By Compiled from Times wires
Published May 18, 2003
ALVESLOHE, Germany - Tiger Woods will have to top his best comeback at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open.
Woods putted poorly again Saturday and shot 2-under-par 70. He was at 6-under 210, nine strokes behind leader Padraig Harrington after three rounds.
Woods never has rallied from nine back and acknowledged he didn't have much chance to win the European PGA Tour event a third straight time.
"Probably not, the way things are going," said Woods, tied for 38th. "I think Paddy's going to have another good round and will move further away from me."
Harrington, the second-round leader, also shot 70 for 201 and took a two-stroke lead over Graeme McDowell (68). Retief Goosen (70) and Mads Vibe-Hastrup (66) were three back.
"I'm pleased to have a two-stroke lead," Harrington said. "If I had a good putt, it didn't go in."
Woods' largest comeback was eight strokes at the 1998 Johnnie Walker Classic, in which he caught Ernie Els and won a playoff. At the 2000 AT&T Pebble Beach he trailed Matt Gogel and Mark Brooks by five heading into the final round and fell seven back after 11 holes before rallying to win by two over Gogel and Vijay Singh.
BAYER ADVANTAGE CELEBRITY: Rebounding from a missed 10-inch putt, Vicente Fernandez shot 5-under 67 for a two-stroke lead on the Champions Tour at Parkville, Mo.
Bidding to become the first two-time winner this year, Fernandez made eagle on the par-5 fifth but lipped out a tap-in par putt later in the round. He finished with a two-day total of 6-under 138.
On the short par-4 13th Fernandez tried to avoid stepping in another player's line, bent over awkwardly and missed.
Two back at 140 were Jay Sigel (68), Allen Doyle (68), Des Smyth (67) and Mike McCullough (67). First-round leader Jose Maria Canizares shot 75.
