Tiger stalks 50th US Tour win
In the month he celebrates 10 years as a professional Tiger Woods was closing in tonight on his 50th US Tour victory.
Two weeks on from his British Open championship victory, Woods led the Buick Open at Warwick Hills in Michigan by two with 14 holes to play.
And, slender though that might seem, there was nobody in the chasing pack who did not know what a phenomenal front-runner the world number one is.
It was the 48th time in Woods’ career that he had taken at least a share of the lead into the final round and, since he has gone on to win 42 of the previous 47, the task for the other title-hopefuls was daunting to say the least.
Moreover, he was looking to make it 21 out of 21 in US Tour events in which he has turned a two-stroke advantage into victory.
By failing to birdie the par-five first Woods allowed Vaughn Taylor to catch him with his three birdies in the first four holes. Woods made birdie putts of five and 12 feet at the third and fourth to open the gap again.
Taylor and Scott Verplank, both looking to force their way into the top 10 on the American Ryder Cup standings, were joint-second at 18 under, but Vijay Singh’s chances of a third successive victory in the event appeared to have gone when he covered the first six holes in one over to be six back and only 14th.
Brett Quigley had been just one behind earlier on, but then four-putted from only 17 feet on the long seventh for a triple-bogey eight.
Meanwhile, Billy Mayfair, 20th on the Ryder Cup table and 40 today, is recovering from surgery for testicular cancer.
The problem was diagnosed earlier this week and the operation carried out in Arizona on Thursday.
Mayfair, who hopes he might be able to return at the US PGA Championship starting on Thursday week, said: “I’m doing well and I want to thank everyone for their well wishes and support.”
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