SANDWICH, England, 20 July 2003 — A sizzling start by Tiger Woods matched the blazing sunshine as the world number one raced atop the leaderboard in the third round in the British Open here yesterday thanks to two eagles.
The 27-year-old, who started the day four strokes behind overnight leader Davis Love, eagled the par-five fourth but then, with the shot of the tournament, eagled the par-five seventh.
The world number one had hit his second into the greenside bunker, getting a terrible lie.
But Woods blasted out and the ball tracked across the green and vanished into the hole. Woods lifted his arms high in celebration. It took Woods to one-under for the championship and one shot clear of Love who bogeyed the first to drop back to level par.
Defending champion Ernie Els was also closing in on Love.
Els, five back at the start, collected two birdies as he neared the turn to move to two-over for the championship. He collected his first bogey of the day at the eighth but still remained under-par.
England’s Mark Roe shot up the leaderboard thanks to three birdies and an eagle at the 13th when his second went into the hole. It took the 40-year-old from five-over to one-over and only two back from Love.
Sweden’s Pierre Fulke put himself into the mix for today’s final round with a four-under 67.
Nick Faldo also shot a stunning 67 and declared himself firmly back in contention.
Despite being five shots behind Love, the 45-year-old three-time Open champion said that the conditions for the late starters were likely to be tougher. The beating sun was baking the fairways and the rough was being turned into tinder. Weathermen were warning that it was only going to get hotter as south England basked in a heatwave.
Faldo stressed that for the first time in years the Open was being played over a true links course. Masters champion Mike Weir looked poised to match Faldo’s round when he reeled off three straight birdies from the third but bogeys at eight and nine saw the 33-year-old Canadian reaching the turn at only one-under for the day and seven-over for the championship. Over the punishing inward half, Weir finished one over and ended up where he had started the day.
Playing partner Darren Clarke, one of the European pre-tournament favorites, failed to get anything going as he too finished where he began the day - eight over.
John Daly gave a glimpse of the form that saw him conquer the winds of St. Andrews in 1995 to win the Claret Jug when he picked up three shots in only two holes.
But five bogeys in six holes saw him slipping back down the leaderboard. He ended with a three-over 74 and 10-over par.
Greg Norman, winner here 10 years ago, had a roller coaster of a round, with a splash of bogeys, birdies, pars and even an eagle.
But the bogeys outpaced the birdies and the veteran Australian had to settle for a two-over 74 to end nine-over for the tournament.
