Golf

Watson in a hurry to remedy bad situation

A terrible lie on No. 9 leads to triple-bogey 7, and it might put his first major title out of his reach.

By BOB HARIG
Published June 17, 2007

OAKMONT, Pa. - Bubba Watson is not a patient man.

He could barely tolerate the idea of waiting around for a 3:15 p.m. tee time Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open. He prefers to play fast. So he certainly wasn't going to take his time contemplating what to do about a ball buried in the rough when he figured his only option was to gouge it out.

That impatience, however, could end up costing the PGA Tour player from the Panhandle town of Bagdad his first major championship.

Watson, a consistent top 10 finisher but never a winner since a 2004 Hooters Tour event, was leading by one when he made triple-bogey 7 at the ninth hole that included a shot from beside the green that he blasted high and well past the pin after taking virtually no time to study it.

"It doesn't matter if you take your time or not, an impossible lie is an impossible lie, " Watson said. "You read it, take all the time in the world ... all I was trying to do was go to the center of the green and I wanted to hit it quick. It was one of those where the ball could do anything it wanted to do. It was a tough lie and the next was tougher."

He had taken the tournament lead with birdie at the par-4 seventh hole, offsetting bogey on the par-5 fourth.

But at the 477-yard, par-4 ninth, the left-hander's 5-iron from 227 yards sliced into the left rough next to the green. From there, he left his chip shot in the left rough, about halfway to the green.

Then he compounded the errors by sailing his fourth shot over the green into the rough. He chipped onto the green and two-putted for the worst score of the day on the hole.

Those three strokes represent the number he trailed leader Aaron Baddeley by heading into today's final round.

"I hit the ball the best hit it all week, " Watson, 28, said. "I had one bad swing (Saturday) and it led to a triple because of bad lies. Take away that one swing and I'm looking good."

Watson, who trailed by one heading into the final round and playing in the last group with Angel Cabrera, said he was proud of himself for not getting discouraged and posting 1-over 36 on the back nine. And he hopes any lessons learned Saturday can be applied today.

"I know bad stuff was going to happen to everyone, " said Watson, who has finishes of second, fourth, fifth and eighth this season and is 33rd on the money list. "I wasn't mad. Better today than tomorrow, I figure. I know I'm still in it. Three shots can go in a minute - I showed that."

[Last modified June 17, 2007, 00:52:29]