Saturday, March 25, 2006
Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia are tied for second.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Stephen Ames took on Sawgrass at full strength and finished a grueling afternoon with a rare smile, surviving with a 2-under 70 to take a one-shot lead Saturday in The Players Championship.
Ames didn't do anything spectacular down the stretch. All he did was keep it simple, the best way to survive the notorious TPC at Sawgrass that crushed the hopes of Arron Oberholser, constantly fooled Tiger Woods and slapped around anyone who made the slightest mistake.
When the debris was cleared away, Ames was at 9-under 207 and one shot clear of Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia.
At this rate, the winner of PGA Tour's richest event might be the last player standing.
Singh played his final 10 holes without a bogey for a 70, making him a serious threat to end six months without a PGA Tour victory. Garcia missed a 2-foot par putt on the 13th and was on the ropes until he found his legs over the treacherous closing holes and wound up with 70.
Compared with so many others, their rounds might be considered routine.
Oberholser walked to the 17th tee with a share of the lead. He walked off the green in a tie for seventh, courtesy of a ball in the water and three putts for triple bogey and a 74.
Adam Scott, the 2004 winner of golf's fifth major, shot 45 on the front nine and finished with an 82. He tumbled 49 spots down the leaderboard, from one shot out of the lead into a tie for 51st.
Tiger seven behind
Woods was seven strokes back after a 73. He never could figure out the wind and was so frustrated after a bogey on the sixth hole that he slung his putter some 25 feet toward his bag, pulled off his cap and said angrily, "Stop making mistakes!"
Sawgrass wouldn't have it any other way.
It sets up what should be an entertaining final round for the richest prize on the PGA Tour, with 16 players within five shots of the lead and no one safe until the scorecard is signed.
Former Masters champion Mike Weir was the only player among the last 30 to play who broke 70, a 4-under 68 that put him at 6-under 210 with Henrik Stenson, who had a hole-in-one and shot 70.
Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen quietly went about his business for a 71, leaving him in a log jam of players at 209 that included 36-hole leader Jim Furyk (75).
Ames learned his lesson at the Match Play Championship not to poke fun at Woods. He would be wise to say only pleasantries about Sawgrass, a course where players are only one swing away from triple bogey.
Ames, born in Trinidad and Tobago and now a Canadian citizen, made news at La Costa when he said he had a chance to beat Woods in the first round of match play, "especially where he's hitting it." Woods read the comments, then sent Ames into the record books with a 9-and-8 victory.
The only 9 and 8 that mattered Saturday was the leaderboard -- Ames at 9 under, Singh and Garcia at 8 under.
Besides, Ames has been around Sawgrass enough to show it plenty of respect.
Runner-up four years ago
He was the runner-up four years ago, poised for a playoff until an unlikely finish by Craig Perks, who chipped in for eagle on the 16th, made a long birdie putt on the 17th, and chipped in for par on the 18th for a two-shot win.
And a glance across the fairway early on the back nine told him plenty about how tough Saturday could be. Ames saw that Scott was 3 over for the tournament, then quickly did some math. Ames and Scott had started the third round one shot out of the lead at 7 under.
"Holy, geez," Ames said. "It can happen."
And it did.
No one was safe in the swirling wind and firm, crusty conditions -- least of all Oberholser.
A winner at Pebble Beach, he ran off four straight birdies around the turn and found himself atop the leaderboard when the silliness at Sawgrass began. First, his 50-foot birdie putt on the 16th rammed into the back of the cup and went airborne, landing near the front of the cup.
Oberholser was all smiles, knowing he caught a break.
Struggled at end
But the smile quickly turned to shock when his 9-iron shot into the air and came down well short of the island-green 17th, leading to a triple bogey. He hit his tee shot on the 18th into the water and escaped with double bogey.
"I played great for 16 holes today," Oberholser said. "That just goes to show you ... all you need is one poor swing under these conditions, and you're writing a 6 on the card. In my case, I made a bad club choice and one poor swing and it added up to 6-6. I'm not the first person that's done that. And I certainly won't be the last."
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