Woods cruises along
Tiger Woods rarely gets ahead of himself no matter what the score, although he found himself doing just that Friday in the American Express Championship at Chandler’s Cross, England after his best 36-hole start in six years.
Only this had nothing to do with his five-shot lead.
Worn out by playing six tournaments in the last seven weeks, Woods said he found strength from knowing he could take some time off after this World Golf Championship ends.
“It’s always nice when you have the light at the end of the tunnel,” Woods said.
Woods made a 7-under-par 64 look routine, building a five-shot lead over Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink and David Howell.
For the second straight day, the signature shot was a fairway metal into the 567-yard 18th hole that set up an eagle and gave him the lead, although some of the details changed. Woods started on the back nine, so this came in the middle of his round. It was a 5-wood from 246 yards that landed softly 10 feet behind the flag. Instead of capping off a great round, it sent him on his way.
The top three names on the leaderboard were Americans who scored the most points for their losing Ryder Cup team (Scott Verplank also earned two points, and he was at 4-under 138), although Cink tried not to read anything into that.
Holding up Europe’s end were Howell (66) and Padraig Harrington (69).
Nelson remembered
Although he considered himself an ordinary man, the memories shared of golf legend Byron Nelson during a 1 1/2-hour memorial service in North Richland Hills, Texas were far from it – from a powerful speech by his widow, Peggy, to his minister calling Nelson “the greatest man I’ve ever known.”
Nelson died Tuesday of natural causes at his Roanoke ranch. He was 94, and his last words were to Peggy as she headed out for church: “I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m sure he would’ve wanted to say that to every one of you,” she told about 2,200 people, so many that she mouthed “Wow” when she went stepped to the podium and looked out at the sanctuary.
The Nelsons were two months from their 20th anniversary. They celebrated their 238th month together a few months ago, continuing a tradition of treasuring every day that began early in their marriage. Nelson’s first wife, Louise, died in 1985, having spent her final two years paralyzed by a stroke.
“With this man, who was better than a prince because his nickname was ‘Lord Byron,’ all my dreams … came true,” Peggy Nelson said.
Champions Tour
Andy Bean matched his best score in four years on the Champions Tour, shooting a 9-under 63 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the Greater Hickory Classic at Conover, N.C.
The 53-year-old Bean, winless on the 50-and-older tour after winning 11 times on PGA Tour, tied the tournament record set by Joe Inman in 2003.
PGA Tour
The Southern Farm Bureau Classic in Madison, Miss., has been a pretty good therapy session for a handful of PGA Tour players.
D.J. Trahan continued to shake off a “dismal year,” shooting a bogey-free, 4-under 68 to move to 11-under 133 at Annandale Golf Club. He has a two-stroke lead over Brad Faxon (67) and Joe Durant (65).