Woods surges to lead
Just like last year, Tiger Woods is in front at the Dunlop Phoenix in Miyazaki, Japan – with far less room for mistakes.
After trailing by a stroke in each of the first two rounds, Woods shot a 2-under-par 68 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over Jim Furyk. Woods is at 10-under 200 while Furyk shot a 70 for 201. David Duval, whose last victory came at this event in 2001, shot a 71 and was at 203.
Woods entered the final round of last year’s tournament with a 10-stroke lead and shot a 67 to finish eight strokes ahead of Japan’s Ryoken Kawagishi.
“I just need to go out there and execute shots and play well in order to win,” Woods said. “Jim loves to compete, and that’s what makes him tough to beat. Whenever he’s in contention, he’s tough.”
Woods carded five birdies against three bogeys at the Phoenix Country Club and took advantage of a shaky back nine by Furyk.
“The golf course was playing difficult today,” Woods said. “I knew it was a day when you had to play more conservatively. Guys weren’t going to go too low, so a 2 under is a pretty good score.”
Furyk, who held a one-stroke lead over Woods entering the third round, bogeyed the par-3 17th hole when he hit a tee shot that went into the greenside rough. His second shot landed on the edge of the green, and he two-putted for his third bogey of the day.
“It was an interesting day,” Furyk said. “I was happy that I played well on the front nine when it was windy and the conditions were tough, but disappointed that I didn’t play better after the turn when the conditions were better.”
Furyk finished with a birdie on No. 18 in the $1.7 million tournament, the richest on the Japanese tour.
Woods had a chance for an eagle on the par-5 18th when he reached the green in two but he left his first putt 7 feet short and two-putted for birdie.
On the par-4 13th, Woods’ tee shot landed in the rough at the side of the green. He chipped on and then made a 10-foot birdie putt. Furyk played it safe by laying up in front of the green but had to settle for par.
“It seems like every putt I made today was downhill,” Woods said. “The greens here are fast, and the pin placings were real tough today.”
Duval, who shared second with Woods entering the third round and had a one-stroke lead after the first round, is tied for third with Japan’s Kaname Yokoo (68). Duval, whose last victory was at this event in 2001, had three birdies and four bogeys.
LPGA
Annika Sorenstam survived gusty conditions in West Palm Beach, Fla., to barely stay in the lead at the season-ending ADT Championship.
Sorenstam played cautiously on the final hole and settled for a bogey, giving her a 2-over 74 to end her streak of nine consecutive rounds at par or better at Trump International. The only good news was her one-shot lead over Marisa Baena and Liselotte Neumann as she tries to win for the 10th time this year.
Sorenstam was at 3-under 213, one of five players who remained under par as 20 mph gusts turned Trump into a severe test for nearly everyone.
The exception was Baena, who started the third round in a tie for 20th and wound up in the final group for today with Sorenstam. Having secured some 70 tickets for friends and family, Baena treated them to 6-under 66 – the only round in the 60s – with birdies on seven of the final 11 holes.
“That was one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played,” Baena said.
Neumann felt the same way, going around Trump without a bogey and tied for the lead with Sorenstam until one bad swing cost her. Neumann hit into the water on the par-3 17th and took double bogey, giving her a 71.
Catriona Matthew had a 70 and was at 1-under 215, along with Hee-Won Han (74).
Paula Creamer, the 19-year-old rookie of the year, stumbled in the middle of the back nine and wound up with a 74 to finish at 1-over 217, still only four shots behind.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a 73 and is tied for 12th at 218.
World Cup
Wales is in position to win the World Cup at the expense of rival England. Bradley Dredge teamed with Stephen Dodd for an 11-under 61 in better ball for a two-stroke lead over defending champion England and Sweden at Vilamoura, Portugal.
Americans Zach Johnson and Stewart Cink had a 67 to tie for 17th with Australia and Mexico.
Pebble Beach Invitational
Nick Watney had the lowest professional tournament round in Monterey Peninsula history, an 11-under 61 at Del Monte that gave him a one-stroke lead in the Callaway Golf Pebble Beach (Calif.) Invitational.
Watney, who finished 127th on the PGA Tour money list this season, had three eagles, seven birdies and two bogeys to take a 14-under 202 total into the final round.
D.A. Points (67), Hunter Haas (69), Peter Tomasulo (70) and first-round leader Tom Purtzer (69) were tied for second, and Jim Thorpe (70), John Holmes (67), Kevin Sutherland (66) and Parker McLaughlin (69) were 12 under.
Thorpe had the lowest score among the six Champions Tour entrants in the tournament that includes 81 pros from the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour as well as mini-tour and club pros.