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Tiger's trepidation vanishes in afternoon
Posted: Sunday April 13, 2003 1:17 AM
Updated: Sunday April 13, 2003 12:31 PM
By Rob Mueller
The Augusta Chronicle
His next-to-last shot of the day, a 10-foot putt at No. 9, burned the right edge of the hole.
Without question, Tiger Woods couldn't hide his disappointment after letting this birdie opportunity slip away.
But after scrambling in the morning just to make the cut, Woods posted a masterful third round, willing himself back into contention and making the frustrating conclusion of his long day seem trivial.
Woods enters today's final round in a tie for fifth place, trailing leader Jeff Maggert by four shots.
But before Woods shot 6-under-par 66 Saturday to storm back into the huntat the 67th Masters Tournament, he pulled some magic out from under his black "TW" cap to spare himself from missing the cut at a major championship for the first time as a professional.
Sitting uneasily on the cut line Saturday morning as he approached the ninth tee to complete his second round, Woods hit his drive into the right woods, then tried to safely roll his second shot short of the green.
Instead, Woods' ball rolled into the bunker.
A bogey would mean a missed cut.
"We pretty much knew that (5-over-par) was going to be the number," Woods said. Woods blasted out of the sand to within 3 feet, then sank a treacherous downhill putt to save par.
"You just go up there and putt," Woods said. "I knew that was for the cut. I said, the hell with it, you know what, the hell with it, just make it. ... The putt was inside left, and I just stayed steady and released the blade."
It went in, and his cut streak was alive at 102.
Woods said he never once doubted he'd make the cut. Or claw back into contention.
"I knew if I could just get things going, that I could get back in this tournament," Woods said."
After a few hours to collect himself, Woods returned for the third round and got rolling. He started on the back nine and birdied three of the first six holes, then birdied three of six on the front.
After playing birdieless golf with five bogeys through the first 20 holes of the tournament, Woods has birdied 10 of his past 34 holes while making two bogeys and one double bogey - in Round 2 at the par-3 fourth hole.
The difference between his opening-round scores of 76-73 and his third-round 66?
"Just some good breaks going my way," Woods said. "I got some good positive (momentum) going."
Reach Rob Mueller at (706) 823-3425.
Copyright 2003 The Augusta Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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