The Masters

[Mik 0]

Tiger is charging hard at -8 through 8 holes of the 3rd round. He's in second and only four behind Chris Demarco at -12.

 

Should make for an interesting finish.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

Holy crap. I was watching some early morning highlights and it said he was at +2. Later in the day I was getting my car's oil changed and looked at a graphic on TV that was showing where the "big 4" were in the tourney, and the guy next to me and myself both went "Woah!" when it showed the Tiger was at -4.

 

And wtf is up with Singh whining about Phil M's cleats? Baby...

[Vern Gagne 0]

Tiger Woods against notrious choker Chris DiMarco. I'll take Woods with three career Green Jackets, over DiMarco and 3 career wins in 230 PGA tournaments.

[iggymcfly 0]

You do know they're still in the middle of the third round right? There's still plenty of time for someone else to make a run.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I know. I think it's Woods tournament to lose though.

[CanadianChris 0]

I know. I think it's Woods tournament to lose though.

Truer words were never spoken. Tiger ended up birdieing seven straight holes, tying a Masters record, while DiMarco predictably collapsed with a double-bogey on his very first hole this morning. Tiger is up three with one hole to play in the third round.

[CanadianGuitarist 0]

Tiger Woods against notrious choker Chris DiMarco. I'll take Woods with three career Green Jackets, over DiMarco and 3 career wins in 230 PGA tournaments.

And his collection of over par rounds on Sunday at Augusta.

 

I'm hoping for a late charge from Mickelson, Singh and Weir, but it's a pipe dream.

Also, I'm pulling for Chad Campbell for gambling reasons.

 

It is indeed Tiger's to lose.

 

Damn.

[Guest Lawlerm]

I had money on Chris Di Marco at 80/1. Damn.

 

I need him to stay in the top 5 to make £20 but even that's looking dodgy now.

[TSA09 0]

Well it didn't take long for Tiger to get on top.

 

Tiger erases DiMarco's lead, goes up threeAssociated Press

 

 

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Tiger Woods tied a Masters record with seven straight birdies and surged past Chris DiMarco to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday's final round at Augusta National.

 

 

The golfers were back on the course at 8 a.m. to complete the weather-delayed third round, with DiMarco holding a four-shot lead over Woods.

 

 

Within an hour, Woods was on top -- and in position for his fourth green jacket. That would tie Arnold Palmer for second-most victories in Masters history; only Jack Nicklaus, with six, has won more.

 

 

Woods shot 65 in the third round, one stroke better than the second-round 66 that got him back in contention. He opened the tournament with a 74.

 

 

"Not bad, huh?" Woods said, smiling. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Most majors, you're not going to be making a whole bunch of birdies. You're going to be making a bunch of pars."

 

 

Woods has played in 10 majors without a win; his last was the 2002 U.S. Open.

 

 

DiMarco double bogeyed his first hole of the day, No. 10, and struggled to a 41 on the back side. He finished with a 74 after shooting a pair of 67s to lead after each of the first two rounds.

 

 

Woods birdied the final three holes on the front nine Saturday before darkness halted play. He kept it up the next day with four more birdies in a row, capped by a 10-footer at the par-5 13th that drew a defiant pump of his right fist and pushed his score 13 under.

 

 

Woods tied the tournament record of seven straight birdies, set by Steve Pate over the same string of holes in 1999.

 

 

"We've still got a long ways to go," Woods said. "The only reason it was yielding birdies are the greens are soft and the pins are in low spots. You could funnel the ball down to the hole."

 

 

Woods' birdie streak ended at the 14th, when his second shot funneled to the far right side of the green with the flag on the left. He needed three putts to get down, taking his first bogey of the round.

 

 

DiMarco, playing one group behind, couldn't take advantage. He also bogeyed 14 to stay two strokes behind.

 

 

Woods gave DiMarco another chance at the par-5 15th, hitting a fat 6-iron to the edge of the water, his ball imbedded in the muddy bank. He had to take a drop and wound up with bogey.

 

 

But DiMarco followed suit, leaving his ball in a similar spot next to the water. He, too, wound up with bogey.

 

 

Woods parred out, while DiMarco dropped another stroke with a bogey at 17.

 

 

Woods went to the final round with an 11-under 205, followed by DiMarco (208) and Thomas Bjorn (209). Six shots off the pace were defending champion Phil Mickelson and Trevor Immelman. Vijay Singh, the world's top-ranked player, was joined by Mark Hensby at 212.

 

 

"I have to put together something really special if I'm going to have a chance," Mickelson said. "There's a 65 out there. I don't know if it'll be enough, but that's what I'm going to be gunning for."

 

 

DiMarco's troubles began when his second shot at the 10th went into a bush. He had to take a drop, chipped onto the green and two-putted for the double bogey.

 

Before that, the only blemish on his card was a first-round bogey on the very same hole, his first hole of the tournament. He then went 44 holes with nothing but birdies and pars -- the second longest streak without a bogey in Masters history.

 

 

DiMarco is a perennial contender at Augusta, leading five rounds in five years. He played with Mickelson in the final group a year ago, but faded to a 76.

