12:31PM ET: The leaders don’t tee off for a while. Zach Johnson has birdied two of the first three holes to bring it back to even par for the tournament. Geoff Ogilvy and Boo Weekly are -1 on their rounds so far and +1 total.
2:28: Tiger Woods birdied #2 and is now at -2, six shots back. Zach Johnson shot -4 on the front to reach -2 for the tournament.
3:30: Man I need some psychological help. I had tears gushing out of my eyes when the network broadcast started. Anyone have a tissue? Tiger has had a couple more good birdie opportunities but hasn’t made a putt.
3:45: Phil Michelson had a tap in birdie on #2 which put him at -6. Goosen is at -4 after five holes. Furyk is going the wrong direction, having dropped two shots to +1 after seven.
4:01: Tiger finally makes a decent putt on the 10th hole. That takes him to -3. Phil Mickelson hit a lob wedge from the putting surface in an effort to take out some of the huge break on the 3rd hole. He made a clutch, hard breaking lengthy par putt.
4:15: Steve Flesh moves to -7 after birdie on #4.
4:25: Trevor Immelman has a glossy, scared look in his eyes. He’s dropped a shot and no longer has the lead. Brandt Snedeker has the lead. Tiger missed a birdie on #12 by about one inch.
4:45: Phil Mickelson bogeyed #6. Trevor Immelman made a clutch par putt to stay at -7 on #5. Snedeker pared and still has the lead. Tiger went for the green on the par-5 13th and reached nicely He has a lengthy eagle putt but shouldn’t have a problem making birdie unless he has a putt gag issue. Zach Johnson finished the day with a 68 and is at -2 now going into Sunday. Tiger did two putt for birdie and is now only four shots off the lead at -4.
5:00: Oh man Phil Mickelson had some bad luck. He hit a 55 yard wedge on #8 which landed about a foot from the hole but hit the stick hard. The ball bounced way back and he has a very long putt instead of perhaps a tap-in. Paul Casey makes the turn in 32 and has a share of the lead. Tiger pulled a driver left on #15. Though he’s on the fairway he’s blocked by trees and can’t go for it in two. He clearly called himself “dumb ass.” Phil’s bad luck continued as he 3-putted for bogey six. Poulter just shanked a shot…wow.
5:15: Brandt Snedeker birdies #8 and takes the solo lead again with a total of -9 (5 shots ahead of Tiger). Tiger tried to hit a huge hook and reach #15 in two. He ended up in the right greenside bunker. His bunker shot went about 8 feet past the hole. He missed the birdie putt, which broke the opposite direction he anticipated.
5:37-5:49: Phil Mickelson bogeyed 10. Poulter doubled 10. Retief Goosen reached #13 in two from 240 yards and made a short eagle putt to make it to -4. Tiger hit a 322 yard drive on #17 and nearly holed his approach. It backed up and missed the lip by an inch. Tap in birdie for Tiger takes him to -5, four shots back. Robert Karlsson made about a 60 foot putt on #16 which put him to -4. Immelman is pin high for birdie on #10. Tiger driving on 18 now, once again he’s in the trees. He hits a giant 8-iron up through and over the pines and gets on the green. Wow.
6:00-6:20: Brandt Snedeker hit two gag shots on 11 and was lucky not to go in the drink. Bogey. He’s now blown his tee shot on #12 over the green left. His chip was tentative and he’s looking like he’s good for a 2nd bogey in a row. Yup, bogey. All the sudden Tiger is only three shots behind. Steve Flesch taps in on #13 and now there’s a three way tie for the lead (Snedeker, Flesch, Immelman).
6:30-6:45: Put a fork in the “player formerly known as Masters leader” Brandt Snedeker. He’s flaming out. The pressure is getting to him. He’s now in the tributary to Rae’s creek in two on #13. He’ll be lucky to get a five on this par-5 now. The pressure is getting to Paul Casey too. He blew his 3rd shot over #15 and gagged a chip to a really tough one putt for par. Looking like bogey for Casey. Immelman just punched a highly lofted club and pulled the air-breaks. He’s got about a one foot birdie putt on #13. Flesch bogeys and now Immelman has the solo lead. Snedeker is making his 3rd bogey in a row, bogeying all of amen corner.
Casey wiped out his bogey on 15 with a birdie on 16. Immelman’s drive on #14 is right down the middle, but he looks like he’s running out of oxygen by the looks of his face. Phil Mickelson birdied 15 to get back to -4.
6:48-7:04: Wow, take that fork out of Snedeker. He and Immelman both birdied #14. Immelman is now at -10 after his 2nd birdie in a row. If he doesn’t gag down the stretch, Immelman may run away and hide. Casey blew his approach over #17 and made bogey to take him to -7. Phil Mickelson is in deadsville on #16. The pin is back right and he’s in the back bunker. He’ll be lucky to get his bunker shot within 60 feet from there. Yup, 60 feet. He hit his 60 foot putt 50 feet.
OH! Immelman just hit the green on #15 with his approach, and it spun back way too much. It tried to back into the hazard but somehow stayed up. Perhaps this is the lucky break he needs to win? He chipped it up to knee-knocker range for par.
Put a “phork” in Phil. He just made a double bogey on #16. Snedeker made his birdie on 15. So after three bogeys he’s bounced back with two birdies. Immelman for par…. draino. That may have been THE hole that won the tournament for him.
Finish: Immelman is looking like the man right now. He just knocked his approach on 18 stiff. He should go into the house at -11. Snedeker has a good chance of going into the house at -9. I think these two players fed off of each other’s great play. That can definitely happen.
Snedeker drained his birdie putt on #18 right in the center. He’s in the last group with Immelman who made birdie on #18 as well. This pair will be tough to beat Sunday. Tiger is six shots back and I’m doubting he can overcome either of these guys unless they have nuclear meltdowns.
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
