SEVILLE, Spain, 21 November 2004 — Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain came from six strokes behind to take the lead in the WGC World Cup third round yesterday.
A modest day in the better-ball by England’s Paul Casey, who found out before his round that his golf club and equipment contract would not be renewed because of his anti-American comments during the week, and Luke Donald dropped them back to second, a shot back.
Four teams — champions South Africa, first-round joint leaders Ireland, the US and Sweden, shared third spot, three off the pace.
Garcia was the dominant force for the new leaders as he buoyed an already enthusiastic home gallery at the Real Club by racking up two eagles and five birdies in Spain’s 11-under-par 61 return that took them to 24-under-par 192.
Jimenez was the more quiescent partner with just two birdies but his save for par on the 18th kept the home favorites in front.
He needed only a wedge second on the 522-yard hole and a five-foot putt to make three.
The event switches back to the alternate-shot foursomes format for the final day and with four Ryder Cup men in the final match the crowd could be in for a nail-biting finish before the $1.4 million first prize is decided.
England, five ahead before the third round, dropped no shots but their four-under 68 was one of the poorest returns of the day.
Woods Closes In on First Victory in Japan
In Miyazaki, Tiger Woods fired a five-under-par 65 to move 10 shots clear after the third round of the Dunlop Phoenix tournament yesterday, putting himself in prime position for ha first victory in Japan.
Woods, who lost his world number one ranking to Fiji’s Vijay Singh in September, also moved closer to his first stroke-play title of the year with a brilliant bogey-free round.
Woods won the last of his eight majors at the 2002 US Open but has been threatening a return to his top form all week at the $1.9 million event in Miyazaki. Woods began the day with a three-stroke advantage over 2002 champion Kaname Yokoo and birdied two of the first three holes at the Phoenix Country Club. He made back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 and another on the 18th to extend his lead to a massive 10 shots over Sweden’s Daniel Chopra and the Japanese pair Ryoken Kawagishi and Naomichi Ozaki.
Monty, Langer Inspire First-Day Lead for Rest of the World
In Kiawah Island, South Carolina, Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer won for the eighth time together in match-play as the Rest of the World led holders the United States by 3-1/2 points to 2-1/2 on the first day of the UBS Cup.
Britain’s Montgomerie and German Langer, paired 10 times in Ryder Cup and USB Cup action, secured victory over Tom Kite and Ray Floyd in the second match out when the Americans three-putted the final hole at Kiawah Island’s Cassique Course. The only time Montgomerie and twice US Masters champion Langer have lost together in match-play was at the 1997 Ryder Cup, when they went down 3 & 2 to Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara in the opening fourballs. On Friday, though, the European pair had to fight hard in a high-quality encounter that featured 13 birdies.
Their American opponents birdied the 15th, 16th and 17th holes, where Kite holed from a bunker, to level the match going down the last.
In the first match out on the opening day, US captain Arnold Palmer and Ryder Cup veteran Jay Haas halved with Rest of the World captain Gary Player and Zimbabwe-born Irishman Mark McNulty.
In match three, Hale Irwin and Fred Funk reeled off a tournament record eight birdies on their way to a 5 & 3 victory over Sam Torrance and Barry Lane. Former major winners Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle were too strong for Americans Tom Watson and Scott Hoch as they won 4 & 3, a score matched by Britons Carl Mason and John Chillas against an out-of-sorts Curtis Strange and Craig Stadler.
Sorenstam Takes 3-Shot Lead in ADT Championship
In West Palm Beach, Florida, Swedish superstar Annika Sorenstam posted a four-under 68 to open a three-shot lead midway through the one million dollar ADT Championship.
Sorenstam is after her eighth win of 2004 and on Friday she took advantage of a favorable bounce that led to a birdie on the ninth hole.
She seized a three-shot advantage over American Laura Diaz, Australian Karrie Webb and American Cristie Kerr after two rounds of the season-ending event. Sorenstam began the round with a one-stroke lead.
Sorenstam played the first eight holes even but the good fortune at No. 9 ignited a string of three birdies in four holes. She played the back in three-under and completed 36 holes at the Trump International Golf Club at 10-under 134.
A year ago, Sorenstam squandered a four-shot lead over the final nine holes of this event as Meg Mallon rallied for a one-shot win. Sorenstam could have forced a playoff but missed a 10-footer for par on the last hole.
Mallon carded a 66 to climb into a tie for seventh at 140. She opened with a 74 that left her eight shots behind Sorenstam.
Diaz also signed for a 68 to move into a tie with Webb (69) and Kerr (70). Jennifer Rosales is alone in fifth at 138.
