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Posted on 06/15/2002 9:08:46 PM PDT by Archie Bunker on steroids
Woods has company in Open battle
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Two birdie putts by two of his biggest rivals rocked the U.S. Open with deafening cheers that Tiger Woods couldn't ignore.
First came Phil Mickelson with a slick 20-footer on the 17th.
Tiger Woods pumps his fist after his birdie putt on the 15th green helped him hold of several challenges.
Then it was Sergio Garcia, pouring one in on the 16th and pointing up the hill to Mickelson, as if they were tag-team partners trying to stop Woods from another runaway.
Woods got the message, and answered right back.
''I saw the guys making a run at me, and I just tried to keep hanging in there,'' he said.
He did better than that.
With his first birdie of the day on No. 15, the toughest hole at Bethpage Black, Woods regained control at the U.S. Open and set up a final round suddenly dripping with drama.
Woods finished with an even-par 70 for a four-stroke lead over Garcia, the sassy Spaniard who complained Friday that Woods was getting all the breaks, then left him a note Saturday morning to explain that ''I didn't mean anything bad about him.''
They will be paired together in the final group Sunday, a rivalry that has been brewing for three years and just got even more intense.
''I'm excited about playing with him, and I'm sure he feels the same way,'' Woods said.
Don't forget Mickelson, the man without a major who lived up to his thrill-a-minute style with seven birdies that kept him in the picture.
Despite struggling with his swing on the easiest day for scoring at Bethpage Black, Woods was poised to become the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1972 to claim the first two legs of the Grand Slam.
Woods was at 5-under 205, and his four-stroke lead is daunting. He is 23-2 when he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round, and he's never lost a 54-hole lead in a major championship.
The last one came at the Masters, when Woods built an early lead in the final round and watched everyone else get out of the way.
That might not be the case here.
Garcia ignored heckles about his waggles and girlfriend Martina Hingis and turned in his best score at a U.S. Open, a 3-under 67 that included a near ace on No. 14.
''I was trying to put myself in position, and it was nice to see Phil doing it in front, knowing it could be done,'' Garcia said after a 3-under 67, his best round in a U.S. Open. ''It was quite a thrill to get back in the tournament. We'll see if we can give him another nice run tomorrow and make it exciting.''
Mickelson, who claims to be one of the few players who can stand up to Woods, had a 67 despite three bogeys on his first five holes.
But what makes the final round so compelling is Garcia.
They first battled at the 1999 PGA Championship, when Woods barely held him off at Medinah. Then, Garcia beat him in the ''Battle at Bighorn'' two summers ago, and his exuberant celebration at a silly made-for-TV event clearly annoyed Woods.
Throw in a New York gallery that has become more boisterous each day, and it could be quite a finish.
''It's going to be tough for both of us,'' Woods said.
Thickening the plot are comments from Garcia on Friday, when he complained that Woods was getting all the breaks and received preferential treatment.
Garcia thought there was too much water on the greens and in the fairway for the second round to continue.
''If Tiger Woods would have been out there, it would have been called,'' he said. ''It's tough to beat a guy when ... he gets breaks and makes putts.''
Garcia said he left a note in Woods' locker Saturday morning to explain what he meant.
Woods said he did not have a chance to read the note.
''It was awfully nice of him to do that,'' Woods said. ''I'm excited about playing with him, and I'm sure he feels the same way.''
Garcia is the first player to whisper about the "Jordan Rules" for Woods.
Of course he was reprimanded by the PGA for slandering the Association's cash cow. I did enjoy seeing a couple of roid rages on the course today. Seems like his cycles peak with the majors.
Two words: Sour grapes.
Be a man, Sergio. Tiger is only human. If you can beat him, beat him.
I spent the first 4 years of my life in Bethpage, and the rest of my childhood only a few miles away. I first sledded and skied on the snowy hills of the Bethpage black golf course.
The crowds are huge! I hope NYers comport themselves a little better tomorrow than they did today. Chants of "USA!, USA!" while Sergio Garcia is at the top of his backswing are out of line.
Tough to beat a guy that the PGA gives every break to - from course design to equipment allowances to a myriad of shady advantages. Woods brings billions to the networks and the PGA. They can't allow him to lose & Sergio was the first one to make the slightest hint about it.
I wonder if he's stacking?
Yeah I saw that. He was an unhappy camper the whole round, until he made some putts at the finish.
What do you mean "stacking"?
Sosa, Bonds & Mc Gwire would disagree. It has helped their hand/eye coordination and their are lots of similarities between baseball & golf. The drug's strength enhancement is unquestionable. Have you watched him pop his ball out of the deep rough. No one can do that.
His physique shows nothing like the bulky muscle mass found on steroid users like McGuire or Carneseca. Quite the contrary in fact. Woods is sleek, a decidedly unsteroidy characteristic.
Sounds to me like you are just making unfounded charges because you don't like the guy.
The 1st round Garcia was averaging 292 yards, while Woods' best round was today's @ 284 yards
Woods probably outweighs Garcia by 30 lbs.
Now, Arch......go change your bait.
Woods is enhanced right now.
I like to see the nobody come out and win golf tournaments. Not enough money in that though. the difference in Woods being in contention on Sunday is in the tens of millions according to reports I've read.
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