There are some days a 66 isn’t enough

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. – The steam coming out of Tiger Woods wasn’t from the oppressive heat.

He banged his hand into a sign as he walked to the scoring trailer Saturday, then grudgingly gave an interview to TNT Sports that began with, “I’m not real happy right now.” He blew off a request from host network CBS Sports and didn’t cool down until he left Baltusrol after the third round of the PGA Championship.

Woods had just shot 66, his best round of the week.

It felt like his worst.

His goal was to post a low enough number to get him under par for the first time in the tournament, then hope that Phil Mickelson and the guys chasing him wouldn’t get too far away.

It worked until the end of his third round, when Woods twice put himself in position for at least a birdie and both times had to settle for par 5s.

He again tried to reach the 650-yard 17th hole in two, but his 3-wood was so far left that it went beyond a bunker and settled under a fan’s portable chair. He chipped weakly to 35 feet and made par. On the 18th, Woods hammered another tee shot down the middle and hit a towering 7-iron that settled 30 feet behind the hole. He gunned his eagle putt some 12 feet by, then missed that coming back.

“It was just a bad putt,” he said. “Bad putt at the wrong time.”

Woods finished at even-par 210, the first time he’s been at par since the opening hole Thursday, but only good enough to shave two strokes off Mickelson’s lead. He will start today’s final round tied for 20th, six shots behind Mickelson and Davis Love.

“I thought if I shot 63 today, it would be a pretty good number,” Woods said. “It’s certainly out there.”

Daly wedges in some putts

John Daly has so much power, he could probably drive with a putter. At the PGA Championship on Saturday, he proved he could putt with a wedge.

Daly made the unorthodox move after the head of his putter came loose on the back nine of his third round, and he putted with his wedge on holes 11 through 18.

“I rolled it pretty good. I couldn’t get it to the hole, but the other putter was knocking it 10 feet by,” Daly said with a laugh.

Daly’s caddie wanted to replace the putter, but the 1991 PGA champ declined.

“I’m tired of replacing it,” Daly said after an 8-over 78. “It’s happened about 10 times this year.”

He won’t be competing for the Wanamaker Trophy today, but he will be working toward the future.

“I might have three or four putters in the bag tomorrow, just to find something to putt with next week,” he said.

“Hey, it’ll happen. Something good will happen,” Daly said. “We’ll get it right. It’s unfortunate this has happened so many times this year, especially in the majors. It’s just tough to build a two-piece putter.”

Tourney endures record heat

Triple digits are never welcome on a golf course – especially if it’s the temperature and the heat index.

But that’s just what fans, workers, volunteers, golfers and caddies had to deal with on a steamy Saturday at Baltusrol Golf Club, where the temperature reached 100 degrees and heat index topped out at 105 in the third round of the PGA Championship.

Record heat engulfed the North Jersey area, and the temperature reached 102 degrees at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport, eclipsing the previous high of 100 set in 1944 and 2002.

The PGA of America reported the temperature at the golf course reached triple digits about 3:30 p.m., shortly after leader Phil Mickelson started his third round.

Tournament director Andy Bush said 157 people were treated for symptoms of heat exhaustion and five were transported to hospitals and later released.