A Strong Finish Puts O'Hair in the Lead

Third-round leader Sean O'Hair has been estranged from his father, Marc, for several years, a split caused by his father's unusually harsh approach when he coached him as a teenager. (Andy Lyons - Getty Images)

"You're just at ease," he said of his mind-set. "You just don't notice the surroundings, you're just kind of in another place. You don't think about score. At times, I was like, 'I don't know how many under par I am right now.'

"I'm just going to the next shot, the next hole. I basically know I'm going to hit a good shot. I'm not looking where the trouble is. I'm just worried about what can go the right way. I was just able to really stay calm."

Tiger Woods was not. The No. 1 player in the world had another frazzling day, spraying his driver left and right and again failing to figure out the new greens that have vexed him all week. After signing his scorecard, he blew past several members of the media and had no comment on his round of 73 that put him at 5-over 221, leaving him 14 shots off the lead.

Woods missed eight fairways, none worse than his drive at the 442-yard No. 7 that went dead left and splashed in a water hazard. His third shot found a bunker, and a blast from the sand and two putts from 15 feet cost him his first double bogey of the tournament. He followed that by missing the green at the 237-yard No. 8, chipping to 15 feet and botching that par putt as well.

After a front-nine 39, Woods steadied himself with birdies at both back-nine par 5 holes, the 11th and 16th, and had seven pars, but his goal of getting back to even par for the tournament never came close to being fulfilled.

His playing partner, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, had a far better round, posting a 66, with a 10-foot eagle putt dropping at the 523-yard 16th, that left him at 2-under 214 for the week. He had a front-row seat for Woods's continuing problems, and clearly sympathized with the top player in the world.

"He was struggling, having a rough day," Stenson said. "Of course he's frustrated. But he's allowed to have a bad week as well. I don't think everybody realizes that he's human. A lot of times he doesn't seem to be.

"He's allowed to have a bad week or a bad spell, like everybody else. . . . It's kind of hard to get a good score going if the putts don't drop and you hit a couple of bad ones."