Just when you thought
That you had seen it all:
With 5 holes to play in the third round of the US Open, Tiger was 6 shots out of the lead. He was clearly bothered by his left knee and proceeded to hit his tee shot, right. Right of everything. The USGA sets up a course to have staggered levels of rough. Hit it 7 yards to the right or left of the fairway and you will be in rough that is 1 ½ inches long. Hit it 14 yards right or left and you will be in 3 inch rough. Hit it 30 yards either way and you will be in some serious cabbage. Tiger hit it right of the cabbage.
Tiger hit a 5 iron that almost landed in the hole, on the fly, but bounced to the very back of the green, leaving him a treacherous 70 foot putt. A putt, incidentally that no other player had read correctly all day. He made it. Eagle.
After hitting his tee shot on the 16th. hole, Tiger doubled over in pain, and for a moment it looked as though he would collapse to the ground. From somewhere within him, he gathered himself and limped on making a fairly routine par.
On the 17th. hole, Tiger pulled his second shot into the bank that protects the left part of the green. Tiger’s chip took one bounce, hopped 2 feet up the flagstick and dropped straight into the hole. Birdie.
A protective swing off the 18th. tee, left Tiger with 226 yards to the hole. This would usually be a four iron. Tiger hit a “cut” 5 wood 30 feet to the right of the pin. He made it. Two eagles in five holes.
Tiger now holds the 54 hole lead in the US Open. He has never relinquished a lead after the third round of a Major championship.
We are witnessing not just the greatest golfer of all time, but perhaps the most mystical athlete, in history.
