Golf roundup
Woods trails by one stroke in Shanghai SHANGHAI, China (AP) – Tiger Woods is working his charm in a new market.
Woods, playing his first official stroke-play event in China, shot a 5-under-par 67 Saturday and enters the final round of the HSBC Champions tournament one stroke behind leader David Howell of England.
Woods is tied for second at 15-under 201 with Nick O’Hern, who had a 67 for the third consecutive round. Howell, who shared the lead with Australia’s Nick Dougherty after the second round, missed a birdie putt on the last hole and settled for a 68.
More than 1,000 people tracked Woods’ group around the Sheshan International Golf Club course, with the crowd at least doubling at some holes. The new $5 million tournament is the richest in Asia, and Woods wants to leave his imprint.
“Considering this is the biggest golfing event they’ve ever had, I think it would be very special to have your name associated with that,” he said.
Woods has taken time this weekend to educate fans and photographers. Golf in China was nearly nonexistent 20 years ago, but the country hosted six European tour events in 2005. With the sudden rise has come confusion about golf etiquette – such as ringing cell phones and taking photos on backswings.
At the first hole, Woods loosened the grip on his driver, turned and asked the gallery to “hold the cameras.” He interceded when a woman started moving while playing partner Kenneth Ferrie was lining up a crucial putt on No. 4. Woods called out courteously: “Ma’am, hold still – please!”
His patience ran out on the 12th tee, where he glared at a photographer after having to check his swing. The camera was taken by a security guard, and Woods went on to birdie the hole.
Woods hasn’t been shy about offering tips to the gallery, if suggestions from his caddy or the marshals go unheeded.
“There are a lot of distractions out there, certainly,” he said. “My playing partners and I have to play through that. You’ve got to block it out as much as you can.”
Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant shot a 68 and was at 204, one in front of U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell, Thomas Bjorn and Dougherty. Vijay Singh, ranked No. 2 in the world, had a 70 and was six strokes behind the leader.
Woods had four birdies, a bogey and an eagle on his first 14 holes, including a 25-foot putt for a 3 at the par-5 14th. But he bogeyed the next hole after driving into the rough, then hitting into a greenside bunker and missing a 6-foot par putt.
“It’s not exactly easy to make the short ones out here this week,” Woods said. “The trick is not to leave yourself too many of them. For the most part, I’ve been able to do that.”
Howell had five birdies and a bogey and looked forward to battling Woods though not necessarily the noisy galleries.
“Chaos surrounds him out there. I had it for five minutes at the end today and I was frustrated – he probably deals with that every day,” Howell said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to take on the world’s best player, with a one-stroke lead, and win a massive tournament.”
Neumann takes one-stroke lead at LPGA TOC
MOBILE, Ala. – Liselotte Neumann made a 15-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions.
With the closing birdie, Neumann broke out of a four-way tie and moved into the lead at 11-under 205 on the Magnolia Grove Golf Club’s Crossings Course.
Defending champion Heather Daly-Donofrio had a 68 and joined Australia’s Rachel Hetherington (72) and U.S. Solheim Cup star Christina Kim (72) at 10-under 206. Hetherington and Kim shared the lead and a four-stroke advantage heading into the third round.
Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, looking for her first victory since the 2003 Evian Masters, birdied No. 18 for a 68 and moved within three strokes of the lead at 8 under.
Neumann birdied four of her first six holes to erase a four-shot deficit and take the lead. She reached 11 under with a two-putt birdie at the par-5 16th, but gave that stroke back with a three-putt bogey at the par-3 17th, falling into a four-way tie for the lead before a birdie at the last.
Couples and Scott lead at Templeton Shootout
NAPLES, Fla. – Fred Couples and Adam Scott used six straight birdies in the best-ball format to shoot an 11-under 61 for a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
The 46-year-old Couples and 25-year-old Scott birdied Nos. 5-10 to reach 15 under, parred the next three, and then birdied four of the last five to finish at 19 under at Tiburon Golf Club.
“We’re two guys who can make a lot of birdies and we did today,” Scott said. “We did a pretty good job of picking up the slack for one another.”
Kenny Perry and John Huston teamed up for a 63 and moved to 17 under, a stroke ahead of first-round leaders Fred Funk and Jason Gore, who followed an opening 63 with a 65.
There was a logjam most of the afternoon at 13 under before Huston and Perry went birdie-eagle-par-birdie to get to 17 under. Gore and Funk birdied three straight holes on the back nine, eagled No. 17 when Gore chipped in, and then birdied the 18th.
Two-time defending champions Hank Kuehne and Jeff Sluman closed with three birdies to get to 11 under.
Tournament founder Greg Norman, playing one month after minor knee surgery, rebounded with teammate Steve Elkington to shoot a 6-under 66 and get to 9 under.
The 12 two-man teams will play a scramble format in Sunday’s final round of the $2.6 million event. The winners split $630,000.