GULLANE Scotland Nobody expected it to take this long certainly not him.
Through scandal scorn injury and athletic redemption Tiger Woods has re emerged as the No. 1 player in the game with only a major championship keeping him from a full return to glory. That is now within his grasp at the game's oldest tournament a 15th major championship one day away in the land of golf's birth.
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Woods has not been this close through 54 holes of a major since his life imploded nearly four years ago. An excellent opportunity awaits Sunday at Muirfield.
But he will have to chase down third round leader Lee Westwood whose own journey to major glory has been longer and far more painful. And he'll have to hold off those around him including Hunter Mahan who along with Woods and recently Westwood employs Sean Foley as coach.
Mahan matched the best round of the day with a 3 under 68. He is two strokes behind Westwood and tied with Woods who will play his final round with Masters champion Adam Scott who employs Woods' former caddie Steve Williams.
I'm looking forward to it '' said Woods whose 1 over 72 included a bogey at the par 5 17th the same hole Westwood birdied to take a two shot lead. I'm looking forward to the challenge of it. I've been in this position before in the past five years and I've been in the hunt. And I'm in it again. Hopefully tomorrow I can play well and win the tournament.''
Each of Woods' 14 major titles has come when he's held at least a share of the 54 hole lead a trend he hopes to break Sunday. Of his 78 PGA Tour titles 14 have come when he was two strokes or more behind the leader entering the final round.
Perhaps of more concern is his recent weekend play in the majors. Although his third round 72 came on another treacherous day on the hard fast running links at Muirfield it was also the 13th straight weekend round in a major that he's failed to shoot in the 60s. But seven of the last 13 majors winners have come from multiple strokes behind including last year's Open winner Ernie Els who was six back.
In truth given the severity of the test and the possibility of danger lurking any number of players have a chance to hoist the Claret Jug. Some 17 players are within six strokes of the lead including major winners Angel Cabrera Zach Johnson and Phil Mickelson.
Second round leader Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 77 and dropped into a tie for 11th six shots back in a group that includes Sergio Garcia Jason Day Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker.
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Westwood forged ahead with a 1 under 70 that was buoyed by a crucial 12 foot bogey putt at the 16th followed by the birdie on No. 17. The No. 1 player in the world for a time the 40 year old Westwood has 22 European Tour victories. He moved to Florida earlier this year in hopes of giving himself better preparation for the majors.
You try to picture yourself winning the Open Championship tonight but forget about it tomorrow and go and tee off down the first and focus on it in the middle of the fairways with the first tee shot and then go from there '' he said. The way this golf course is set up it is a very strategic golf course. You have to plot your way around it. Most major championships are like that. They grind you into the ground. Mentally and physically it's draining and you just have to focus on the job at hand and pile the pars up and try to make birdies whenever you can.''
Mahan made five of them Saturday en route to a 68 that ultimately put him in the final group with Westwood. Last month at the U.S. Open at Merion he was also in the final group along with Mickelson but he shot 75 to finish in a tie for fourth.
I'm just trying to play golf '' Mahan said. I'm not trying to add to anything or make it more than it is just enjoying kind of the opportunity of playing in a major playing in a British. I enjoyed it playing in the U.S. Open. I enjoyed playing with Phil. I didn't think that was a distraction or a hindrance or anything. You just kind of accept things and appreciate them.''
Scott was the hard luck loser at the Open a year ago bogeying the final four holes at Royal Lytham St. Anne's to lose by a stroke to Els. He bounced back to win his first major in a playoff over Cabrera at the Masters and now is in position to become the first player since Woods in 2005 to win a green jacket and a Claret Jug during the same year.
It's a good feeling to sit here in this position absolutely '' Scott said after a 70. It's completely different. I think I go out there not carrying the weight of the lead or not having won a major. So it's a different feeling. Hopefully I can play enough quality shots to give myself chances to be in the hunt right at the end.
But it's a long way off. The course it can turn around on you in a heartbeat out there if you're not careful. I'll be treading cautiously tomorrow.''
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That appears to have been Woods' game plan from the start. He's hit just one driver in the tournament and has done his best to stay out of trouble. He hit 12 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens on Saturday and probably should have gotten more out of the round for as well as he struck the ball. He needed 33 putts but the crucial error came at the 17th where he hit his second shot into a bunker and had to play it out sideways leading to the bogey.
I'm pleased where I'm at I'm only two back '' Woods said. There's only one guy ahead of me and we'll see what they do.
I've got 14 of these things and I know what it takes to win it. He (Westwood) has won tournaments all over the world he knows how to win golf tournaments. He's two shots ahead and we're going to go out there and both compete and play.
It's not just two of us. There's a bunch of guys who have a chance to win this tournament. And all of us need to really play well to win it.''
Recommend0 Tweet0 Comments0Email Print Subscribe Bob Harig emailGolf Writer ESPN.comArchive Senior golf writer for ESPN.com Covered golf for more than 20 years Earned Evans Scholarship to attend Indiana University
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