Woods sets off on final-day mission
Tiger Woods’ one-shot lead remained intact as the defending champion began the final round of the British Open at Hoylake.
None of the early starters had been able to make an impression on the upper reaches of the leaderboard by the time Woods and Sergio Garcia teed off at 2.30pm.
American Sean O’Hair had set the clubhouse target at seven under par after a 67, while Londoner Anthony Wall was eight under with seven holes remaining after picking up three shots.
Japan’s Hideto Tanihara almost made the perfect start when his approach to the second rattled the flagstick, but the ball bounced some 15 feet away and he missed the birdie putt.
The 27-year-old from Hiroshima holed from 12 feet for birdie on the second, however, and at 11 under par was just two off the pace.
England’s Paul Casey found himself in last place after a 77 to finish 10 over, and had a warning for the later starters about the speed of the hard Hoylake greens.
“I will enjoy watching it this afternoon because I thought the pin on 10 was ferocious, and on 12 as well,” explained the 29-year-old.
“On the 12th Edoardo Molinari played a beautiful chip (which looked to stop) about four feet past the hole, but when he got up to the ball it was about a foot away, and we were the second group out.”
