THE MASTERS; Woods Lands in Good Spot; Late Bogeys Don't Hurt His Chances

Apr 08, 02:11 PM

Current Headlines: By GARY D'AMATO

Augusta, Ga. - Tiger Woods wanted to make it into the last pairing for the final round of the 71st Masters today because he knows his history.

The champion has come out of the final pairing every year since 1991.

Woods thought he blew his chance when he bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 at the Augusta National Golf Club on Saturday.

"Very, very frustrating," he said after shooting an even-par 72.

But 90 minutes later, after all of the players behind him had imploded to some degree and the bogeys had stopped flying, Woods was exactly where he wanted to be, after all: Just one shot behind leader Stuart Appleby - and paired with Appleby in the final round today.

They were scheduled to be last off the tee at 1:15 p.m. (CDT).

Woods shot 73-74-72 and was at 3-over-par 219. It was only the second time as a professional he has gone three consecutive rounds in the Masters without a score under par.

On Saturday, he birdied Nos. 3 and 8 to shoot a 34 on the front nine but finished with the two bogeys for a 38 on the back.

"I made a mistake at 17 by not playing long (on his second shot), playing into the gallery or playing 40 or 50 yards over the green," he said. "It's an easy pitch coming back.

"On 18 I hit a good 8-iron but the wind switched. I just got the wrong gust at the wrong time. And that's the way it goes."

Woods also bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18 in the first round. Asked if he was as upset Saturday as he was Thursday, he said, "Yeah, and then some."

He was four strokes off the lead when he walked off the 18th green, but Appleby made a triple-bogey on No. 17 and came back to the pack.

The 31-year-old Woods will be trying to win his third consecutive major championship and his fifth Masters title today. He has won 12 majors overall but has never had to come from behind in the final round.

In his four Masters victories, he led by nine strokes after 54 holes in 1997, by one in 2001 and by three in 2004. He was tied with Retief Goosen going into the final round in 2002.

But it's not as if Woods is behind a bunch of players. He trails only Appleby and is paired with him.

"He won't even know I'm there," Appleby said. "I'm sure I'll know he's there."

So, too, will everyone else.

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