Golf Capules: Laird seizes control at The Barclays

PARAMUS, N.J. (AP) — Martin Laird suspected that four straight birdies early in the round and no bogeys had put him in the lead Saturday at The Barclays. When he finally glanced at a leaderboard, it gave him quite a jolt.

And it had nothing to do with the size of his three-shot lead.

The board occasionally shows the projected FedEx Cup standings. Laird, who started these playoffs at No. 95 and was hopeful of reaching the second round, saw his name at No. 1.

"I didn't think I'd come in here and move that much," Laird said after his 6-under 65. "I caught a glimpse of the projected FedEx Cup and I got a little shock."

It was a not-so-subtle reminder that winning goes a long way in these playoffs, and Laird put himself in a great spot. He was at 12-under 201, three shots clear of Dustin Johnson and Jason Day with one round left at Ridgewood Country Club.

A victory for the 27-year-old Scot would move him to No. 1, assuring him a spot in all four majors next year, and making him a serious contender for the $10 million FedEx Cup payoff.

Tiger Woods also has something at stake Sunday, but it most likely won't be a trophy. After missing only one fairway in each of the first two rounds, Woods hit his opening tee shot off the property and took triple bogey. He couldn't get those three shots back and shot 72, putting him nine shots behind. He needs a steady final round just to advance to second round next week outside Boston.

For Johnson, who has found nothing but hard luck in the majors this year, it will be his second straight tournament playing in the final group. So much for that hangover from the PGA Championship, where he was penalized two shots on the final hole when he didn't realize he was in a bunker at Whistling Straits, knocking him out of a playoff.

Johnson, struggling with a cold and his swing earlier in the week, began to hit his stride on a sunny day in northern New Jersey. On the 616-yard 13th hole, he blasted a 3-wood to about 15 feet for eagle, and added consecutive birdies a short time later on his way to a 64 that gave him a chance to win.

"I definitely put myself into the hunt," Johnson said.

The good news? Everyone knows what a bunker looks like at Ridgewood.

Day remains in the hunt, too, although he didn't help himself on a day for scoring at Ridgewood. The 22-year-old Australian regained the lead by chipping for eagle on the short par-4 fifth hole, but he simply missed too many putts and struggled enough with his driver — he hit only four fairways — to give it away. Day made five bogeys, one of them on a par 5 on the back nine, and had to settle for a 70.

"Just hit more fairways and I'll be able to set myself up better at making birdies," Day said.

Adam Scott birdied the 18th hole for a 68 and was four shots behind.

On the day before European captain Colin Montgomerie announces his three captain's picks, it might be pleasing to see a fellow Scot atop the leaderboard against such a strong field. Too bad it's Laird, who played college golf at Colorado State and never left the American golf circuits. Plus, he has played so poorly all year that he's not even thinking about the Ryder Cup.

Laird was simply trying to get into the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings to qualify for the playoffs, and he's moving up quickly.

Justin Rose, in his final round before Montgomerie makes his captain's picks, went off early having narrowly made the cut and shot 65 to join the group at 7-under 206 that included Ryan Palmer, Matt Kuchar, John Senden, Vaughn Taylor and Kevin Streelman.

"I think it's a tight selection process," said Rose, who has been quiet since wins at the Memorial and AT&T National. "It's just been nice to make a little bit of noise and shoot a great round to show him my game is there. I didn't go out there to prove anything today. But I'm glad that it worked out. I think it's a timely round of golf.

Woods was in a tie for 28th, continuing his slide since he opened with a 65 to share the first-round lead.

Four shots behind to start the third round, his 3-wood went straight up in the air, then straight left, over the trees and out-of-bounds. He had to hit another tee shot, then missed a short putt and took triple bogey. Woods went out in 39 after a bogey on the ninth before he began another reclamation project — birdies on the par 5s, and a 7-iron to 8 feet on the 18th hole for another birdie.

The top 100 in the standings — Woods is at No. 112 — make it to the Deutsche Bank Championship, which donates its proceeds to the Tiger Woods Foundation. Woods likely will need something around par in the final round to get there.

Laird has much higher hopes.

Woods stumbles with a triple bogey at Barclays

PARAMUS, N.J. — One swing cost Tiger Woods any chance of winning The Barclays.

Now he can only hope get gets to keep playing after Sunday.

Four shots out of the lead to start the third round, Woods hit a shocking 3-wood off the first tee — part pop-up, part duck-hook — that sailed over the trees and off the property at Ridgewood Country Club. It led to a triple bogey, and he never got those three shots back.

Woods finished with back-to-back birdies for a 1-over 72 that put him well behind the leaders.

