Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his drive from the second tee during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, watches his drive from the second tee during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to his putt on the first green during the final round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits from the 18th tee during the weather delayed third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Tiger Woods putts on the 16th green during the weather delayed third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament on the Ocean Course of the Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, S.C., Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. (AP) ? In a year when no lead seems safe, Rory McIlroy is the man trying to stay in control of the season's last major.
McIlroy birdied three of the first seven holes in the final round of the PGA Championship on Sunday, opening a four-stroke lead even after Ian Poulter applied some early pressure with a relentless start. Poulter birdied the first five holes and six of the first seven ? but he didn't catch McIlroy, who began the round with a three-shot lead.
McIlroy was 10 under par with 11 holes to play. Poulter slipped with a bogey at No. 8 and was 6 under after 10. Carl Pettersson was also at 6 under ? and he could have been in even better shape. He double bogeyed the first hole after a loose impediment in a hazard moved in his backswing ? a two-stroke penalty. Pettersson birdied four of five holes later in the front nine.
Tiger Woods was 4 under through nine holes, running out of time in his attempt to win his first major championship since 2008.
McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, is trying to end an odd streak in which 16 straight majors have been won by 16 different players. He's also trying to become the first 54-hole leader to win a major this year.
McIlroy finished his third round earlier Sunday, wrapping up a 5-under 67 after players returned to Kiawah Island's Ocean Course. The third round was halted by rain late Saturday afternoon.
It hasn't been a great year for McIlroy. He hasn't finished higher than 40th in a major, but he became the first player this weekend to open any significant distance on the field when he birdied the 15th and 16th holes toward the end of his third round. That was after he made five birdies on the front nine Saturday.
Poulter began applying pressure immediately in the final round, and his putt from about 20 feet for a birdie on No. 4 moved him to 5 under. He birdied the next hole as well, but McIlroy didn't make any big mistakes to help the players chasing him.
Padraig Harrington and Adam Scott were tied with Woods at 4 under.
Woods trailed by five after a third-round 74.
It was Scott who was in command at the British Open last month before bogeying the last four holes and losing to Ernie Els. None of the 54-hole leaders at the other three majors this year ? Scott at the British Open, Peter Hanson at the Masters, and Graeme McDowell and Jim Furyk at the U.S. Open ? held on to win.
In the morning, while playing the third round, Woods wasn't pleased with his drive on the par-4 15th hole. His club went sailing when he let go of it on the follow through, and the ball flew well to the right of the fairway, landing in a grassy, sandy area not too far from the beach.
He was able to recover, hitting a terrific shot to the green. He then came up limping for a few seconds before pulling what appeared to be some sort of prickly brush off the right leg of his pants.
Woods looked fine when he arrived at the green and two-putted for par.
With a number of players finishing the third round Sunday morning, the final round was being played in threesomes off both tees, rare for a major championship.
It was the first time since 2008 that the PGA Championship didn't complete three rounds on Saturday. Some players had to go 36 holes on the final day that year, and Padraig Harrington wound up winning his second straight major.
Associated Pressmike leach billy graham scion fr s elf on a shelf elf on a shelf carrier iq carrier iq
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.