Iger Woods was in the middle of the fairway, which represents more than an 8-iron from 170 yards. Luke Donald was at the top of the hill next to the pavilion when he turned his head after hearing another big cheer from the gallery surrounding the 18th green.
A large screen was the distance the ball in the hole.
“Looks like he found his form” said Donald.
It seemed that all week.
With three straight birdies from the back a challenge ultimately the key to saving the last nine holes and a birdie in the last 18 years, Woods had a 4 in 68 in the Chevron World Challenge to maintain his lead to four U.S. shocks Open champion Graeme McDowell.
After the worst year of Woods’s career, there is one around apart from a familiar finish.
“I am excited about tomorrow because of the way I played” Woods said.
It was the first time all year that Woods has finished four rounds right into the 60s, dating to his final round 65 in the Australian Masters two weeks ago. The key was to keep his margin of four shots on McDowell. Woods has never lost a tournament when leading by three shots entering the final round.
No one else was within eight shots of the lead.
After eight months of research as a normal player, Woods has started to look like the guy with 82 victories and 14 majors. It was his lowest score and the largest lead after three rounds last year’s BMW Championship, where he won eight.
Woods took care not to get ahead of himself.
“To be honest with you, I do not see it that way when I am out there playing” he said. “At the moment I am trying to put a golf ball across the fairway where I need to put it on the green. I just play. One might think that my mind went there, but it is a good discipline. It feels good.”
McDowell, a disadvantage of four going to the second round, quickly closed within a stroke with a birdie putt of two on the second tee shot and daring to the location of the hole in the top right on the par-3 third.
Woods pulled out quickly. He hit a shot and start a bunker connected to straddling par-5 fifth 2 feet, rolled rapidly to 20-foot birdie on the sixth and seventh, then held the flag of about 3 meters.
Exactly, he returned to his advantage to five.
The back nine could have anyway. Woods was in trouble from the tee on 11, it was necessary to clean the dirt about 12 feet for a birdie putt from two to keep his lead to four shots. It seemed to extend that lead when McDowell hit out of bounds at the par-5 13th, but he managed level.
On the next hole that had McDowell 6 feet for birdie and Woods was 20 feet for par. Woods did, McDowell missed. Why Woods is taking nothing for granted going into the final round. Sherwood is the type of course where low scores are available due to the five pairs of fives, but is easy to send a large number if a player leaves the position.
Dustin Johnson found that out the hard way, playing the last four holes in 7 more for a 80 that left him in the bottom of the package. Woods seems to make great strides towards turning around his game. Is still viewed as little by little.
“Since the PGA has been a gradual advance, regardless of the platform along the way” he said.
McDowell is a reason to see it in different ways. He has played with Woods in the first two rounds of the HSBC Champions in Shanghai, while Woods fell to chase errant shots quickly and suspects.
This was another Woods saw Saturday under cloudy skies.
“I thought thet ‘broad’is still there” said McDowell&’s tee shot Woods in Shanghai.”I thought he managed very well today.” He really only had one bad drive, and it is so impressive on the green. It is the best there ever was around the greens.”
Paul Casey had a quick start, 5 under through seven holes, until four in the double bogey putts session. Had to settle for par on seven holes and follow with 69. He was in third place, eight strokes behind.
Asked the last time it felt so good about his game, Woods said: “Probably Monday in the Ryder Cup.”
It would be the last day, when he scored the final seven holes in 7 under to beat Francesco Molinari. Woods has shown flashes of more in Australia, where he played the last six holes in 6.
This was different. Woods had some bumps in bulk in some bad spots, but only two bogeys for the week. As so often does, he built a lead and stayed in control.
Woods says the difference in this tournament, and his recent events are greedy, what Sean Foley is a lesson.
“I still see it as marginal. I see great strides, because there was no understanding of the swing, technique and be more efficient” he said. “I think that’s what you see. I am better at it.”
Tags: 60s, Australian Masters, Birdie Putt, Bmw Championship, Cheer, Chevron, Eight Months, Fairway, golf ball, Graeme Mcdowell, Iger Woods, Luke Donald, Majors, Open Champion, Shocks, Straight Birdies, Tee Shot, Three Shots, Tiger Woods, Top Of The Hill, World Challenge