|
 |   |
EVENTS
CENTERS
CNNSI.com GROUP |  |
Saturday stumbles Moving day disappointing for Love, Mickelson
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Davis Love III was standing on the fifth fairway, iron in hand, listening to the roars of the crowd. Up ahead, Phil Mickelson was making a move, and Love seemed poised to follow him. Two of the best players in the world were edging their way toward Tiger Woods and the top of the leaderboard. Finally, it seemed, they would get to take Woods on in a major championship Sunday. Then a pair of back-nine 38s left Love and Mickelson wondering yet again what might have been. Perhaps they just weren't meant to beat Woods in a major championship. Perhaps they just can't beat him when all is on the line. "It's very disappointing," Mickelson said. While no-names such as Bob May, Scott Dunlap and Greg Chalmers stayed in contention Saturday in the PGA Championship, Love and Mickelson were six shots back going into the final round after wasting their best opportunity at a major title this year. Their expectations were higher, but their play was not better. "We all know it's a big tournament," Mickelson said. "We all want to play well. I don't think it's any easier or harder for us." Both Mickelson and Love, the 1997 PGA winner, got to 9 under at the turn, only a few shots back of Woods, and had the lead in sight. They fell back once again with some bad mistakes, though, leaving both to ponder their chances at a major championship. Love's thoughts remained with him as he signed a ball for a sign bearer, then stormed past reporters after finishing with a final bogey. Mickelson was just as unhappy, but looking forward to one final chance Sunday. I must go out there and go exceptionally low round," he said. "It's still possible for someone to come from behind and shoot 8, 9 or 10 under tomorrow to win." For a brief time Saturday, it looked like Mickelson might do just that as he started out with birdies on five of the first eight holes to shoot 31 on the front side. Suddenly, the PGA Championship was in reach again, with golf's best left-hander 9 under and only three shots back of Woods, who was only a few holes into his round. The possibility of his first major championship in eight years was starting to grow on Mickelson. "I had a breakthrough front nine," Mickelson said. "Today was a really good opportunity for me to go low." Soon, though, it was a lost opportunity. Standing with a wedge in his hand in the fairway on the par-5 10th, Mickelson hit it over the green and, after chipping on, missed a 5-footer for par. His momentum had stalled, and he would never get it back. "When I thought I was going to get one and I give one back, it's a two-shot swing and it really hurts," Mickelson said. "It took a lot out of me." Mickelson would go on to bogey the par-3 14th and, by the time he missed an 8-footer on the final hole for birdie, he was in with a 69 that put him 7 under, six shots behind Woods. That was the same place Love finished, after stumbling to a bogey on the 18th hole that left him at even par for the day. For Love it must have been even more painful, because of what happened only a day earlier when he also got to 9 under, only to bogey both the 17th and 18th holes as darkness settled on Valhalla. At least it looked painful, though Love wasn't talking. He quickly got those shots back with birdies on the second and fourth holes, but would make only one more birdie the rest of the day and stumbled down the back side with poor iron play. Meanwhile, guys with names like Dunlap, May, J.P. Hayes, Greg Chalmers and Franklin Langham were passing Mickelson and Love by. The leaderboard had Woods, but was missing the players like Love and Mickelson who were supposed to be his main challengers. "That's just the way it is sometimes," Woods said. "You can't have the best players up there each and every major. It's just not realistic." Not that it mattered much to Woods, anyway. "I don't care who's behind me," he said.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
