Woods' 63 Matches Scoring Mark

Aug 11, 03:01 AM

Current Headlines: By Scott Paske, The Wichita Eagle, Kan.

Aug. 11--TULSA -- A horseshoe is said to bring good luck. Unless, of course, a golf ball traces a horseshoe pattern around a hole without disappearing. When it happened Friday evening on the 18th green at Southern Hills Country Club, it cost Tiger Woods outright ownership of a major championship record.

Instead, Woods had to settle for a share of history and a strong statement that he won't let 2007 pass without another serious bid to get his hands on a major trophy. To the delight of a sweat-soaked gallery, Woods fired a superlative-filled 7-under-par 63 that gave him a two-shot lead over Oklahoman Scott Verplank after two rounds of the PGA Championship.

"I was just trying to get myself back in the tournament and, lo and behold, here I am," said Woods, who climbed from 23rd to first by matching Ray Floyd's course record set during the PGA 25 years ago. "Sixty-two would have meant I have a three-shot lead instead of a two-shot lead."

Woods' round was the 23rd time a golf has shot a 63 in a major. If not for a stubborn 16-footer on the final hole that veered right toward the cup, dipped down and reappeared on the other side, the record would have been his alone.

Woods' previous best in one of golf's big four events was a 64 in the third round of the 1997 British Open at Royal Troon. That round helped the world's top-ranked golfer post a top-25 finish.

What he did Friday may have made this weekend an afterthought. Woods is 7-0 in majors when he leads after 36 holes. Also, all six major winners at Southern Hills had at least a share of the lead at the midway point.

"It certainly does give you confidence, there's no doubt," said Woods, who moved to 6-under 134. "I know what to do. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it."

Verplank, who will play with Woods in today's final pairing, will certainly have his share of supporters. The Oklahoma State graduate moved into second at 4 under with a bogey-free 66. Geoff Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, and Stephen Ames shared third at 3 under and Derby's Woody Austin overcame a rash of missed birdie opportunities to secure an even-par 70 that left him in fifth at 2 under.

Aside from his misfortune at No. 18, Woods laid out the formula for success from the start Friday. He overpowered the 7,131-yard layout with eight birdies, hitting irons off the tee on six of them.

"I hit the ball really well and there was a nice little stretch at (Nos.) 9, 10, 11 where I hit some really good shots," Woods said. "I just felt that all day I was in control of my shots."

Yet it was a brief misstep that led to Woods' late-day charge. At the challenging par-4 12th, Woods hit his approach into a greenside bunker. From a buried lie, his third skidded across the green into the fringe.

Woods then saved par with a 35-footer, punctuating it with a fist pump. From there, he birdied the 13th with a sand save from the front bunker, chipped in for birdie on the par-3 14th and rolled in a downhill 20-footer for birdie at No. 15.

Ogilvy, playing three groups ahead of Woods, seemed to be matching him from afar. He grabbed shares of the lead with a 12-footer at No. 15 and a 25-footer at No. 16, but a bogey-bogey finish sent him behind Verplank.

Woods missed the cut when Ogilvy won his major at Winged Foot. Starting the PGA's third round three behind Woods, he tried to find a silver lining.

"It makes it easier because now you've got nothing to lose if you don't win," said Ogilvy, who shot a 68. "No one expects you to.... He's the best front-runner in history, probably."

Austin, who finished the second round before Woods began, indirectly echoed that sentiment. Like Thursday, Austin maneuvered his way around Southern Hills almost flawlessly from tee to green, the lone exception an errant tee shot that settled into a creek left of the 13th fairway.

But Austin's putting again kept him from moving deeper into red numbers. Of his five birdies in the championship, none has been longer than 3 feet.

"The big talk about majors is you can't win the tournament on Thursday and Friday, but you can lose it," Austin said. "Well, I feel like I've lost a great opportunity to be out front because I've had way too many chances."

A few hours later, it seemed like Woods was converting every opportunity, using one to spark him on to the next. With 36 holes to play, Woods guarded against immersing himself in the hoopla surrounding his historic round. But when asked to rate his performance, he eventually conceded.

"It's certainly up there, there's no doubt," he said.

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