Rain stops play, Ogilvy holds lead
Tiger Woods finally looked human Saturday at the CA Championship in Doral, Fla.
Then came some help from the heavens.
Woods couldn’t make a putt, scowled more than he smiled, and was struggling to stay at par on a day when the Blue Monster was yielding birdies. What stopped his slide was a rumble of thunder and a torrential storm that dumped 3 inches of rain and suspended the third round until today.
Geoff Ogilvy was at 14-under par through 11 holes and kept his one-shot lead, only now it was Adam Scott on his heels, not the world’s No. 1 player who has won every tournament he has played since September.
Woods was at 11 under, even for the day, the only player among the top 18 who was not under par for the round.
Scott was practically flawless, making up five shots in five holes against Woods, taking the outright lead with a 25-foot birdie putt that swirled around the cup before falling, looking confident with every hole he played. Ogilvy still hasn’t made a bogey this week, and two late birdies allowed him to regain the lead.
And then it rained.
“If it was our day,” Scott said, “it was cut off way too short.”
They will resume play at 8:30 a.m. – if conditions allow – to finish the third round, with the final round of this World Golf Championship scheduled for this afternoon.
The break could not have come at a better time for Woods, who three-putted his first three holes, had two other putts spin off the lip and picked up his only birdie when his wedge stopped 30 inches away on No. 7.
“I’m right there, only three back,” Woods said. “A lot of holes to be played tomorrow. And hopefully, I can get it going and get hot for the rest of the day.”
The CA Championship looked like it might be a three-man race, but now is loaded with possibilities. Although the third round is incomplete, Woods headed back to his yacht in a three-way tie for third place.
Vijay Singh was 8 under for his round through 16 holes and faced a 7-foot birdie putt on the 17th when he returned. Also at 11 under for the tournament was Tim Clark, who was 7 under through 15 holes. Graeme Storm nearly made an ace on the par-3 15th that put him at 10 under with three holes remaining. Jim Furyk was 10 under through 13 holes.
Five shots separated eight players when the third round was stopped.
No one was complaining.
“Look, it’s where you want to be,” Ogilvy said. “You want to be leading with 25 holes to play. I’m happy with where I’m at. If I can keep playing the way I’m playing and putt well, you never know.”
PGA
Bo Van Pelt held on to his lead – barely – at the Puerto Rico Open to move a step closer to his first PGA Tour victory.
Van Pelt shot a 1-under 71 at on the Trump International Golf Club course in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, to finish at 13 under. Briny Baird (69) and Greg Kraft (69) were a stroke back.