CASPER
New member
LEMONT, Ill. (AP)—Tiger Woods started with a bogey. His best shot led to a par.
It turned out to be his best round of the year.
Getting better with every shot, Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field Saturday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that gave him a seven-shot lead.
“After I got past the first hole I was doing all right,” Woods said. “It was one of those days that kind of built upon itself.”
Brandt Snedeker finished with four straight birdies for a 66 and will play with Woods for the first time Sunday. He could probably think of better circumstances.
“I’ve got to do something spectacular,” Snedeker said, “and he’s got to maybe have a heart attack out there for me to have a chance.”
Marc Leishman had a two-shot lead when he made the turn. Could he have imagined shooting 1 over on the back nine and finding himself seven shots behind?
“You wouldn’t think so,” he said. “But like I say, it’s Tiger.”
The 62 tied the tournament record—an event that dates to 1899—set last year by Jim Furyk at Bellerive outside St. Louis.
A course renovated by Rees Jones with hopes of landing a U.S. Open was no match for Woods, who was nearly nine shots better than the field, which averaged 70.71.
Woods was at 16-under 197 and had his largest lead on the PGA Tour since he was eight shots in front in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines early last year. He wound up winning by eight shots.
This was Woods at his finest, even though he wasn’t flawless.
He dropped his 3-wood in disgust after his opening tee shot sailed to the left into a bunker, leading to a sloppy bogey. He followed that by missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the next hole. Woods started the third round tied for the lead, and already was three shots behind when he stood on the tee at the par-3 sixth and faced a dangerous pin—all the way to the left, protected by deep bunkers front and back.
It turned out to be his best round of the year.
Getting better with every shot, Woods broke the course record at Cog Hill and blew away the field Saturday in the BMW Championship with a 9-under 62 that gave him a seven-shot lead.
“After I got past the first hole I was doing all right,” Woods said. “It was one of those days that kind of built upon itself.”
Brandt Snedeker finished with four straight birdies for a 66 and will play with Woods for the first time Sunday. He could probably think of better circumstances.
“I’ve got to do something spectacular,” Snedeker said, “and he’s got to maybe have a heart attack out there for me to have a chance.”
Marc Leishman had a two-shot lead when he made the turn. Could he have imagined shooting 1 over on the back nine and finding himself seven shots behind?
“You wouldn’t think so,” he said. “But like I say, it’s Tiger.”
The 62 tied the tournament record—an event that dates to 1899—set last year by Jim Furyk at Bellerive outside St. Louis.
A course renovated by Rees Jones with hopes of landing a U.S. Open was no match for Woods, who was nearly nine shots better than the field, which averaged 70.71.
Woods was at 16-under 197 and had his largest lead on the PGA Tour since he was eight shots in front in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines early last year. He wound up winning by eight shots.
This was Woods at his finest, even though he wasn’t flawless.
He dropped his 3-wood in disgust after his opening tee shot sailed to the left into a bunker, leading to a sloppy bogey. He followed that by missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the next hole. Woods started the third round tied for the lead, and already was three shots behind when he stood on the tee at the par-3 sixth and faced a dangerous pin—all the way to the left, protected by deep bunkers front and back.
