| Tiger Woods takes lead at U.S. Open |
| By Hip Hop News | |
| 06/15/08 | |
Tiger Woods takes lead at U.S. Open Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times Tiger Woods and the gallery roars after his long eagle putt goes into the cup at the 13th hole on Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open. He has two eagles on the last six holes and finishes off a round that is remarkable even for him with a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood. LA JOLLA -- Tiger Woods, playing like Walter Hagen as he limped like Walter Brennan, added more time capsule moments to an already remarkable career Saturday when he hobbled down the back nine to incredibly seize the 54-hole lead at the 108th U.S. Open.Woods, favoring a sore left knee, was five shots off the lead at Torrey Pines after bogeying the par-four 12th hole when he began a stretch of long-to-be remembered golf drama that ended with him rolling in a 40-foot eagle putt on the finishing hole to take a one-shot lead into today's final round.
By the back nine, though, you needed an extinguisher to cool him off. Woods has never lost a major championship after holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead. He has never won a major title coming from behind -- and now he doesn't have to to win this one. He shot a one-under-par 70 and stands at three-under 210 as he homes in on his 14th career professional major. He leads Lee Westwood, who is trying to become the first Englishman since Tony Jacklin in 1970 to win the U.S. Open. Westwood also shot a 70 and is at two-under 211. "It would be great to follow in his footsteps," Westwood said of Jacklin. "And obviously the reason I practice every day is to get into this position and try to win major championships." Rocco Mediate, who let a three-shot lead slip away on Saturday's back nine, shot 72 and is two shots behind. Geoff Ogilvy and D.J. Trahan are four shots back at one over. Where do you start with Woods? Not even his compatriots can understand it. After Woods finished his round, Mediate infiltrated the media area and posed his own question. "Are you out of your mind what you're doing out there?" Mediate asked Woods. "Come on." His game, at times, seemed on the precipice of collapse. Woods couldn't hit a fairway off the tee to save his life -- finding only six of 14. He crushed twisting tee shots and then recoiled from pain surging from a knee that was surgically repaired April 15. Until Thursday, Woods had not played a competitive round since the Masters in April. "It's more sore today," Woods said of his knee. He said the pain "grabbed" him on many of his tee shots. "But it's always after impact," he said, adding " . . . if pain hits, pain hits. So be it. It's just pain." Woods was one over par, seemingly exhausted and out of gas when he knocked his tee shot at the par-five 13th into the weeds. |
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