“In the end, it probably cost me a chance to win the tournament,” said Woods, who rallied to get to 3-under 210. “But I’m pleased how I sucked it up and got it back the rest of the day, when it easily could have gone the other way. Hitting a ball like that, it can derail you. And it didn’t. I got it right back.”

It was hard to believe the swing came from someone who had only missed two fairways over the first 36 holes. Woods attributed it to having too many swing thoughts swirling between the ears.

“I got caught between two swings,” he said. “And I wasn’t committed to what I was doing. I wasn’t focused on exactly what I should have been doing, what I’ve been doing on the range, what I’ve been doing the last couple of weeks. And it backfired.”

The top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings advance to the second round next week in the Deutsche Bank Championship outside Boston. Woods started the playoffs at No. 112, and he seemed safe after opening with a 65 to share the lead.

At one point Saturday, after a bogey from a fairway bunker on the ninth hole, Woods was projected outside the top 100. That was his last big mistake, however.

Woods hit to the front of the green in two on the 616-yard 13th hole for an easy up-and-down for birdie, and his 3-wood on the 587-yard 17th stopped 20 feet from the pin for a two-putt birdie. He finished with a 7-iron to 8 feet for birdie on the 18th.

Equally important were two pars in the middle of his round.

After his atrocious start, Woods hit through the green on the sixth hole and chipped poorly to about 10 feet. He made that putt for par, then escaped with par after getting mud on his ball in the middle of the seventh fairway.

Woods’ approach sailed right of the green and bunkers, leaving no room for error. The pitch under tree limbs landed in the rough, trickled onto the green and he made an 8-foot putt.

“I need to make that putt to not let it slide any further,” he said.

Woods all but ruled himself out of the tournament, although Sunday looms large.

He most likely will need a round somewhere around par or better to advance to Boston, and the better he plays, the higher he moves up and increases his chances for the third round in Chicago, which is for the top 70.

In the meantime, he’s still working on his swing, although there remains a higher priority.

“Posting a score,” Woods said. “Always.”

-- Doug Ferguson

LPGA

Wie, Shin tied for lead at Canadian Women’s Open

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Michelle Wie and Jiyai Shin shared more than the top of the leaderboard after the third round at the CN Canadian Women's Open.

Both players suffered plenty of mosquito bites after a rainy round that saw them finish tied at 10 under for the tournament at St. Charles Country Club.

"Actually, they tried to kill me," laughed Shin, who wiped out Wie's three-stroke lead with a 3-under 69.

Wie, who recorded three birdies to go along with three bogeys in her even-par round, agreed with her South Korean playing partner.

The native of Hawaii said the winged nuisances affected her game.

"I have to say of everything, the mosquitoes were the hardest to concentrate," Wie said. "They were pretty bad. But I found out they were a little better on the greens than on the fairways.

"They were very bad on the rough, so I'll try to avoid that tomorrow."

Na Yeon Choi drained a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that moved her into a tie for third with fellow South Korean Jee Young Lee and Norway's Suzann Pettersen at 6 under.

"I used the (mosquito) spray, but I feel like they (got) worse," said Choi, who posted a 71.

"I think they like the smell."

Pettersen, the defending champion ranked No. 3 on the World Rolex Rankings, shot a 72.

"Today was just awful for me," Pettersen said. "But I'm in reach of the top so it was a good day to play bad and hang in there."

Three Canadians are part of the 73-player field looking for a share of the $2.25 million purse, with $337,500 going to the winner.

Charlottetown's Lorie Kane was the low Canadian after posting a morning round of 4-under 68 that had her even for the tournament and tied for 26th.

Montreal's Lisa Meldrum was 2 over and tied for 41st following a round of 71, while Adrienne White (75) of Red Deer was 4 over in a tie for 53rd.

Kane was smiling after rebounding from a 75 on Thursday and a 73 on Friday.

The 15-year veteran's third round featured spells of light rain and the ever-present mosquitoes.

"Being from Prince Edward Island, we can get some pretty nasty ones, too," Kane said with a laugh when asked if the bugs were the biggest she'd ever seen.

But these, I gave quite a bit of blood today."

No Canadian has won the event — the only LPGA Tour stop in Canada — since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.

Wie, ranked No. 12 in the world, is seeking her first victory this season and second of her career.

The 20-year-old joined the tour last season and won last year's Lorena Ochoa Invitational. The Open is her 15th event of the season and her highest finish was third in May's Tres Marias Championship.

No. 4-ranked Shin also joined the tour last year. The 22-year-old already has three victories, including last month's Evian Masters. She's also posted nine top-10 finishes this season.

Shin and Wie will play together Sunday for the fourth straight round this week.

