ESPN.com - Golf Online - US Open Men 2000 - Frozen moment: Woods slips

By David Kraft
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, June 18

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- Tiger Woods is human.

Momentarily, at least.


	Woods and caddie Steve Williams could smile later in the round despite a big number at No. 3.

In the U.S. Open's never ending search for signs that Woods is of this earth, it stumbled upon this: He took a triple bogey at the third hole on Saturday.

Let us repeat: Tiger Woods took a triple bogey.

His second shot -- a 7-iron into the wind -- landed in the rough. He couldn't get out of the hay with his third shot, chopped it short of the green with his fourth, chipped 15-feet short of the hole with his fifth and missed the putt with his sixth. A seven -- just like many duffers who dole out $300 to play Pebble Beach write down as they head for the fourth tee.

"The wind cost me a shot at No. 3," he said later. "Actually, a few shots at No. 3. But that's just the way the luck of the draw goes."

Then, he smiled sheepishly -- easy to do when you're so far ahead in the quest for your first U.S. Open title that you could take three more triple bogeys and still maintain your lead.

"I smiled because of the fact I didn't hit that bad a shot," he said, "and I ended up walking away with seven."

Aside from that momentary bobble, Woods fought Pebble to a draw on a windblown day few others did. He didn't get to the magic 10-under plateau - the triple bogey took care of that -- but he didn't shoot 84, like Jim Furyk, Kirk Triplett and Robert Damron did.

Woods shot an even-par 71 -- bettered only by Ernie Els during the most horrific of scoring conditions. His playing partner Thomas Bjorn shot 82. The group behind him -- Triplett and Miguel Angel Jimenez -- shot 84 and 76, respectively. The group behind them, John Huston and Jose Maria Olazabal, each shot 76. Behind them, Hal Sutton shot 83.

"I'm definitely mortal," said Rocco Mediate, who shot a relatively immortal 75 of his own Saturday. "I think we all are. He is not."

Woods birdied the second hole to get to 9-under before his stumble at No. 3. On the par-5 sixth, he hit his second shot into the rough next to a fairway bunker, forcing him to stand awkwardly and possibly look at another high number. But he put his shot on the green and drilled the putt for a birdie to go 7-under.

He birdied the par-3 seventh and, after a bogey on No. 8, birdied the ninth -- one of only two birdies on the hole all day. Despite his triple bogey, he played the front nine in even par. He bogeyed 10 and birdied 14 on a relatively ho-hum back nine.

"(At) a U.S. Open, it's hard to go low," Woods pleaded. "I've made my share of mistakes, but I've made a few putts this week."

And Elizabeth Taylor's had a few husbands.

"You need to out out there and just grind it away and hit the golf ball in the fairway at all costs," he said.

If it were that easy, 62 players who are over par after three rounds would be under it.

Woods is 10 shots ahead of the field -- the biggest advantage after 54 holes in a major since 1934. He's 8-under, a place no player has ever been after three rounds of a U.S. Open. He's won his last 15 PGA Tour events after leading through three rounds.

Bet on 16 in a row come Sunday, when he plays for immortality. The trophy and $800,000 that go with it should already be on their way to Windermere, Fla.

"I'd like to see him break the record, to tell you the truth," said Mediate. "I don't know if (the USGA is) going to let him. They'll probably put the pins in places no one can find."

They might. But for five minutes Saturday, Woods looked human.

For a battered and bruised field, it was five minutes of hope.