Wednesday, May 21, 2003
At 11-under 199, Singh was a stroke ahead of first-round leader Jeff Sluman.
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Vijay Singh made a clutch par save on the 17th hole Saturday, maintaining his lead at the Byron Nelson Championship after a round that didn't come close to matching his spectacular play the first two days.
After a pair of 65s, Singh shot a 1-under 69 Saturday, able to stay under par even after he flew the green on the 196-yard 17th hole and his ball buried in some nasty rough. He managed to pitch to 7 feet, saved par and preserved his slim lead.
Singh was at 11-under 199, one stroke ahead of Jeff Sluman, the first-round leader who had a 68 Saturday. Cameron Beckman and Luke Donald, who had an eagle out of the bunker at the 554-yard 16th, both had 67s and were tied at 201.
Nick Price shot a 66 at the 7,022-yard TPC at Las Colinas, and was tied with Per-Ulrick Johansson at 8-under. David Toms, whose 65 was the best round of the day, was in a group of seven players at 7-under.
Sole bogey
Singh first got to 11-under when he made an 8-foot birdie putt at No. 6. His only bogey came at the 9th, when he missed the fairway and then missed the green to drop back to 10-under, putting Sluman alone on top of the leaderboard.
Sluman, who started the day with three birdies in his first four holes, wasn't alone for long. He gave back a stroke at the 11th when his drive ended up in the rough and his approach in a bunker.
Once Singh made a 14-foot birdie at the par-3 13th, he stayed on top of the leaderboard by himself. And he missed several chances to cushion his lead.
Singh's 8-foot birdie putt at the 15th curled short of the cup, and he missed a 9-footer at the par-5 16th. He then made his tremendous save at 17.
Donald's approach at 16 landed in a front bunker 54 feet from the pin. His next shot died into the cup, falling in on the last spin of the ball, for an eagle.
Donald gave up a stroke at 18 when his drive went into the left rough and his second shot was over the green.
Since tying for seventh at the Buick Classic in February, seven strokes behind winner Tiger Woods, Donald had made just two of seven cuts, finishing no better than 64th.
Beckman, who overcame a double bogey at No. 3, just missed rolling in a 30-foot birdie at 17.
Tim Petrovic, only a stroke off the lead going into the round, quickly fell off the pace with three bogeys in his first six holes -- the same holes he played in 4-under Friday. He had only one bogey the first two rounds. His 74 dropped him six strokes back.