Well, the odds weren’t great at the start but after nine holes, they’ve improved dramatically. Tiger Woods, who began the day four shots off the lead, made the turn at the British Open holding the damn lead. It’s Sunday. The year is 2018. He has passed Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth, who are dropping shots off their 54-hole lead and clinging to life.
It’s happening. Tiger Woods holds the Sunday lead the Open.
Carnoustie is punishing the players on Sunday, but Tiger is the only one moving the right way on the leaderboard.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
The early move is the result of Tiger being the only one on the first page of the leaderboard going the right way. Everyone else has stalled out or dropped shots, but there’s Tiger actually adding two birdies in his first six flawless holes. The first red number came on the fourth hole, which clearly fits Tiger’s eye. This was the fourth straight day he birdied this hole. It came via the putter, which he used to put it in the center from a lengthy distance.
The next birdie came on the first and only par-5 on the front nine. Tiger squandered some chances on those gettable holes early in the championship, but this was the second straight day he also added a red number at this hole. The work was largely done off a nuked 3-wood right off the deck. That ran up juuuuust onto the front edge of the green, where he two-putted for his bird.
That put Tiger two-back, but for only a minute as Schauffele and Spieth both bogeyed the fifth hole right behind him. They’ve since dropped another shot. Tiger, meanwhile, is saving par when he needs to and plotting his way around perfectly.
Sunday at Carnoustie is presenting a totally different challenge than Saturday. Tiger is the only one from the late tee times succeeding in it so far. The wind is up, the pins are tucked, and it’s as firm and fast as concrete. Those are going to be difficult scoring conditions and any birdie is a huge bonus, unlike yesterday when they were available all over the course.
Tiger is the only one who has made them and now he’s become the primary challenger for the Claret Jug. A chance that seemed long is now as good as any on the course.
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