Cracks threaten Appleby lead
STUART Appleby seized a two-stroke, third-round lead in the PGA National today (AEST), but cracks showed in his title bid while frustrated host Tiger Woods was seven strokes is the pace.
Appleby, trying to win Isleworth neighbourhood bragging rights over new father Woods by taking his inaugural tournament, fired a two-under par 68 to finish on eight-under 201 at Congressional Country Club.
But Appleby, who saw his four-stroke lead midway through his round halved by the end, discovered a hairline crack in the face of his custom-made driver on the 16th tee and has no similar spare available.
“It could have 50 shots in it. It could have one. It probably makes a bit of sense to see if I can rustle one up,” said Appleby.
“I should practice with a cracked one to see how long it goes before it literally explodes.”
South Korea’s K.J. Choi birdied 15, 16 and 17 to stand second on 203 with US veteran Steve Stricker (204), Canada’s Mike Weir (205), Lucas Glover (206) and fellow American Charley Hoffman and Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama (207).
“It was a demanding course. The greens definitely got faster. The respect level went to ‘pay attention,’” said Appleby.
“I was able to build a little bit of a lead but K.J. was able to tailgate and sneak up at the end.”
World No.1 Woods, a 12-time Major champion, struggled to a 69 to stand with fellow Americans Jim Furyk and Kevin Stadler and England’s Justin Rose on 208. Woods has never rallied from so far back so late to win a title.
“I’ve got to make a run and see what happens. I have to handle my own business first before anything can happen,” he said.
Appleby, trying to win a US tour event for the fifth year in a row, will not be checking out Woods on leaderboards.
“This course, if you look away, it will slap you real quick,” said Appleby.
“The biggest opponent is the golf course. If I can just relax and keep playing like I’m playing, I think I can squeeze a couple more birdies out.
“I’m not worried about Tiger. He’ll try to go as deep as he can. Everybody expects him to win. Everybody expects him to do some magic.”
Woods, who assembled the $US6 million ($7 million) event on less than four month’s notice, opened with a birdie and added another at the par-5 16th, before missing a 12-foot par putt at 18 to cost him his first bogey-free round since March.
“I turned a 63 or a 64 into a 69 very smoothly. The way I hit the ball and the putts I hit, it could have been a low one,” he said.
Woods lipped out a five-foot birdie putt at the 3rd, missed a 10-footer at the 4th, needed a 12-footer to save par at 6 and a 15-footer to save par at the 8th, then missed a five-foot birdie putt at the par-5 9th.
He blasted from a bunker to six feet and saved par at 12, left a birdie bid hanging on the lip at 13 and curled a 12-foot birdie try past the 14th cup. Another near-miss birdie at 15 left Woods gritting his teeth in frustration.
“I hit so many putts that looked like they were going to go in but they just didn’t fall. It’s frustrating. It really is. There’s no denying it,” he said.
“When you hit good putts and they look dead centre but they wander left or right, it’s very frustrating. You hit the putts you want on line with the speed you want and they don’t go in. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Woods said having to give Appleby his event’s trophy would convey bragging rights as well, but the Aussie expects such praise to be shortlived.
”I won’t get any more respect. I struggle to get any as it is from Tiger,” he said with a grin.
“He will be back at me. Trust me. He has got as quick tongue.”
Appleby and Choi began the day sharing the lead but the Aussie grabbed a two-stroke edge on the 1st hole, sinking a five-foot birdie putt while Choi missed a five-footer for par.
Appleby took a bogey at the par-3 2nd but answered with birdies on the 3rd and 5th and sank another at the par-5 9th.
Choi answered a bogey at the par-3 7th with a birdie at 8.
Appleby took bogeys at 11 and 12 but halted the slide with a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-3 13th to reclaim a four-stroke edge, and parred his way to the clubhouse, escaping a greenside bunker at 18 with a sand save.
A bogey at the 14th dropped Choi five off Appleby’s pace but the Asia veteran answered with three successive birdies and barely escaped water at the 18th before sinking a five-foot pressure par putt.
“The greens were very hard. Putting was very difficult. It was hard to guage the speed of the greens,” he said.
“It made the front nine very difficult but on the last nine I was able to come back very nicely.”
Agence France-Presse