Back nine holds key for Tiger

By: STEVE SCHOLFIELD - Staff Writer | Saturday, January 27, 2007 11:06 PM PST ∞

LA JOLLA ---- Maybe there is hope for the rest of the pro golfers on the PGA Tour.

Maybe there is a way to topple the incomparable Tiger Woods after all.

There just might be a slight crack in the armor in Tiger's game.

But the problem for Tiger is not named Mickelson, Vijay or current co-leaders Andrew Buckle or Brandt Snedeker.

The biggest problem is not a person but a place: The back nine on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

Woods finished his second consecutive even par round on the back nine on the long South venue Saturday during the third round of the Buick Invitational.

While Tiger finished with a 3-under 69 to share fourth place, he found no birdies on the final nine holes.

We are so used to seeing Woods better par that when he goes two straight rounds on the same back nine without one birdie, it raises an eyebrow.

Woods missed a 5 1/2-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have ended his back-nine par streak.

"I didn't think it would go left," Woods said of the downhill putt. "I played it inside left thinking it was going to go right and it went left."

He trails the leaders by two shots and third-place Kevin Sutherland by one shot.

Golfers will tell you the cream rises to the top on the back nine of every Sunday tournament, but the course the pros are dealing with today is nasty enough to make Woods appear almost normal.

When Woods won here a year ago, he played the back nines in 5-under par. In his final round in 2005, when he won the tournament, he was 1-under on the last nine holes.

By comparison, Sutherland is 4-under-par, Buckle 1-under and Snedeker even-par on the back nine in two rounds.

So there is a chance for Buckle and Snedeker, a couple of tour rookies, and the 42-year-old Sutherland to topple Woods.

OK, it's a slight chance.

They can't be happy when Woods said, "I feel like things got better each day and I've put myself in contention. Hopefully I can stay out of the bunkers and have a good day."

Woods' 69 came despite a faulty driver that saw hit him just 3-of-14 fairways. But the course is so hard and the rough is practically nonexistent that Woods managed to hit 13-of-18 greens in regulation. He also made up for it by having just 28 putts.

"I'm pleased with the way I hit it today," Woods said. "It is just amazing how hard some of these fairways are to hit.

"As fast as they are, they are running and sometimes you just run through the doglegs if you don't shape (the shots) correctly. As long as you don't miss them too badly, it is really not that bad of a shot."

Anyone care to bet against Tiger today? I wouldn't.

History is on his side. He has had 38 rounds during his career playing the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines with 28 of them in the 60s.

That's one reason he is a four-time champion here and the favorite to three-peat today.

"I have to go out there and get it; I've got to make some birdies," said Woods of today's final.

Snedeker and Buckle caught a break when Sutherland birdied the 18th hole to take over third place. Had Sutherland made par, the two rookies would be paired with Woods in the final round.

"I need to send him (Sutherland) a thank you note," quipped Snedeker, 26, from Nashville, Tenn. "That was very nice of him. I would love to play in the last group with Tiger (because) that is where everyone wants to be. But as a rookie, I'm kind of glad the way it worked out."

Added the 24-year-old Buckle, a native of Brisbane, Australia: "I think it would have been pretty nervous. ... I'm relieved, I guess."

Snedeker said he has one of the best seats in the house watching Tiger play in the threesome ahead of him.

"I've never actually witnessed him hit a golf ball in a tournament before, so I'm going to enjoy it," Snedeker said.

The rest of the field might enjoy it a lot if Tiger continues to post pars on the back nine at Torrey South.

Steve Scholfield is senior sports columnist for the North County Times. He can be reached at (760) 740-3509 or stevescho@cox.net.