Donald up one on Durant
Updated: March 28, 2005, 1:51 PM ET
Associated Press
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Luke Donald waited five days to hold the third-round lead at The Players Championship. Now, he'll try to avoid a fate like Bob Tway's 12 on No. 17's famed island green if he hopes to win golf's fifth major.
Donald finished off a 70 Monday after rain suspended play Sunday and stood at 12 under, a stroke in front of Joe Durant (71) and two ahead of Tim Herron (72). They'll all grab a quick sandwich and change shirts before hitting the tee again for the final round.
And it's a vastly different course from the one they've seen this week.
After rain saturated TPC at Sawgrass' Stadium Course since Friday, those at the $8 million tournament faced gusts of up to 36 mph. Nowhere was that more evident than on No. 17's famed island green, where Tway took his tumble in record fashion.
He was at 7 under and certainly in contention for a nice finish. Then he put four balls in the water and three-putted for a -- what do you call a bogey of that magnitude? -- 12. He eclipsed Robert Gamez's 1990 mark of 11 at the often vilified hole.
After finishing at No. 18, Tway sat alone at the end of his golf bag, hands covering his face. Scott Verplank, a fellow Oklahoman and one of Tway's good friends, patted his buddy to boost his spirits.
Tway wasn't the only one to fall.
The people's golfer, Phil Mickelson, dunked his tee shot in the water, then sent his drop shot off the wooden planks, leading to a quadruple bogey 7 and, in effect, ending his chase for the title.
Zach Johnson was a shot off the lead when his tee-shot got wet on 17. He took a double bogey to fall off the pace.
Durant and Donald safely hit on No. 17 and made pars -- this time. The two had gotten in only three holes before rain halted play Sunday.
Donald was one of the few not fazed by the morning wind with birdies on the fourth, eighth and ninth holes to rise to 13 under. However, a double bogey on the 14th -- he pushed his approach shot into deep rough right of the green -- dropped him back into a tie with Durant.
Durant stayed in contention with 13 pars and a birdie on the 16th. But he drove into the rough on the final hole, making a bogey to trail Donald.
There was no escaping the wind. Officials took down the names and numbers from the large, hand-operated scoreboard behind the 18th green when Lee Westwood's name literally blew off the leaderboard.
Herron had to retrieve his hat, which blew across the fairway, before hitting his approach to No. 18. Even NBC Sports had to lash down its cable cam, which operated high over the 17th on a system of wires and pulleys, to keep it from blowing into the water.
The PGA Tour's Big Four continued their so-so play, and it appeared the group would again leave without one of them holding the championship trophy.
Mickelson's 77 was his highest score of the season. Tiger Woods had a 75, also his worst round this year. Vijay Singh was eight shots behind after his 71. Ernie Els was at 2 over for the tournament following a 74, his third round in the 70s.
Defending champion Adam Scott was only three behind the leaders when the round was restarted. However, bogeys on the 14th and 16th holes, and a double bogey on the 18th dropped him back.
There was one good thing -- at least the sunshine seemed to calm worries this might become the PGA Tour's first Tuesday finish in 25 years.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press
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