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Woods charges ... after round is over

He looked pretty good in the fairways.

By JOHN ROMANO
Published April 8, 2007

AUGUSTA, Ga. - He looked pretty good in the fairways.

Wasn't too shabby on the greens, either.

But you should have seen Tiger Woods on the couch. Feet up, shoes off, scorecard already in hand, and the man was an absolute terror.

Yes, the greatest golfer in the world played 18 holes at the Masters on Saturday, and barely managed to make a run at the lead.

Once he quit playing, however, Woods zoomed up the leaderboard. If he had another hour or two in the clubhouse, he might have caught Jack Nicklaus in '86.

And so it went at the Augusta National Iditarod on Saturday, where hiding out in the locker room was the best, and only, strategy.

Scores started high and have climbed steadily throughout this tournament. Woods made up one stroke while playing Saturday, and three more while sitting.

If you are so inclined, you could blame it all on Masters leaders who remain stuck in bygone days, refusing to allow cell phones or global warming within their gates.

They plotted to make the course longer and harder, but adding temperatures in the 40s and winds gusting at 20 mph just seemed unnecessarily cruel.

"I know I'm not in contention for a green jacket," said J.J. Henry at 10 over, "but I would have loved to have borrowed one."

And so it went at the Augusta National hockey rink Saturday, where Johan Holmqvist was pulled for Marc Denis after a double bogey on No. 2.

How wild was it?

Let's see, Retief Goosen began the day tied for last and ended tied for eighth. Brett Wetterich began tied for first and finished tied for 23rd.

Keeping track of the top spot was like listening to a nervous auctioneer.

And now, atop your Masters leaderboard, is Brett Wetterich and Tim Clark. No, wait, it's Stuart Appleby. Hold on, it's Justin Rose. Um, check that, it's Vaughn Taylor. Oops, back to Appleby.

"You grow up watching the Masters on TV, and it looks so beautiful and guys are making birdies and eagles," said Dean Wilson, playing in his first Masters. "In reality, it's been a little different. I don't know if this is what they wanted, a U.S. Open-like course with one guy playing under par.

"It's been a little disappointing."

Trust me, it could have been worse. If Woods had not shot a par third round Saturday - the second-best score of the day - today might have been the least-interesting final round in memory.

Not that Zach Johnson or Rose or Taylor wouldn't make fine champions, but we already had a sneak preview of what sitting on top of the Masters can do to players not accustomed to the pressures of leading a major.

With Woods leaping over 18 players to reach the final pairing today, the 2007 Masters will at least have panache. It will have a true stalking horse. And it will have the whiff of history.

Woods will be shooting for his third straight major, and starting the talk again of Grand Slam possibilities. He will also be attempting a come-from-behind victory for the first time. In his previous 12 wins in majors, Woods has always gone into the final round with a lead.

Appleby, winless in majors, was asked in a most polite way if, you know, maybe Woods might have an advantage because of his majors experience.

"Tiger always has an advantage. It's obscene that he has an advantage," Appleby said to laughter. "You don't have to say, 'Wow, that writer stepped out on a limb and said Tiger has an advantage.' Yeah, he has more experience than what's left of this field put together.

"So, can the weather equalize it? Yeah, sometimes."

Woods isn't the only one thinking comeback. Phil Mickelson, who has been playing here since 1991, was sitting at 222, his worst three-round total ever at the Masters. But it would sound a lot worse if he wasn't just four strokes off the lead.

"Historically in this tournament, the winner has come from the final pairing," Mickelson said. "There's a good chance that somebody who goes off early and posts a good number can possibly take the title this year."

No matter how it happens, it will be a struggle. Even Woods, who has traditionally worn a red shirt on the final day of tournaments, may have to put in some extra work. Turns out, he didn't pack a red sweater.

I mean, what are the chances at such a late hour that Ross or Bealls has something in his size?

And so it goes at the Augusta National Winter Olympics.

John Romano can be reached at romano@sptimes.com and (727) 893-8811.

[Last modified April 8, 2007, 07:38:36]