Woods Leads NEC by Nine

A K R O N, Ohio, Aug. 26, 2000 -- Fourteen straight pars and a wasp stingfailed to stop Tiger Woods from running away with the NECInvitational today.

Woods finally cooled off at Firestone Country Club after abirdie-eagle-birdie start. He got stung on his left finger when hetried to remove a wounded wasp on the 15th green. All that matteredat the end of the day was his 3-under 67, which gave him anine-stroke lead.

“It hurt quite a bit,” he said. That was in reference to thesting, not a game that failed to produce a birdie from the fourthhole on. Woods knew the size of his lead at the time — 11 — andwhat it would take to catch him — a lot.

“I had a big lead,” Woods said. “You don’t need to put pressure on yourself. They’ve got to come get you.”

Prefers Big Lead Over Drama

Woods was at 18-under 192, a 54-hole record at Firestone. HalSutton had a hole-in-one on the 12th hole and nearly holed out onthe 18th for a 65, the best score of the day. He was at 201, alongwith Phillip Price and fast-fading Phil Mickelson.

Price, a Welshman playing his first tournament in America,bogeyed the last hole for a 66. Mickelson finally got Woods’ leaddown to six strokes until he bogeyed the 17th with a flubbed chipand made double bogey on the 18th with a three-putt from 8 feet.

Coming off a pulsating playoff victory over Bob May in the PGAChampionship, Woods liked his situation much better this week inthe tournament for Presidents Cup and U.S. Ryder Cup teams, and thetop 12 Europeans from the European tour money list.

“A big lead, any time,” Woods said when asked whether he wouldprefer that or a competitive final round.

“I know it’s much more drama for all of you when the finish islike last week,” he said. “But I’d much rather have it when it’s like the U.S. Open.”

More Records Possible

He led by 10 strokes after three rounds at Pebble Beach, theonly competition coming from the record books. He tied the U.S.Open scoring record of 272, and shattered the record in relation topar by finishing 15 under.

More records are still on the line Sunday. Woods needs a 64 tobreak the PGA Tour scoring record of 257, set by Mike Souchak inthe 1955 Texas Open.

Even if his lead is double digits, Woods said he is onlyinterested in winning, his only strategy to hit fairways andgreens. That seems to be working just fine.

Woods, who raised hopes of a 59 in his opening two rounds of64-61, looked as though he might establish a new magic number today.

He birdied the first hole from 10 feet, then made eagle for thethird consecutive day on the par-5 second with a 15-foot putt fromthe fringe. Then, Woods’ approach over the water to the third greenlanded 4 feet behind the hole and spun back to a foot.

Three holes. Four under. In about 30 minutes, his lead went fromseven to 11.

‘One of Those Days’

The fans who covered every inch of grass along the fairwaysweren’t the only ones who took notice. Jose Maria Olazabal andColin Montgomerie were on the 13th tee when they saw Woods’ scoresgo up.

“Monty said, ‘He’s already 3 under through three holes,“‘

Olazabal said. “I said, ‘Monty, you don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s 3 under through two holes.’ It looked like it was going to be one of those days again.”

Alas, Woods didn’t birdie every hole.

After taking a drop because his foot was on the sprinkler in theleft rough, Woods caught a flyer out of the rough with a 9-ironfrom 176 yards away and went through the green. He chipped to 10feet and missed the putt.

It was all pars from there. Woods broke the 54-hole scoringrecord at Firestone — previously 15-under 195 by Olazabal — butfailed to break the PGA Tour record of 189 set by John Cook at the1996 St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Olazabal first set the Firestone record of 61 in 1990, and hewas proud to note that he still has a share of the mark.

“I think it will survive another day,” he said.