Top-ranked Tiger Woods squandered a three-stroke edge midway into his third round on Saturday, but shared the lead with defending champion Anthony Kim after 54 holes at the PGA National.
Woods and top foes unleashed US Independence Day fireworks at Congressional Golf Club with four men tied for the lead until Woods and Kim each birdied the par-5 16th hole to finish the third round on 10-under par 200.
Woods fired a third-round 70 while Kim shot 68 to put himself into a dream first-ever PGA pairing against 14-time major winner Woods, the idol whose heroic feats prompted the Korean-American sensation to play golf.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Michael Allen, a 50-year-old American who has not won in 336 US PGA starts, and countryman Cameron Beckman shared third on 201. US veteran Jim Furyk and Australian Rod Pampling are on 202 with US Open winner Lucas Glover on 203.
Tournament host Woods, seeking his 68th career crown, has won 44 of 47 prior US PGA events when leading or sharing the lead after 54 holes and has finished in the top 10 at 19 consecutive stroke-play tournaments.
Woods stretched his lead to three strokes with a 25-foot eagle putt at the par-5 ninth after blasting his tee shot 365 yards, leaving him at 11-under.
Allen birdied the last four holes on the front nine and ended a run of three birdies in four holes at the 16th to pull within two of the lead.
Woods faltered on his nemesis hole, the par-4 11th, where he made bogeys the first two days. Woods found a greenside bunker then popped up his third shot into another bunker and made double bogey, falling into a tie with Allen.
Kim, 24, joined the co-leaders with a birdie at the 12th and Beckman followed with an eagle at 16 to create a four-man lead logjam. Kim broke ahead with a five-foot birdie at 16 and Woods followed to tie him after his 4-iron shot stopped inches from the cup at 16.
When Kim was nine, he would imagine playing Woods for tournament titles. Now his dreams will become real.
Woods made real similar imaginary rounds against his idol, Jack Nicklaus. Now he is the hunted.
“I’m aging. That’s what that means,” Woods said.
Allen, whose 65 was the day’s low round, won his debut on the 50-and-over Champions Tour at May’s Senior PGA Championship. His only other pro wins were at the 1989 Scottish Open and 1998 Austin Open on the US developmental tour.
“I’m playing better. Maybe all these years are paying off,” he said. “I’m missing that big hole in my career. I enjoy playing every day and working at it. I’ve lost 336 straight times so the fear is kind of gone.”
Pampling, who shared third at the 6 million event last year, fired a 71. He dropped an 82-foot birdie putt at the 14th and a 40-footer at the sixth.
■OWENS CORNING CLASSIC
AFP, SYLVANIA, OHIO
South Korea’s Yi Eun-jung fired a 10-under 61 and grabbed the lead after the third round of the US$1.4 million LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic on Saturday.
Yi rolled in eight birdies and holed out from the fairway for an eagle at No. 10, posting a personal best score on the Tour.
The 21-year-old Yi moved to 18-under 195 and takes a four-shot lead over Kim Song-hee (64) and American Morgan Pressel (67) into yesterday’s fourth round.
Yi’s 61 was not a course record on the par-71 Highland Meadows as Paula Creamer shot a 60 in the opening round last year. Annika Sorenstam has the only 59 in LPGA Tour history.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng was tied for fourth at 201 after shooting a 65 and Candie Kung shot a 66 to leave her at a seven-under 206, while Amy Hung missed the cut.
■FRENCH OPEN
REUTERS, ST QUENTIN, FRANCE
Argentine Rafa Echenique birdied the final hole of his third round to edge into a one-shot lead on 11-under-par 202 at the French Open on Saturday.
An eight-foot putt after a fine approach over the lake by Echenique dropped Germany’s Martin Kaymer (69), who equaled the course record 62 in the first round, back to second place.
Britain’s Paul Waring (68) was a further stroke back, a shot in front of compatriot Seve Benson (68), Australian Richard Green (70) and Sweden’s Peter Hanson (70).
Echenique was set to draw inspiration from two-time major champion Angel Cabrera to try to win his maiden European Tour title yesterday.
“Angel is a good friend and my idol,” Echenique told reporters. “I play a lot with him and he gives me good advice.
“He is a different level now so he knows what he is talking about. He told me if I get in position to win I must relax and not be tense. That’s what I hope to do tomorrow,” he said.
Last week in Munich, Echenique secured his second European Tour runner-up spot after scoring an albatross on the 18th in the final round.
Kaymer, 24, felt his greater experience in winning two European Tour titles already might stand him in good stead as he aimed for a third victory to help him climb into the world ranking top 20.
“I can remember when I was leading in Abu Dhabi, trying to win for the first time and you can get very nervous because it is a new situation for you,” Kaymer said.
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