"Tomorrow should be a fun game because right now Michelle, she has (been playing great)," Shin said. "And then also I have a good feeling, too."

Rachel Hetherington of Australia had the lowest round of the day — and her season — with a 66.

One player who wasn't feeling great Saturday was No. 8-ranked Paula Creamer of the U.S., but mosquito bites weren't to blame.

Aside from playing with a thumb injury, Creamer began suffering from what she believed was food poisoning in the morning.

She saw a doctor and had a shot before her round and another at the turn.

"This was the hardest thing I've had to do," said Creamer, who still recorded a 70 and was tied for ninth at 4 under with fellow American Morgan Pressel.

"I've played through a lot of pain and I've played through being sick a bunch, but this was a hard one. The weather didn't help much, either."

Champions

Langer takes 1-shot lead over Price

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. (AP) — Another trip to the Pacific Northwest could mean another title for Bernhard Langer.

The German fired a 63 to take a one-shot lead over Nick Price after the second round of the Champions Tour's Boeing Classic on Saturday.

Just a month ago, Langer held off hometown favorite Fred Couples to win his second senior major in as many weeks at the U.S. Senior Open at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

Four weeks later he leads heading to Sunday again in a tournament in the greater Seattle area. Any thoughts of taking up residency in Washington state?

"Soon," Langer joked.

Price struggled to make birdies on the back nine, allowing Langer to overtake the opening round leader.

Langer made a 12-foot birdie on the 12th hole to pull within a shot of Price and move to 6-under on the round. With Price making pars, Langer continued his run to the top of the leaderboard. Birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 gave him the outright lead and a birdie at 18 moved him to 15-under 129 for the tournament.

"I hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens," Langer said. "The key was the short game was good, the putter was good."

"I didn't have too much pressure on the rest of the game; the short game was phenomenal."

Langer set a record for the lowest 36-hole score in the six-year history of the tournament. He also has 26 one-putt greens through the first two rounds.

"He's going to be tough to beat tomorrow," Price said.

Price (67) made four birdies on the front nine. He recorded his only bogey of the day at 17, but closed with an eagle at the par-5 18th to pull within a shot of Langer.

"It got harder as the day progressed because of the firmness of the greens," Price said. "That three-putt from just off the green on 17 kind of irked me a little bit because I didn't really feel like I should have made bogey there."

Price was tentative with his stroke on a 3-footer and had his par chance lip out for a bogey. But he bounced back, draining a 12-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 18th.

"I was thinking to myself that I had to birdie the last. I didn't want to start tomorrow two shots behind," Price said.

"A lot of times you'll back up a really low round with a mediocre round and I shot 5-under today which I thought was still pretty strong. But I'm still one back so I'm going to have my work cut out tomorrow."

Couples is wishing he could say the same.

He had just come off consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 that moved him into a tie with Tom Pernice Jr. for third at 8 under.

But Couples bogeyed the par-5 15th hole for the second consecutive day after going in the hazard that lines the left side of the hole off the tee. Then he came unglued at 16 finding the sand trap in front of the green with his second shot. His first two attempts failed to clear the 8-foot lip and rolled back to his feet. He finally got out on the third attempt and made double-bogey.

Another bogey at 17 added to Couples' problems and he finished with a 72 to put him at 4 under for 36 holes.

"A 72 is not very good, but it's what I shot and I've got to work on my game tomorrow and see if I can shoot a better score," Couples said.

Pernice Jr. was three shots off the lead before consecutive bogeys at Nos. 11 and 12 dropped him back to 8 under. Pernice Jr. bounced back with birdies at 15 and 16 to finish at 10 under.

Keith Fergus and Hal Sutton are tied for fourth at 6 under.

PGA European

Molinari brothers set the pace at Johnnie Walker

GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Francesco Molinari shot a 4-under 68 to take one-shot lead over brother Edoardo after the third round of the Johnnie Walker Championship on Saturday.

Francesco was at 10-under 206 to move ahead of his older brother, who had a 69.

Oliver Wilson (68) and Simon Dyson (70), Gregory Bourdy (70) and Julien Guerrier (73) of France and Stephen Gallacher (71) of Scotland were another shot back.

The sibling rivalry could put pressure on European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie to make sure the duo, a winning pair at golf’s World Cup in China last year, both debut against the United States at Celtic Manor in October.

Francesco has qualified, but Edoardo would only make the team as a captain’s pick when Montgomerie fills out his squad Sunday.

Edoardo has stiff competition from four Europeans based on the PGA Tour — Justin Rose, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Paul Casey — who are all ranked among the world’s top 22 players and hoping to receive one of Montgomerie’s three captain’s picks to extend their Ryder Cup careers.

