AUGUSTA, (AFP) - Tiger Woods stumbled to a two-over par 74 on Saturday to lead an American collapse in the third round of the 75th Masters that saw unheralded Bo Van Pelt as the unlikely vanguard of US hopes.
Fifty years after South African legend Gary Player became the first golfer from outside US borders to win the Masters, the top seven players in the field entering the final round at Augusta National were not Americans.
"America is big but the world is bigger," South African Charl Schwartzel said. "There's more people, so I mean, I don't think it's big. There's just a bunch of good players out there from the European Tour and even Asia.
"It's just a bunch of really good players coming through."
And it's a bunch of American standouts faltering at fabled Augusta National.
One day after firing a 66 to lift himself into contention for a 15th major title but his first since the 2008 US Open, Woods was unable to put together a solid follow-up round and shared ninth on five-under 211 through 54 holes.
"I swung the club well all day," Woods said. I just didn't make anything on the greens."
South Korean K.J. Choi, in a second-place group with Schwartzel four back of leader Rory McIlroy from Northern Ireland, played alongside Woods on Saturday as he did for four rounds last year and saw improvement despite the flop.
"He has really improved," Choi said. "He has gotten better. His rhythm is better. His shots have improved. He just had a bad day of putting. But overall I think he is better than where he was last year."
Woods, whose 1997 Masters victory helped inspire McIlroy to play golf, has not won since his infamous sex scandal began in November of 2009.
And unless he can rally from a seven-shot hole to win his first major when not leading after 54 holes, that win drought will continue.
"I'm going to have to put together a good front nine and see what happens," Woods said. "I'm in a position where I've just got to go out there and play a good round and see what happens."
Woods has not won at the Masters since 2005, the last of his four titles at Augusta National.
A bogey by Woods on the 18th hole left Van Pelt leading the American charge in eighth on 210 after a solid 68. Van Pelt, 35, took his lone PGA title at Milwaukee in 2009 and missed the cut in 2005 in his only prior Masters.
"I'm going to try to shoot the lowest score I can and the chips fall where they may," Van Pelt said. "All I thought about all week is I'll tee off on 1, I'll see what the lowest score I can shoot is. Whenever I'm going home, I'll be happy because I know that's all I could do."
Fred Couples, who at 51 is trying to become the oldest champion in major golf history, was on 211 with Woods and fellow American Bubba Watson among others.
"With a great round tomorrow, who knows," Couples said. "I did hit some good putts but I'm not getting close enough to the hole.
"It's going to be a logjam tomorrow."
Defending champion Phil Mickelson, who owns three of the past seven green jackets awarded, was expressing confidence not apparent in the shotmaking after a 71 left him on 213, nine off McIlroy's lead with 18 holes to play.
"On Sunday a lot can happen," Mickelson said. "I'm not going to count myself out. I've shot low scores here before. I believe I can do it again."
Bayern sack coach Louis van Gaal
BERLIN, (AFP) - German champions Bayern Munich on Sunday sacked coach Louis van Gaal with the Bavarian giants fourth in the Bundesliga and outside the Champions League places for next season.The club's board of directors took the decision in a bid to help prevent Bayern missing out on a place in European football's top domestic competition.
The 59-year-old Van Gaal was informed of the decision after his side returned to Munich following Saturday's 1-1 draw at Nuremberg saw Bayern drop to fourth in the Bundesliga.
They must finish at least second in the table to be sure of a Champions League place next season, with five games remaining.
Bayern are 14 points behind Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund.
Van Gaal's assistant Andries Jonker will take over as caretaker head coach with Hermann Gerland as his assistant.
Bayer Leverkusen's coach Jupp Heynckes has already been announced as Bayern's head coach for next season.
Van Gaal, 59, was told last month his contract, which was due to expire in 2012, would be terminated at the end of the season.
Vettel storms to Malaysian win
SEPANG, (AFP) - World champion Sebastien Vettel won the Malaysian Grand Prix with a dominant drive on Sunday to take an early grip on the Formula One season.The 23-year-old German steered his Red Bull car from pole position to the chequered flag to win ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, and Nick Heidfeld who finished third for Renault.
Red Bull's Australian driver Mark Webber recovered from a poor start to storm back and finish fourth ahead of the two Ferraris of Brazilian Felipe Massa and two-time champion Fernando Alonso.
2008 champion Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing seventh after looking set for a podium spot, until a slow pit stop and then a struggle with worn tyres in the closing stages.
Japana's Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber was eighth ahead of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who was ninth for Mercedes, and 10th-placed British rookie Paul Di Resta, who scored another point for Force India in only his second start.
Vettel has now won both of the two season-opening races, in Australia and Malaysia, and five of the last six to take charge of the 2011 drivers world title race.
No comments:
Post a Comment