 

 

He was paired in the final twosome again, this time with Woods and clinging to a thread of hope.

 

 

"Look at Tiger," DiMarco said. "He even bogeyed a few coming in. He could have birdied a couple of holes coming in and put everyone out of their misery."

 

 

Woods was hitting his irons brilliantly, leaving himself plenty of birdie chances. He also capitalized on a break with his final shot Saturday.

 

 

After teeing off at No. 10, the horn sounded to end play for the day. Woods could have finished the hole, but decided to quit when he saw a big chunk of mud on his ball. That gave him the option of marking the spot with a tee and picking up Sunday with a clean ball.

 

 

"It was a no-brainer," he said. "It was a great break that they blew the horn. ... When we saw that (mud) down there, it was nice to know I could put the tee in the ground."

 

 

After finishing the third round, everyone got a short break before playing the final 18 holes. There were no problems with the weather, which plagued the first two days of the tournament.

 

 

It was sunny day, with temperatures expected to climb into the upper 70s.

 

Credit: ESPN

[Slayer 0]

"The golf course looks good. My golf swing feels good. I like MY chances."

[franchise632 0]

I had money on Chris Di Marco at 80/1. Damn.

 

I need him to stay in the top 5 to make £20 but even that's looking dodgy now.

I think you are good there, he may struggle a bit today but no one behind him is playing that much better. Top 5 should be okay.

[Dogbert 0]

I wanted to see a Weir win, but it doesn't look like it'll happen. He's playing well, though.

 

Perhaps this is Woods' slump-breaker.

[Guest Lawlerm]

I had money on Chris Di Marco at 80/1. Damn.

 

I need him to stay in the top 5 to make £20 but even that's looking dodgy now.

I think you are good there, he may struggle a bit today but no one behind him is playing that much better. Top 5 should be okay.

Yup he's got it now. Just holed a big 10 footer for par with Woods making bogey. He'd be right in it now if he hadn't missed those putts over the first 4.

[franchise632 0]

I just wish I wasnt going to have to wait a month to actually watch the tournament. Oh well, it will be a fun week for me when I do. The last 2 weekends of the NCAA tourney, The Masters and some NASCAR races.

[Guest Lawlerm]

Di Marco's really coming back into this. Just holed a monster 30 footer. He's starting to look more confident - maybe because an hour or so ago he had nothing left to lose.

 

Only 1 shot in it but if it comes down to a shoot out it'd be hard to see past Woods.

[UZI Suicide 0]

What a fucking shot just now by Tiger on 16, unbelievable.

[iggymcfly 0]

DiMarco was just starting to look like he was making a run, but then Tiger made an amazing chip-in to take a two stroke lead. I really don't see him losing the lead at this point.

[mike546 0]

Woah.

 

That shot was, just, woah.

[iggymcfly 0]

This is quite a finish here. I think just about everyone in the world that followed golf expected DiMarco to fold under the pressure, but he's hung right in there, and he's still got a good chance at winning on the final hole.

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

Man... DiMarco has the advantage going into this playoff one would think. But, Tiger is Tiger.

[Guest Shadow]

I loathe golf but I'm actually liking this chase. I'm all behind DiMarco now.

[Guest Lawlerm]

If this was anyone but Tiger you'd say DiMarco's holding all the cards but when it's sudden death, one-on-one you just don't fancy anyone against Woods.

 

And i've got about £120 riding on DiMarco...

 

[Guest Smues]

Tiger Woods wins again. Bah Humbug.

[bob_barron 0]

Yes!! Tiger wins!! I was going insane for the past couple of holes.

[Guest SideFXs]

What a fucking shot just now by Tiger on 16, unbelievable.

Nike Golf, has its next commercial. They cannot pay enough for that shot on the ball. Then Tiger's reaction.... wow

[Slayer 0]

I bet ESPN can't wait to swing from his sack and herald the "Return of Tiger"

[smh810 0]

Dont look now but the rest of the majors set up really well for Tiger

 

Pinehurst (US Open): almost won in 99

 

St. Andrews: Destroyed without trying in 2000

 

Baltustrol: Super long and wide open course

 

 

Now I'm not saying he'll get the slam but he'll be there in each tourney this year.

[Guest PlatinumBoy]

Now Tiger is halfway done in getting more majors than Nicklaus. In my opinion there can be no talk of Tiger being the best ever--one can say he is one of the best ever or he will become the best ever--until he breaks 18 majors. But then of course a lot of people who just started watching golf on various message boards and in real life are of the, "DUDE TIGER IS BEST EVER, NICKALUS AND BOBBY JONSE AREN'T HALFF AS GUD@!!!"

 

But yea, Tiger is great. When it is all said and done, I figure he probably will be the best ever.

[Damaramu 0]

Hasn't he not won a major in like 3 years? I was happy he made it back to the top.

 

I dunno I'm the golf writer for the OU Daily and after watching the Masters I just don't think I can go back to amateur golf.

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

You couldn't script that shot on 16. I saw that on the large projector screen at work and was talking to a friend and said this "oooooohhh... damn... well maybe he can get it in next- HOLY SHIT IT WENT IN!"