch rival Phil Mickelson.
One hole told the story of the day as Woods and Mickelson went head to head in a dream group featuring Adam Scott.
On the par-13th, their fourth hole of the day, Woods slammed a driver 320m down the middle and sent a five-wood into the stratosphere before landing it softly on the green to give himself an eagle putt which he converted to get back to one-over par after a shaky star which featured two bogeys in three holes as he fell to three-over par.
Mickelson on the other hand stuffed up by deciding the longest course in US Open history didn't require him to put a driver in his bag. He had a lot of wedges though, five apparently.
So on the 13th he had to use a three-wood off the tee, lay up and use one of those wedges to try to hit it close. He only just got the ball inside Woods' five-wood shot... and then missed the putt.
Poor old Phil. The final round coincides with his birthday, the tournament, at San Diego's Torrey Pines, is practically in his own backyard, and he wants to win so bad, after all he's been four times the runner-up at the US Open, which is more often than Woods.
But his six bogeys to two birdies delivered a four-over par 75 and dropped him back to four-over for the tournament.
Not surprisingly the driver might be back in his bag today but wait to late for Phil who double-crossed himself.
What this US Open has now turned into is Woods versus the best the rest of the world can offer. Woods, with help from maybe Davis Love and Rocco Mediate, is the American trying to reverse the trend that has delivered four consecutive foreign US Open champions: Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera. National pride is at stake.
Coming at him are:
The Australians: leader Appleby with all his untapped potential at major level, at three-under, Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy at even par.
The Europeans: tall Swede Robert Karlsson at two-under par, stocky Swede Carl Petterson at even par and pony-tailed, cigar-chugging, Ferrari driving Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez at one-under after a blindingly good 66.
The English: Super-straight hitting Lee Westwood at one-under and art graduate Luke Donald at steady even par.
The South African: Former champion Ernie Els holding steady despite a form line which suggested he wouldn't be in contention here.
The final two rounds have got blockbuster written all over them.
And there's the added drama of whether or not Woods' poor knee will endure
While Woods deadpans it, Appleby is earning a reputation as a major joker.
The man was once asked what he'd have to shoot to win the Masters. He replied: "Tiger."
And asked yesterday if he was worried about Woods' threat, he said: "I'll be doing my best to accidentally throw a club toward his sore knee. It would be an accident, of course."
By the look of things that's probably what needs to be done to stop Woods winning major No14.
Tiger's just teed off in the third round of the US Open and if he can managed to win tis thing it's a that'll hobble all the way up the road from San Diego Hollywood as the Woods legend grows in ways you'd never imagine.
Just when it looked like there was a literal handicap that could bring Woods back to the field, the world's best golfer found a way to dig himself out of a hole; a hole into which he then but dumped many of his rivals for the US Open title.
Out of action since early April, after opting to have arthroscopic surgery on a troublesome knee following the Masters, Woods came to the US Open under the vague suspicion his knee wasn't quite right after a delayed recovery forced him to miss a lead-up tournament.
He was s drifter on betting markets and after his opening round of one-over par 72, which featured two double-bogeys and a handful of temper tantrums, those fears were ready to be realised.
But yesterday, he screamed back into contention, ironing out his putting to string together four birdies in five holes on his way to a three-under par 68 to leave him one shot behind leader Stuart Appleby of Australia.
In his wake, among others, was playing partner and arch rival Phil Mickelson.
One hole told the story of the day as Woods and Mickelson went head to head in a dream group featuring Adam Scott.
On the par-13th, their fourth hole of the day, Woods slammed a driver 320m down the middle and sent a five-wood into the stratosphere before landing it softly on the green to give himself an eagle putt which he converted to get back to one-over par after a shaky star which featured two bogeys in three holes as he fell to three-over par.
Mickelson on the other hand stuffed up by deciding the longest course in US Open history didn't require him to put a driver in his bag. He had a lot of wedges though, five apparently.
So on the 13th he had to use a three-wood off the tee, lay up and use one of those wedges to try to hit it close. He only just got the ball inside Woods' five-wood shot... and then missed the putt.
Poor old Phil. The final round coincides with his birthday, the tournament, at San Diego's Torrey Pines, is practically in his own backyard, and he wants to win so bad, after all he's been four times the runner-up at the US Open, which is more often than Woods.
But his six bogeys to two birdies delivered a four-over par 75 and dropped him back to four-over for the tournament.
Not surprisingly the driver might be back in his bag today but wait to late for Phil who double-crossed himself.
What this US Open has now turned into is Woods versus the best the rest of the world can offer. Woods, with help from maybe Davis Love and Rocco Mediate, is the American trying to reverse the trend that has delivered four consecutive foreign US Open champions: Retief Goosen, Michael Campbell, Geoff Ogilvy and Angel Cabrera. National pride is at stake.
Coming at him are:
The Australians: leader Appleby with all his untapped potential at major level, at three-under, Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy at even par.
The Europeans: tall Swede Robert Karlsson at two-under par, stocky Swede Carl Petterson at even par and pony-tailed, cigar-chugging, Ferrari driving Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez at one-under after a blindingly good 66.
The English: Super-straight hitting Lee Westwood at one-under and art graduate Luke Donald at steady even par.
The South African: Former champion Ernie Els holding steady despite a form line which suggested he wouldn't be in contention here.
The final two rounds have got blockbuster written all over them.
And there's the added drama of whether or not Woods' poor knee will endure
While Woods deadpans it, Appleby is earning a reputation as a major joker.
The man was once asked what he'd have to shoot to win the Masters. He replied: "Tiger."
And asked yesterday if he was worried about Woods' threat, he said: "I'll be doing my best to accidentally throw a club toward his sore knee. It would be an accident, of course."
By the look of things that's probably what needs to be done to stop Woods winning major No14.
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