Golfer loses lead on agonizing missed tap-in

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Tiger Woods received a standing ovation from the patrons as he walked up Augusta National’s 18th hole. His fellow competitors were waiting for him outside the scoring area. It was a scene reminiscent of his win here three years ago. Woods didn’t add to his incredible 82 wins and 15 majors on Sunday, but he still called this year’s Masters one of the greatest achievements of his career. Few can understand how difficult it was for him to play this week, Woods said. Only a handful of people have seen what his right leg, the one that was shattered in last year’s single-car accident, looks like under his pants leg. It’s a sight that leaves people “horrified,” in Woods’ words. An even smaller circle saw all the ice baths and recovery work that were necessary to piece Woods back together for each round at Augusta National. “It’s hard. It’s hard,” Woods said. “I have those days where I just don’t want to do anything. It just hurts.” He fought through the pain to play all four rounds at this year’s Masters, completing 72 holes while some of his younger, healthier competitors missed the cut. “Forget score. I don’t care. He might not say that to the media, but forget score, right? It’s pretty inspirational,” said Bubba Watson. “I cry on a paper cut. For him to be able to walk and make the cut is pretty spectacular.” Watson was there when Woods walked off the 18th green Sunday, stopping Woods to give him a hug and say, “I’m proud of you.” Bryson DeChambeau was there, as well, despite missing the Masters cut. The record will show that Woods finished at 13-over 301, his highest 72-hole total at this event by eight shots. It also is the second-highest 72-hole total of his career. Score was secondary this week, though. “I don’t think people really understand,” Woods said. “The people who are close to me understand. They’ve seen it. Some of the players who are close to me have seen it and have seen some of the pictures and the things that I have had to endure. They appreciate it probably more than anyone else because they know what it takes to do this out here at this level. “It’s one thing to play with my son at a hit-and-giggle, but it’s another thing to play in a major championship. It’s been a tough road, and one that I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to be able to grind through it. A lot of different things could have happened, but 14 months, I’m able to tee it up and play in the Masters.” Woods also described himself as thankful for the opportunity. “I am. I really am. I truly am. Just to get to this point,” he said. “Just to be able to play, and not only just to play, but I put up a good first round. I got myself there. I don’t quite have the endurance that I would like to have had, but as of a few weeks ago, didn’t even know if I was going to play in this event. “I think it was a positive and I’ve got some work to do and looking forward to it.” Woods confirmed to Sky Sports that he will play The Open at St. Andrews in July. Many thought that would the site of his return to competitive golf because of the relatively flat terrain of the links where Woods won two of his three Open Championships. He said his status for next month’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills was uncertain, though. Woods won the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. “I think it needs a couple more days to heal after this,” he said, “but we’ll get back after it, and we’ll get into it.”

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Matt Kuchar kept another clean card and shot a 4-under 66 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Sony Open as he chases his second victory this season on the PGA Tour.

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DETROIT – Troy Merritt (67, 14 under par) hasn’t been in the hunt in a while, and as an Iowa native is trying to keep the trophy in the Midwest. Joaquin Niemann (68, 14 under) finished second in the first two tournaments of 2021 – once in a playoff – and would be winning one for Santiago, Chile. Thanks to Merritt’s first-ever hole-in-one on the PGA TOUR, a 5-iron that one-hopped into the hole at the 219-yard 11th, and Niemann going bogey-free through 54 holes, those two are tied for the lead with one round remaining at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But it could be a wild Sunday at birdie-friendly Detroit Golf Club with 14 players within four of the lead. “Yeah, the big thing is when you get out in front, don’t go back to the guys behind you,” said Merritt, 35, who won 21 tournaments at Boise State and will be aiming for his third win on TOUR. “Make them come and get you. “I know that we’re tied now,” he added, “so the mindset will be to make a few birdies but don’t give any away, make them work to come and get us and hopefully it’s good enough in the end.” Niemann is a perfect 13 for 13 in scrambling, and has 14 par saves from four feet or longer this week. The last player to go bogey-free and win on TOUR was J.T. Poston at the 2019 Wyndham Championship, and he was the first to accomplish it since Lee Trevino in 1974. Niemann was in danger of giving a shot back when he got out of position at the par-5 14th hole but made what he called “a huge save” from a greenside bunker to keep his streak going. The FedExCup No. 25 and world No. 30, Niemann, who has made 21 cuts in 22 starts this year,has already won once on TOUR at the tender age of 22. But that win total could easily be two or three by now had things broken differently for him at the Sentry Tournament of Champions (playoff loss) and Sony Open in Hawaii (T2) in January. He contends he got over it quickly. “You’ve just got to be patient,” he said. “I think everybody’s going to have their own moment and I had my moment pretty early. And then I was trying to find my moment, I went into a playoff in Hawaii, finished second the week after also. “But I took it pretty easy,” he continued. “I just wanted to keep going. I knew that when everything went well, I would win again, so I just didn’t want to put myself in that stress.” Sunday is expected to bring warmer temperatures, where conditions the last two days have been fall-like. The course is still soft from copious rain and has historically yielded low scores. Bryson DeChambeau shoot a final-round 65 to win last year. Nate Lashley shot 25 under to win in 2019. If you assume that anyone as far back as five shots still has a chance, that brings in a massive group at 9 under, including Rocket Mortgage ambassador Rickie Fowler. “Obviously the leaders, they’re all pretty close, right next to each other,” Niemann said, “so I know that I need to go low tomorrow to give myself a chance to win.” Added Hank Lebioda (66, one back), a lefty whose T5 at the Travelers Championship last week was his only top-10 finish in 19 previous starts this season, “The way this course is playing, it’s (yielding) quite a few birdies. It will probably be the same tomorrow, so I’ll get my cracks.” Merritt, 35, won the 2015 Quicken Loans National and 2018 Barbasol Championship but came into this week at 101st in the FedExCup. He said putting was the problem, but leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (+6.659) and is second in driving accuracy (36/42) through three rounds. “Last couple Sundays for sure – U.S. Open and Memorial and last week Travelers – haven’t been anything special,” he said, “so we’re due to get back on track so hopefully that’s this week.”

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