Tiger Woods’ chances of retaining his Australian Masters title all but evaporated in the gloomy rain at Victoria Golf Club after a third round even-par 71 yesterday left him 10 shots behind leader Adam Bland.
Woods, who has not won a title since claiming the gold jacket at nearby Kingston Heath a year ago, mixed three birdies and three bogeys to leave him on one-under 212, but missed several putts that could have put him back into contention.
“I hit so many putts that looked like they were going to go in, but they finished ... about a foot short or hanging on the lip,” Woods told reporters.
Photo: Reuters
Australian Bland, who has held at least a share of the lead since the first round, was involved in a tense battle with playing partner Andre Stolz (72) through the constant rain, shooting a one-under 70 for an 11-under 202 to take a three-shot lead over Daniel Gaunt (68). Stolz was third on seven-under 206.
Short of a miraculous recovery combined with a spectacular collapse by those above him on today, Woods will end the year without a title for the first time since he turned professional in 1996.
“I’m so far back that I have to play a great round and I need help, the only thing I can control is going out there and putting a low one on the board,” the 34-year-old American said. “I really haven’t putted well this week, if I putted normally and made a couple more shots I’d be right in there.”
SINGAPORE OPEN
Reuters, SINGAPORE
Adam Scott is in prime position to become the Singapore Open’s first three-time winner after the Australian finished the third round with a one-shot lead over the chasing pack yesterday.
Defending champion Ian Poulter and South Korea’s Kang Kyung-nam are tied for second on 13-under at the Sentosa Golf Club, with US Open winner Graeme McDowell a shot further back.
Northern Irishman McDowell looks poised to eat into Martin Kaymer’s lead in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, with the German well off the pace on seven-under. The co-sanctioned tournament offers a first prize of US$1 million.
Taiwan’s Chan Yih-shin shot a disappointing 74 to fall back to three-under, while compatriot Lin Wen-tang carded a 75, dropping down the leaderboard with his even-par total of 213.
Scott, who won back-to-back Singapore titles in 2005 and 2006, was steady rather than spectacular on a hot, sunny day at the Serapong course, but he could have been further ahead if he had made a six-foot putt for birdie on the last.
Poulter, dressed conservatively in cream trousers and a white golf shirt to match his unusual all-white driver, had leapfrogged Scott at the top of the leaderboard with a birdie on 10, but that was as good as it would get for the Englishman after the turn.
The 34-year-old Ryder Cup player carded seven pars and bogeyed 14 to come home in second place.
Additional reporting by staff writer
DISNEY CLASSIC
Reuters, MIAMI
Little-known Roland Thatcher of the US kept his USPGA Tour card hopes alive by charging four shots clear in the second round of the Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista on Friday.
Three strokes behind pace-setter Chris Stroud overnight, Thatcher took command with a scintillating nine-under 63 on the Magnolia Course, one of two layouts hosting the event.
The 33-year-old, who has played most of his tournament golf on the satellite Nationwide Tour, rattled up nine birdies in a flawless display to post a 16-under total of 128.
Stroud followed his opening 62 with a 70 on the Magnolia layout to share second place at 12-under with fellow American Brian Gay (65).
Another American, Robert Garrigus, was a stroke further back at the midway point in the final USPGA Tour event of the season after firing a 65.
Thatcher, who lies 179th in the money list and needs to climb into the top 125 to secure full playing privileges for the USPAGA Tour next year.
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Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
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