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18 holes from history Woods finally makes a bogey but does little else wrong
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) -- Tiger Woods had to sacrifice perfection, only that's not the prize he came to claim. Woods proved he was human Saturday, making his first bogey in 64 holes of major championship golf. Small consolation to David Duval, Ernie Els and every other pretender trapped in what seems like a hopeless effort to keep him from winning the Grand Slam. How good is Woods? He played a conservative round and still managed to double his lead at St. Andrews with a 5-under 67. He finished the three rounds at 200, six strokes ahead of Duval and Thomas Bjorn. Unless the 24-year-old Woods suffers the greatest collapse in the history of golf's oldest championship, he will become the youngest player to win the Grand Slam. No one has ever blown a six-stroke lead in the final round of the British Open. "I know what it takes to play in a final round of any tournament," said Woods, who is 18-2 worldwide when he has at least a share of the 54-hole lead. "You can't let yourself look ahead to the final outcome, because if you don't take care of the present, the final outcome may not be what you want."
Also at stake is a chance to break Nick Faldo's scoring records. He had an 18-under 270 in 1990, the lowest score at St. Andrews, and the most under par in Open history. The outcome Woods seeks at the home of golf is having his name on the silver claret jug -- and in the history books as only the fifth player to win all four majors. Jack Nicklaus was the last player to win the Grand Slam, in 1966 at age 26. "I don't like it a bit," Faldo said of the chance he lose his record. "I'll just have to go and play in Tiger-less tournaments." Despite a lower back sprain that causes him to stand up when he eats at restaurants, Duval had a bogey-free 66 and set up a final-round pairing between No. 1 and No. 2. Of course, the margin in the world ranking is about as vast as what Duval faces Sunday. "Let's be realistic. There hasn't been a rivalry," Duval said. Whatever talk of any rival to Woods was ended by his record 15-stroke victory last month in the U.S. Open. Once again, Woods is turning a major championship into a Senior Tour event. Those are usually decided after 54 holes, too. There was one difference between the British Open and the U.S. Open, besides the fact it has been sunny and warm on the eastern coast of Scotland. At least this time, they put up a fight. It didn't matter. Nine players started the final round within five strokes of Woods. All but Sergio Garcia broke par, yet all of them lost ground. David Toms, playing in the final pairing with Woods, got to within one stroke on the second hole when Woods three-putted from 55 feet and Toms rolled in a 5-footer for birdie. It was Woods' first bogey in a major since the 10th hole of the third round in the U.S. Open. But Woods had an answer for everything and everybody. He got the stroke back on the next hole with a 9-iron to 10 feet for birdie, and Toms fell back. He had a 71 and was at 207, along with Darren Clarke (68) and Loren Roberts (70).
Next came Els, who made a wretched bogey on the opening hole by chunking a wedge so badly he didn't even reach the Swilken Burn. But the Big Easy stormed back with a barrage of birdies and got to within one stroke with a 4-foot birdie on the 10th. As Els walked off one side of the double green, Woods approached the other side where he had stuffed a 6-iron to 1 1/2 feet. He saw the charges coming. He knew what he had to do. "You know you're going to have to make some birdies," Woods said. "That's part of playing this golf course, especially under these conditions. All I can ask of myself is to give myself chances. I was able to do that most of the day." Woods followed his birdie on No. 8 with a 15-foot birdie on No. 9, then a beautifully played chip on the 12th hole that banged into the steep bank, gently climbed the slope and stopped within a foot of the hole. It was all part of a stretch in which Woods birdied five of seven holes. "When you watch top performers at their best ... it's just awesome to watch," said Toms, who played with Woods for the first time. Els lost hope when his drive on No. 12 went into a prickly gorse bush. He made double bogey to drop back, closed with six pars and left the Old Course without comment after a 70 that left him at 208, along with Dennis Paulson (69), Tom Lehman (70) and Steve Flesch (71). Flesch also got it to 10 under before a double bogey on No. 13 when he hit into a pot bunker.
That's one place Woods has yet to find. He came perilously close on No. 17 when he slightly pulled a 7-iron that landed 2 feet above the Road Hole bunker. Woods three-putted for his second bogey of the day. Just like before, he answered with a birdie. Duval made his run early, going out in 32 to get into the picture, and saved it with a rare break. His drive on the 18th appeared to be going out of bounds to the right before it took a fortuitous hop to remain in play. Instead of a double bogey, he got birdie. "It was nice to see that. A couple of months ago, I'm pretty sure that would have gone out of bounds," said Duval, who hasn't won in 16 months. It will be only the third time in their careers they have played together as a twosome, the first time as the final pairing in the final round. The last time they played together, in the Byron Nelson Classic, Woods had a 63 and Duval a 70. "That's what people want to see," Woods said. "I want to see it, too. We're going to give it everything we have to beat one another." In Woods' 24 victories around the world, 17 players have finished runner-up. Until now, Duval has not been on that list. "It will be a circus. It will be exciting. It will be a slugfest," Duval said. "If I could swing the golf club like I have, and putt like I did the last few days, I could show him I have a game going now, too."
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