British Open: Tiger Woods chases Lee Westwood

Mas Aal (USA Today) - Tiger Woods began the final round of the 142nd British Open two shots behind leader Lee Westwood at Muirfield Golf Club.

Both were trying to end major droughts: Westwood was 0-for-61 in majors entering this championship, and Woods, a 14-time major champion, was 0 for his last 16.

Westwood (-3), plays with Hunter Mahan (-1), and Woods (-1) tees off with Masters champion Adam Scott (even). ESPN has the live TV broadcast.

No. 4, 226 yards, par 3: The wind seems to be blowing harder than it has all week. Scott's tee shot is well left, and he will tap in for bogey. Woods makes another bogey ... more poor work from the putter ... and he is now +1.

Westwood: From the deeper rough at 3, the leader chops it out low and left, way left. And he hits it int he gallery. Mahan's second from the fairway was on line but short. Westwood found his ball in the tramped down rough and then hits a solid third to about 8 feet for par. Can't get it down, however. Bogey for Westwood to drop to -2. Mahan makes par.

Elsewhere: Ian Poulter goes eagle-birdie-birdie-birdie to get to even par overall, through 12 holes.

No. 3, 377 yards, par 4: Woods' tee shot ends up in the right rough. Scott is in the fairway. It's getting late early out there for Woods ... the scoring holes are early, and it gets tougher later. There's plenty of green for Woods, but the pin is tucked front right ... no way to get to it from where he is. He chops out and misses the green just to the right. Can still get up and down. Scott from 101 yards finds the center of the green and will have a look at birdie. Woods got a drop because a sprinkler head was in his putting line (local rule) and now he will putt from 65 feet. His putt goes only about 60 feet. Scott from 18 feet for birdie bent too much and spins about 3 feet past. Woods saves par to stay at even. Scott makes his par putt to stay at +1.

Westwood: His second at No. 2 is solid. Mahan blasts out of the bunker, then hits his third to about 20 feet. Mahan makes a nice putt, but he will end up with bogey. So me misses a good birdie try at 1, then bogeys 2. Westwood misses his birdie putt but makes a comfortable par. Westwood at No. 3 tee is into the deep rough. Three holes, three missed fairways.

Elsewhere: Mickelson birdies No. 5 to get to +1. Ian Poulter goes eagle-birdie-birdie at 9, 10 and 11 to get to +1.

No. 2, 364 yards, par 4: Woods finds the fairway with his tee shot; Scott does, too. They needed after their poor starts. Scott knocks his second to about 10 feet for birdie. Woods' second leaves him about 15 feet for birdie, but it's a difficult putt with a lot of break. Another miss ... but he will make par to stay at even. Scott misses his chance at birdie but has a tap-in par. He stays at +1.

Westwood: His second on 1 from the fringe is a good one, and he will have about 18 feet for birdie. Mahan's, from the fairway, is even better, pin high and about 10 feet away. Par start for Westwood. Mahan can't get his birdie putt to fall. Par. On the second tee, Mahan finds a bunker, Westwood finds the fringe of the rough.

Elsewhere: Henrik Stenson goes birdie-birdie to get to -1.

No. 1, 447 yards, par 4: Woods will want a good start, as he is the chaser. After starting with bogey in Round 1 — after launching a tee shot into the very, very thick stuff — Woods made par on Friday and Saturday. There were some good scores out there among the early starters — Jason Dufner shot 67. Granted, the conditions, and the pressure, were milder. Woods slashes a long iron straight, just right of center, solidly in the fairway. Scott's tee shot finds a fairway bunker. Scott's ball ended up a foot from the face of the bunker ... another one of those one foot in, knee on the ground shots. He blasts out as if it was a greenside bunker and is in the center of the fairway, laying 2. Woods' approach looks good in the air, lands in the front of the green and stops. Not so good. Scott's third does roll when it hits the green ... all the way over the back. Woods hits a decent firs putt and a lousy second putt. Scott can't get his fourth down from behind the green. Bogeys for both. Woods at even, Scott at +1.

Westwood: Huge roar for the Englishman as he walks to the tee. Mahan's tee shot is a beauty down the left side of the fairway. Westwood's tee shot rolls into the fringe on the right side of the fairway.

Share this post