Woods Still in Control at PGA

Aug 12, 03:01 AM

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

Aug. 12--TULSA -- Woody Austin wanted to be in the middle of the Tiger Woods circus today at the PGA Championship. Instead, it will be Stephen Ames, who knows all too well how badly that can end.

A day after tying a major championship record with a 63, Woods padded his lead with a third-round 69 at Southern Hills, bringing him one step closer to his 13th major title. Woods, 12 for 12 in majors and 39 for 42 overall with a 54-hole lead, improved to 7-under-par 203.

Austin, a 43-year-old Derby resident, stayed in the hunt for his first major title by matching Woods' 69 to get to 3 under. But he bogeyed the par-4 18th and Ames birdied it to switch spots on the leaderboard, giving the 43-year-old Canadian a spot in today's final twosome.

"For me, I'm happy to be in this situation," said Ames, who also shot 69 to get to 4 under. "I had a great round in the U.S. Open, second to the last group going there. Here I'm at the PGA Championship in another major and I'm in the last group going out again. For me, it's a great opportunity."

Some might question Ames' sanity. Like South Africa's Rory Sabbatini learned in last week's Bridgestone Invitational, it's often best not to stir Woods' competitive juices. Ames did it prior to his duel with Woods in last year's Accenture Match Play Championship. When asked about his chances to beat Woods, Ames replied, "Anything can happen, especially where he's hitting the ball."

Woods won the first nine holes of that match -- seven with birdies -- in a 9-and-8 rout. Ames wasn't interested in discussing it Saturday, and Woods took the high road.

"We all know Stephen is a person who likes to speak his mind," Woods said. "He's opinionated, and I think he's very honest. And when he's asked a question, he answers it honestly.

"I think that's what he did there in that instant, and it is what it is."

More important today will be the three-shot head start Woods gave himself with a solid yet unspectacular round. Playing with Oklahoma State graduate Scott Verplank, Woods had seven more putts than he did on his record-setting Friday. But his lead swelled to as many as five shots as none of his pursuers got lower than 4 under at any point.

Verplank, who started the day two back at 4 under, held his ground until the difficult par-4 12th. After hitting his tee shot into the left rough, Verplank pulled his second into a grove of trees, clipped a tree with his third and chipped over the green on his fourth before making a double bogey. The Edmond, Okla., native bogeyed three more holes en route to a 74 that dropped him into a tie for sixth at even par.

"That was a big deal," Verplank said of his follies on No. 12. "I guess looking back, I should have played more conservatively. But you know, I did what I thought was right and it wasn't."

While Verplank struggled with the hole, Woods used it as a momentum builder for the second straight day. He rolled in a long par putt there on Friday, the prelude to three consecutive birdies. On Saturday, Woods rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at No. 12 to turn a three-shot lead into five.

Woods did miss a 10-foot par putt on the 14th for his only bogey, falling to 7 under. Meanwhile, Austin made a charge by transforming from scrambler to shotmaker.

Austin hit just one fairway in the first 13 holes. But his fortune changed at No. 15. He hit an approach to 7 feet and sank the birdie putt, then got within three of Woods with a 5-foot birdie on the 507-yard, par-4 16th.

"I finally just got the ball in the fairway," Austin said. "I drove it pretty bad today, but I scrambled about as well as I could."

All five golfers who enter the final round under par -- Woods, Ames, Austin, John Senden and Ernie Els -- carded 69s on Saturday. Seven others are at even par, including Boo Weekley, K.J. Choi and Adam Scott.

Austin proclaimed afterward that whether it's Woods or anyone else leading, he would have to shoot under par to claim the major trophy he covets. The ante is certainly raised, however, with Woods at the top. His final-round scoring average in majors is 69.25 when he steps to the first tee with a lead on Sunday.

"I know what to do when I'm in that situation," Woods said. "I know what it takes. And there's a certain feel that you get out there that you can understand what the guys can do and are capable of doing on the back nine.... You just get a certain feel for what the number's going to be that day. And a lot of times I've called the number and I've been pretty good on it."

Notes -- Weekley had a chance to match Woods' 63 Saturday, but he three-putted from 50 feet at No. 18 and settled for a 65. Weekley made five of his seven birdies on the back nine and climbed from 5 over at the start of the day to even par.... Sergio Garcia was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. He signed for a 4 on the 18th hole when he posted a 5 with a three-putt.... The PGA champion has come out of the final group each of the last 11 years, but none of this year's major winners -- Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera and Padraig Harrington -- were in the final pairing.

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