Montgomerie acknowledged that he’d have a dilemma if Edoardo were to win his second title in Scotland this year after a victory at Loch Lomond last month.

“... It would make my headache even worse,” Montgomerie said. “It’s a lovely headache to have. I’ve got guys on form and the guys in the Fedex Cup are doing well. They all made the cut and it will be interesting to see how they get on.”

He admitted that pairing the Molinaris would be an attractive option to have.

“Even at this stage, that’s a great advantage to have,” Montgomerie said. “I’m not just picking the best players right now, I’m picking who can play with whom. So, of course, it’s a criterion because Francesco’s brother is the obvious candidate.”

The fourth round of the Johnnie Walker also could alter the makeup of the nine players who automatically earn places on the European team, with both Sweden’s Peter Hanson and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez in danger down the qualifying table.

Jimenez shot a 71 in the third round and was three shots off the lead but Hanson, last week’s Czech Open winner, only mustered a 75 that left him seven shots adrift.

Either player could lose out to Dyson, who would automatically qualify with a win at Gleneagles.

-- Graham Otway

Amateur

Defending champ out at U.S. Amateur

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. (AP) — First David Chung ousted the NCAA individual champion. Then he sent the defending U.S. Amateur champion packing.

Next on Chung's agenda: 36 holes with the top amateur player in the world.

The Stanford junior survived an early run of birdies and eagles from 2009 amateur champ Byeong-Hun An, rallying on the back nine for a 1 up victory over An on Saturday in the semifinals of the 110th championship.

His reward for reaching Sunday's 36-hole final — other than a trip to next year's U.S. Open and an invitation to the Masters — is a match with Oklahoma State's Peter Uihlein, the top ranked amateur in the world.

Uihlein beat 18-year-old Patrick Cantlay 4 and 3.

"Peter and I have played since we were 10 years old," Chung recalled. "I expect him to play well and got preparation from (An) on seeing stellar golf. So I think I'm pretty prepared for anything."

While Uihlein might be the top ranked amateur, according to the latest rankings from the Royal & Ancient, their might not be a hotter amateur player than Chung. In the last month, Chung captured the Porter Cup and the Western Amateur, two of the more prestigious amateur events in the United States. Now he gets a chance at the capper before heading back to school.

An was attempting to become the first back-to-back champion since Tiger Woods won three straight titles between 1994 and 1996. An was already the first defending champ to reach the semifinals since Woods.

Still, the 18-year-old who a year ago became the youngest champion in history, couldn't hide his disappointment after his putt on the 18th came up short. An dropped his putter, then flung his ball skipping across the green.

"On the back nine I couldn't get anything going straight or in the hole and he took the chances when he needed," An said. "We had a great match. We both played very well. It's very disappointing right now."

Chung was lucky to still be in his match with An after the first few holes. To par, An was 6 under through his first six holes, including an eagle on the par 4 fifth that was using a second, short green Saturday that made the hole drivable.

But Chung found himself just 3 down, a deficit he carried to the back nine after An won the ninth hole.

"I don't think anybody could have beaten him in the first six holes today," Chung said. "But I knew I would have my chances and I'd have to take advantage of them going into the back nine."

Chung's rally began with victories at the 10th and 12th holes, both times capitalizing when An's tee shots found the long fescue surrounding the fairways at Chambers Bay. Chung then stayed in the match with saves at Nos. 13 and 14 to halve the hole.

On the 13th, Chung rolled in a 15 footer, then flopped a wedge to 2 feet for a par on the 14th. Chung went ahead with a birdie at the 16th, but gave back the lead when his tee shot on No. 17 found a bunker.

On the final hole, Chung reached the green on the 485-yard par 4 in two, while An flared his second shot into a greenside bunker and found his ball tucked against a grass mound. He blasted out to 40 feet but three-putted.

"If he goes 2 up with five holes to go that is pretty tough to come back from," Chung said of his putt on the 13th. "So that was really key ... probably the turning point in the match."

Uihlein had a much more relaxed time against Cantlay than a day earlier when he was taken to the final hole by Oklahoma State teammate Morgan Hoffmann.

Uihlein never trailed against Cantlay and won three of the final five holes, finishing the match with a par at the 246-yard par 3 15th.

"I was filling up the cup early. I literally just made a couple more putts than him to start off and I think that was the difference," Uihlein said.

Uihlein will get a chance at a little revenge against Chung in the final. They've known each other since they were young junior players, meeting in the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur and again at this year's NCAA championships. Both times, Chung came out ahead.

"I have a good relationship with David. I like David a lot," Uihlein said. "I think tomorrow will be a lot of fun."

-- Tim Booth