Not a strong finish, but Sutton will take it
Associated Press
Saturday, August 12
GRAND BLANC, Mich. -- Hal Sutton played the final four holes of the third round of the Buick Open in 1-over par. But he thinks he might have saved the tournament in the process.
Sutton made a lengthy par putts on the 15th and 18th holes,
keeping him just two shots behind leader Chris Perry heading into
Sunday's final round.
"I played OK, but I'm certainly not happy with the way I hit the ball on the final four holes," he said. "Luckily, I saved myself with those two putts, so I at least have something to build on for tomorrow."
Sutton drove into the rough on 15 and left himself with a 20-footer for par, but made the putt. After a routine par at 16, he badly missed the green on the par-3 17th and bogeyed.
On 18, his drive nestled under the lip of a bunker left of the fairway, and his shot from there only traveled about 30 yards. That left him with an up-and-down from over 100 yards, but he hit a wedge to 10 feet and rolled the putt into the right side of the cup.
"That last putt will give me some momentum going into Sunday," he said. "I've hit the ball well all week, and I just need to go out there and try to birdie every hole tomorrow."
Leader under attack
As Woody Austin prepared to tap in a short par putt on the 5th green Saturday, he heard a bang behind him and to his right. At first, he thought a cameraman had dropped his equipment, but then his caddie informed him of the truth.
"He showed me where a big water balloon had dropped out of the sky and landed about 15 feet away from me," Austin said. "We have no idea where it came from, but it was certainly something I've heard of before. I don't if someone shot it from somewhere, or someone in the gallery threw it, or what. I'm just glad it didn't
happen while I was actually putting."
Austin made the putt.
One tough hole
The par-4 15th hole has always been the toughest at Warwick Hills, and this week has been more of the same. Saturday, the 15th derailed Tiger Woods' charge with a double-bogey and knocked Woody Austin out of the lead, but it saved its biggest bite for Craig Bowden.
Bowden reached the 15th at 1-under for the tournament, and left it nine strokes later at plus-4.
Only five of the 70 players were able to birdie the 15th, and the top six players on the leader board played it in a combined two-over.
An easier hole
Ronnie Black wasn't in contention, but had the shot of the day, acing the 187-yard 3rd hole en route to a 70. Black used a 5-iron for the second ace of his 18-year professional career and his first since 1985.
Ready for some football
Phil Mickelson shot 65 to move into seventh place, but he spent the opening moments of his press conference talking about his hometown San Diego Chargers.
"I really hope they give Ryan Leaf another chance before they give up on him," he said. "He reminds me of Brett Favre when he was in Atlanta, and look what happened when they sent him to the Packers. Ryan's going to be a stud someday."
Sweet 60's
Only four players -- Chris Perry, Hal Sutton, Skip Kendall and Joe Ozaki -- have managed to break 70 in all three rounds. Gabriel Hjertstadt also hasn't had a round in the 70s, but his unfortunate sequence went 69-68-80.
Divots
Jim Furyk was the last player to bogey a hole, not
picking up his first of the week until Saturday's 3rd hole.
Austin's pattern of increasing nine-hole scores was finally broken on Saturday's back nine. After playing the first five nines in 31-32-33-34-35, he broke the spell with a 38.
