Hungry Tiger Prowling More Familiar Territory

Tiger Woods’ mini-slump was about more than missed putts, missed greens and missed opportunities. He now realizes that what he really missed was the feeling of being in contention.

“It gives you not only a chance of winning but also to feel the pressure - the nerves, the butterflies going through your stomach, palms a little sweaty,” Woods said. “These are things I haven’t felt in a little while.”

He’ll get those feelings today when he tries to win the Western Open in Lemont, Ill., for his fourth victory of the year and sixth since turning pro last August.

Woods sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Saturday, putting him in a tie for the lead with Justin Leonard and Loren Roberts at 9-under-par. Six players are within two strokes of the leaders, so the final round at Cog Hill’s Dubsdread course promises to be memorable. Woods won the Masters in April and the Byron Nelson Classic in May. But in three June tournaments, he finished 67th, 19th and 43rd. In the process, he broke par only once in 12 rounds.

So the 21-year-old wonder took a week off to relax and collect his thoughts, and he has returned with the intensity he had lacked.

Roberts, who will be paired with Woods for the final round of the $2 million Motorola-sponsored tournament, shot a 66 for Saturday’s low score.

Steve Lowery, Jim Furyk and Frank Nobilo were one stroke behind the leaders. Another shot back were Steve Pate, Davis Love III and Jay Delsing. Scott Hoch was three back at 6-under. Former Pullman resident Kirk Triplett shot a 71 and was 10 strokes back at 217.

LPGA

Kelly Robbins shot a 4-under par 67 to extend her lead to six strokes in the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

Robbins, who began the round with a two-stroke lead, had a tournament-record 15-under 198 total on the Highland Meadows course. She also opened with a 67 and tied the course record Friday with a 64.

“This is why I play,” said Robbins, a four-time tour champion who won the 1994 tournament. “I don’t think I’ve ever had this big a lead. A lot of people say Saturday is moving day. I was a little surprised.”

Australia’s Karrie Webb, a four-time winner last year when she earned a tour-record $1,002,000, was second after a 71. Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez (71) and Vickie Odegard (67) were seven back at 205.

After shooting a 70, Tracy Hanson of Rathdrum, Idaho, was in a group of five tied for eighth at 210.

Robbins birdied three of the final five holes, holing a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th hole, a 30-footer on the par-4 16th, and a 12-footer on the par-5 18th. She also birdied No. 2, sinking a 15-footer.

Senior Tour

Jay Sigel birdied the first four holes to take the lead in the $1 million Kroger Senior Classic in Mason, Ohio, and then pulled away from the field with three consecutive birdies on the back nine.

Sigel finished with an 8-under-par 63, the best round of the tournament, for a 36-hole total of 129, a Kroger record. First-day co-leader David Ojala shot 68 and trailed Sigel by four strokes going into today’s final round.

Larry Gilbert, Leonard Thompson, Jimmy Powell and Frank Conner were at 8-under, five strokes behind.

First-day co-leader Bob Eastwood blew to 73 on Saturday.

Celebrity

Three-time champion Rick Rhoden shot a 5-under-par 67 to take a three-stroke lead over John Brodie and Dan Quinn in the Isuzu Celebrity Championship in Stateline, Nev.

Rhoden, a former major league pitcher, had six birdies and a bogey on the Edgewood Tahoe course for a 36-hole total of 7-under 137. He won the event in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

Brodie, a former San Francisco 49ers quarterback and one-time Senior PGA Tour winner, followed his opening 67 with a 73.

Pro basketball player Charles Barkley shot a 98 for a two-round total of 192.