European challenge comes up short

AS Tiger Woods looked to be headed for his fourth green jacket and a return to the number one spot in the world in spite of a stout challenge from Chris DiMarco, the European challenge was once again coming up short in the Masters.

Thomas Bjorn, David Howell and Luke Donald all did themselves proud but none were even in sight of Woods and DiMarco when it came to the business end of the week. Bjorn spoiled his chance of a big finish by taking a double bogey seven at the 2nd where most are hopeful of a birdie.

Darren Clarke was the only one of the three Irishmen to make the cut, doing so on Saturday afternoon on the four over par mark. He went on to shoot 69 when the third round was completed yesterday, mixing six birdies with three birdies to get to one over.

He scrambled par at each of the first four holes in the final round before the difficult 5th quite predictably cost him a stroke. Things looked up again for Clarke when he pitched stone dead at the 7th and got down in two from the front of the long 8th as he chipped to five feet with a three wood. However, on a day readymade for birdies, he struggled with bogeys at the 9th and 10th and only avoided another concession by pitching to a couple of inches at the 13th having put his second into Rae’s Creek.

Successive birdies ensued at the 15th and 16th thanks to immaculate iron shots and moved Clarke to even par and into a tie for 15th, a much healthier scenario than had ever seemed possible after a second round of 76 saw him barely scrape into the weekend. The chance of another was scorned from 12 feet at the 17th before a solid par at 18 saw Darren home in 71 for even par 288 and the guarantee of a top 20 finish.

Earlier in the day, Woods looked to be running away with things when he added four successive birdies from the 10th through the 13th to add to Saturday’s hat-trick at 7, 8 and 9. The run of seven in a row equalled Steve Pate’s record set in 1999 and at that point he was 13 under and four ahead of the faltering DiMarco who lost a ball in the bushes left of the 10th fairway. The sense of contest was restored, however, when Woods bogeyed the 14th and then the 15th where he hit a “fat” six iron into the lake fronting the green. Three solid pars to finish saw him home in 65 and three ahead of DiMarco.

DiMarco, who had led by four when play stopped on Saturday night, took 41 for the homeward run, something that surprised and no doubt pleased Woods as he agreed: “Turning a four shot deficit into a lead was nice. I didn’t think Chris would play a back nine like he did but that happens out here. Like I said anything can happen.”

DiMarco wasn’t for arguing: “I can’t tell you of a poorly struck shot I hit out there, yet I took 41. That is what is crazy about this course. Still, any time you can be in the last group on Sunday at the Masters, that is good.”

Additional spice was added to the final round when Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh were paired together. There never has been much love lost between the pair and things turned decidedly nasty on Friday after Vijay accused Phil of leaving several spike marks behind him on the rain soaked greens. Mickelson felt Singh should have brought the matter to his attention instead of complaining to officials and told him so. Onlookers were fearful that the matter could get out of hand but calm was restored.

They hardly looked at each other during yesterday’s round. If anything, it was Singh who seemed to suffer most as he dropped two strokes in his opening 11 holes to fall back to two under par whereas Mickelson cruised into third spot behind Woods and DiMarco with a birdie at the 4th and moved to six under.

Augusta wouldn’t be the same if it didn’t come up with some unbelievable happenings. It was much the same yesterday when DiMarco hit the sixth green with his tee shot only to see the vibration of Tiger’s ball landing nearby causing it to move and eventually roll all the way to the apron. Justice was served when he saved par but as they keep telling us, “these things happen at the Masters.”

You don’t often see a player change his driver midway through the final round of a major championship but DiMarco did so leaving the 8th after the head came loose. You just wondered what would happen next!

Having birdied the first two holes to move to 13 under and four ahead of DiMarco, Woods was fortunate that his closest rival missed at least two very holeable birdie putts. And when DiMarco knocked it so close at the 9th so that he couldn’t miss, Woods provided the ideal riposte, a stunning iron shot to six feet from where he confidently rolled in the putt. Both men were out in 34 to stand 13 and 10 under respectively and turning the 69th Masters into a two-horse race.