CHASKA, Minn. – Justin Leonard welcomed the wind, figuring the tougher the conditions the better chance he had to remain among the leaders at the 84th PGA Championship.
“My game and temperament is better suited to par being a good score, and for that to happen this weekend, I think the wind needs to pick up,” Leonard said late Friday.
He must have smiled yesterday when a 30-mph wind made playing conditions as difficult as they’ve been all week. While nearly everyone else struggled, Leonard flourished, shooting a 3-under-par 69 to take a three-shot lead into today’s final round.
If Leonard can match his performance of yesterday, he’ll capture his second major championship.
The 1997 British Open winner was in full control of emotions and his revamped swing yesterday, especially on the back nine, where he collected three of his four birdies.
He will play in the final group with Rich Beem, who is at 6-under. Fred Funk is 5-under, while Mark Calcavecchia and Tiger Woods are at 4-under, both losing shots on the 18th hole with bogeys.
Leonard’s steady play and unflappable demeanor was in contrast to the play of Funk’s, Woods’, Calcavecchia’s and Beem’s, who often seemed on the brink of disaster on a windy day that began with gallons of water being pumped off the course. Though nearly three inches of run was dumped on Hazeltine National Friday night, it was in remarkably good shape for play. But trying to stay steady in gusty winds yesterday proved challenging to all the contenders.
Once the rain-delayed second round was completed, the third round began with a four-way tie with Beem, Leonard, Funk and Calcavecchia all at 6-under. Woods was two shots back at 4-under after a miraculous birdie on the 18th hole to close his second round.
It was Beem who took the early lead with a birdie on the first hole and he wasn’t caught until his playing partner, Leonard, birdied the 10th to tie him at 7-under.
Beem regained the lead on the par-5 11th when he made on 8-footer after reaching the edge of the green in two. But Beem bogeyed the par-4 14th and Leonard, who matched the course record with a 66 before the rain, went ahead when he made birdie on the 15th hole to go 8-under.
He went to 9-under on the 16th hole, where his approach shot landed a foot from the cup and he dodged a bogey on the par-3 17th by making a 5-footer to save par. His round was the only sub-70 round of the day.
Woods had a bitter-sweet round. He made clutch putts to save par on the ninth, 10th and 12 holes. But he couldn’t get makeable birdie putts to fall, especially on the back side, where he just missed at the par-3 13th and the par-4 14th. He missed a chance for birdie on the par-5 15th when his drive sailed deep in the right rough and he was forced to pitch out into the fairway. His eventual 20-footer for birdie was short.
Woods nearly lost a stroke on the 16th when he pulled his second shot wide left of the green and his chip into the wind was blown 30 feet below the cup. But he once again avoided bogey when his curling putt for par barely tumbled into the cup to keep him at 5-under. His luck ran out on the 18th when he missed a breaking 10-footer for par.
“I grinded my butt off,” Woods said. “I hate to end up with a bogey. But I hit the ball pretty solid and I made some putts I had to make. Hopefully, I can play better [today].”
Light winds are in the forecast today, conditions that could produce lower scores and an exciting finish.
“You can’t be that aggressive on this course,” said Woods, who’ll start five shots back. “You’ve got to play smart and be aggressive in spots. You just have to pick the right spots.”
